Caramelized Onion, Gruyere, Bacon and Peanut Butter Burgers

Caramelized Onion, Gruyere, Bacon and Peanut Butter Burgers

Have you ever had a peanut butter burger? Basically it is a burger slathered with peanut butter instead of cheese and other toppings. I grew up eating these burgers at a local restaurant named Bearden’s in the town where I grew up, in Rocky River, Ohio. Seriously, it is one of the best burgers out there and if you live anywhere near Rocky River, you have to check it out! 

I now live in Colorado, but I make peanut butter burgers at home all the time. My idea for this burger was one-upping the originally peanut butter burger. And by one-upping I mean adding the ultimate burger toppings. Beer caramelized onions, Gruyere cheese and bacon!! Yes, and then you top it all off with a heavy drizzle of peanut butter! It is insane and delicious! 

  • Yield:4 burgers
  • Prep Time:20 minutes
  • Cook Time:50 minutes
  • Total Time:1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter 

2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced 

1 cup beer (I used pumpkin beer) 

1 pound ground beef 

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp pepper 

¾ cup Peanut Butter & Co. Smooth Operator, warmed in the microwave for 30 seconds 

4 oz Gruyere cheese, sliced  

8 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked to your liking  

4 whole-wheat buns, toasted 

1 cup arugula (optional) 

Directions

  1. Heat large skillet. Add 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. 

  2. At this point you want to slowly add the beer, let it cook into the onions, add more and let it cook. Do this until the 1 cup of beer is gone or the onions are caramelized to your liking and the beer has evaporated. Keep warm.

  3. While the onions are caramelizing add the ground beef to a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.

  4. About 10 to 15 minutes before the onions are ready form the beef into 4 equal patties and grill (or you can fry them in a skillet as well) until they reach your desired doneness. I cook mine about 4 minutes per side, but it will depend on how thick you like your burgers. In the last 1-2 minutes of cooking, top each burger with a few slices of Gruyere cheese. Allow the cheese to melt and then remove from the grill.

  5. To assemble the burgers warm the Peanut Butter & Co. Smooth Operator in the microwave for 30 seconds. Place the burger on a bun and top each burger with caramelized onions. Drizzle a generous amount of the warmed peanut butter over top. Finally, top each burger with two slices of crispy bacon and some arugula if desired. Go to town!

Tags: Bacon Dinner Lunch Peanut butter Peanut Butter & Co. Sandwich Savory Smooth Operator Summer Uncategorized