All-Star Pretzel Bacon Cheddar Sauced Burgers

Pairs well with:

Zinfandel

Bright and full-bodied, this Zinfandel wine is a curious contradiction in tastes.

Although some people like to go to sporting events to watch the game, some of us like to go to check out the food and eat!This burger combines some of my favorite sporting event indulgences…pretzels with cheese sauce and burgers. These burgers will make you forget about any game!

Ingredients:

Mayo:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons pickle relish

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

Patties:

2 pounds ground chuck

1/4 cup white onion, minced

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon Tabasco Pepper Sauce

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:

12 thick slices bacon

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole milk

2 cups shredded smoked cheddar cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack

6 good quality salted pretzel rolls, split

3 cups shaved (chiffonade) crisp iceberg lettuce

12 large slices good quality ripe tomatoes

Instructions:

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.

Mix together mayonnaise, relish, and mustard in small bowl until well combined. Cover, and set aside or refrigerate until ready to assemble burgers.

Combine ground chuck, onion, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, pepper sauce, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in large bowl until just combined being careful not to over mix. Form into 6 patties, cover, and keep cold until ready to grill.

Place the bacon in a large fireproof skillet and cook on the grill rack until bacon begins to crisp, about 3-5 minutes per side. Remove bacon from pan and place

on paper towels to drain. Once bacon is cool, coarsely chop, set aside.

Meanwhile, place a small fire-proof saucepan on rack of preheated grill. Add butter and whisk until melted. Whisk in flour until well combined. Slowly whisk in milk until hot and starting to bubble. Whisk shredded cheddar cheese a little at a time until smooth. Whisk in chopped bacon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

Brush grill rack with vegetable oil. Place patties on rack and cook about 4-6 minutes per sides or until desired doneness. During last few minutes of cooking, place rolls on outer edges of rack to toast lightly.

To assemble burgers, spread a generous amount of mayo on cut-side of bottom roll. Top with a generous amount of lettuce, 2 slices of tomato, burger patty, generous amount of cheese sauce, then cover with roll top.

Makes 6 burgers.