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Bacon-Avocado Burgers with Smoked Cheddar Cheese

Jazz up your typical burger with bacon, avocado and smoked cheese at your next cookout.

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Yield: 4 servings

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Active Time: 40 minutes
Start to Finish: 40 minutes

For this recipe you’ll need:

1 1/2 pounds 80% lean ground chuck
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 Kaiser rolls, lightly toasted
4 slices smoked cheddar cheese
Your favorite BBQ sauce
8 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, broken into 2-inch pieces
1 ripe avocado, cut into slices
1 vine-ripe tomato, cut into slices

In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, salt and pepper. Gently mix until just combined. Note: Overworking the ground beef mixture will result in a tough burger.
Evenly divide the ground beef mixture into 4 equal portions that are approximately 1/2-inch thick. Lay the patties on a parchment-lined sheet tray, and season the outside of each patty with additional salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to grill.
Heat a gas or charcoal grill over medium heat.
Grill the burgers over direct heat on the first side until well marked and caramelized. Flip and repeat. Continue cooking the burgers until done to your liking. An internal temperature of medium rare (125º) to medium (130º) is ideal.
Approximately 2 minutes before the burger is ready to come off the grill, top each with a slice of the smoked cheese, and allow to melt.
Transfer the burgers to the lightly-toasted bottom buns.
Top with a dollop of your favorite BBQ sauce followed by the bacon, tomato and avocado.
Gently set the top buns on the burgers, and enjoy!