Hearty Hoedown Burgers

Oh my goodness--this picture does not do these burgers justice! We had a late dinner last night and this was the best picture I was able to get...after about 30 attempts! I think I'm seriously starting to drive my husband crazy, but he usually waits patiently to start eating until I sit down with my plate :) Back to the burgers, though! First of all, I am a BIG fan of adding Worcestershire sauce to burgers, so that alone, led me to believe that this recipe would be outstanding! I was a little nervous about my husband's reaction with the onions and peppers, but he really seemed to enjoy his burger! I have never bought "sandwich spread" at the store and spaced buying it for this recipe, so I improvised at the last minute. I found a recipe on Cooks.com for a "Special Sauce Burger Topping" and I thought it tasted a lot like the sauce on McDonald's Big Macs. My first thought was actually to use Donna's sauce recipe (from My Tasty Treasures), but I didn't have any French dressing. I'll include the sauce recipe below, in case you don't have any sandwich spread on hand!

Hearty Hoedown Burgers

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/3 cup finely chopped onion (1 small)
1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 slices American cheese (we used Smoked Provolone)
6 burger buns, split
1/4 cup sandwich spread (found in the mayonnaise section of the grocery store)
Red onion slices, if desired

Directions:

Heat gas or charcoal grill. In a medium bowl, mix ground beef, onion, bell pepper, Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, garlic powder and pepper until well blended. Shape mixture into 6 patties, 1/2 inch thick.

Place patties on grill. Cover grill; cook over medium heat 13 to 15 minutes, turning once, until meat thermometer inserted in center of patties reads 160 degrees. Top each patty with cheese slice; cook just until cheese is melted.

Spread cut sides of toasted buns with sandwich spread; top with onion slices. Place cheese-topped patties on buns.

Special Sauce Burger Topping

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp sweet pickle relish (I only had dill relish, so I added a teaspoon of sugar to cut the tartness)

Combine all ingredients and serve over burgers. (I would suggest chilling if you have time, but if not, it's not the end of the world!)

Source: Pillsbury Potlucks & Reunions