Good news! That weekend I was going to make jam? Well, I did make jam . . . just not the chipotle strawberry kind I had in mind. Instead, I made bacon onion balsamic jam to top bacon burgers.

It really worked out for the best. I mean, what was I really going to do with several jars of chipotle strawberry jam? (Gifts. I was going to give them as gifts. So, friends who would have received those jars, um, sorry about that.) Instead, I served up these fancy burgers to my small group for a barbecue several weeks ago.

I found the recipe from Smells Like Home on Pinterest (of course). When we decided to hold an end-of-summer get-together for our small group, I knew it was the perfect time to try them out. (I also made Loaded Baked Potato Salad and S’mores Rice Krispy Treats. So. Much. Delicious!)

Unless my friends were just being nice, the Bacon Burgers with Bacon Jam were a huge hit! Even Mark – whose first response to the bacon jam was a delightful, “What IS that?!?” – loved them. He ate them at the barbecue AND for leftovers later that weekend. And for a guy who doesn’t love leftovers, that is saying something!

Bacon Burgers with Bacon Onion Balsamic Jam

For the Bacon Onion Balsamic Jam:
4 slices bacon, sliced into ½-inch wide pieces
1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced (about 1 ½ cups)
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup water

For the Burgers:
2 slices bacon, finely diced
1 ¼ pounds lean ground beef
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
4 hamburger buns
Sliced cheese (optional. technically. but why not?)

Start with the jam. Cook the bacon (either in a pan on the stove or in the oven, MY preferred method).

As you let the browned but not crispy bacon drain on a paper towel, add a couple tablespoons of bacon grease to a pan. Add the onions and saute. Cover and cook for two minutes, then add a splash of water. Scrape any pieces stuck to the bottom of the pan, stir and cover to cook for about 10 more minutes until soft. Next, mix in the vinegar, mustard and water, then add back in the bacon. Simmer until sauce thickens.

Now, the burgers. Mix together the beef, Worcestshire sauce, salt and pepper. Shape into patties and grill. Put burgers on buns (buttered and grilled if you’re really feeling adventurous), top with cheese (fine. this is optional. whatever.) and bacon jam. Share with your family and friends if you want them to be super impressed. And stuffed.

In theory, you could make – and serve – these things separately. Bacon burgers with normal toppings OR regular burgers with bacon jam. If you’re wimpy about your bacon-infused meals.

(Which, I must confess, I was. After cooking onions all day – for the potato salad and the jam – this pregnant lady couldn’t handle eating any. In fact, my kitchen smelled a bit like onions all weekend, and I just about came unglued. Mark assured me that what I made was delicious and the onion weirdness was only because I’m prego.)

ANYWAY.

How do you like your burgers? Plain? Fancy? Stuffed with bacon?

P.S. Stay tuned for another post later today with a couple of fun announcements!

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