Happy National Cheeseburger Day! There ae a lot of stories about how the cheeseburger was invented, but the most popular one says that it happened in Pasadena, California in 1924. The credit goes to 16 year old Lionel Sternberger….. ha, his name was “berger” in it…. anyway, most historians say that he was the first person to slap American cheese on a patty. Buuuuuuuuut, the name “Cheeseburger” wasn’t coined until 1934 at Kaelin’s Restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky. At least they claim that. There’s a bit of dispute because The Humpty Dumpty Drive-In in Denver trademarked the name “cheeseburger” in 1935.
Wherever it came from, cheeseburgers are one of Jenny and my favorite meals. We’re always experimenting with mixing our own sauces and toppings from peanut butter to blue cheese.
For everybody else, here’s a Big Mac Clone Recipe I found.
- ⅔ pound ground beef (85% lean)
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 ½ teaspoons white wine vinegar, or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- 4 hamburger bun bottoms
- 2 hamburger bun tops
- 2 tablespoons minced onion, or to taste
- ½ cup shredded lettuce, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons dill pickle slices, or to taste
- 2 slices American cheese
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Cooking:
Shape ground beef into 4 flat patties that will fit the hamburger buns. Place them on a tray lined with waxed paper; transfer to the freezer.
Mix mayonnaise, mustard, pickle relish, white wine vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika in a bowl to make sauce. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Toast buns in batches until lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Layer some of the sauce, 1 tablespoon minced onion, 2 tablespoons lettuce, and pickles on 2 bottom buns. Layer some of the sauce and remaining 1 tablespoon minced onion, 2 tablespoons lettuce, and American cheese on the other bottom buns. Season patties with salt and pepper. Cook in the hot skillet 2 at a time until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place 1 patty over each bottom bun; stack and cover with top buns.