Ranch Burgers

The picture above is not the prettiest of pictures. Mostly because it was taken with my husband's iPhone. But, one thing you will have to admit is that these burgers look messy... and delicious. See that stuff dripping out the sides? That there is creamy Ranch dressing, my friends. See those gorgeous little translucent morsels on top? Those are sauteed onions. There's also a lovely layer of swiss cheese in there, along with a little lettuce and a little tomato. This tasty little creation is known as the Ranch Burger. I basically made these little beauties to appease my husband. I will tell you why...

My dear, sweet hubby grew up in a small little town up in the mountains. Or maybe it was a village. Yeah, I think it was more of a village... Well, he grew up there and there was a place that they used to eat pretty much every week. It was a little hamburger stand that served what my husband's whole family has deemed the "best burgers ever." When we were dating, he took me to said hamburger joint and showed me what all the fuss was about. Well, I can tell you that the burgers really were divine. Plus, they came with a huge serving of curly fries (my favorite!) We've only gone back once since that time, so my poor husband has had to go without the delicious ranchy burgers for years. Well, being the sweet and wonderful wife that I am, I decided to recreate his favorite childhood burger and score some bonus points (just in time for Christmas!) He said that my burger definitely reminded him of the original ranch burger (maybe even better!) Success.


Ranch Burger Recipe: {Print Recipe}
Serving size: 4 Burgers

4 french rolls (or "hoagie" rolls)
2 tbsp butter (softened)
2 pounds ground beef (we use 20% because it makes the best burgers, but you can go leaner!)
Seasoning salt
Pepper
2 onions (diced)
4 slices of Swiss Cheese (cut in half)
Shredded lettuce
Sliced tomato
Ranch Dressing (the homemade kind is the best!)
2 tbsp oil

Place oil in a large cast iron skillet or on the flat side of a grill (the ones that fit over your burners, or even one that plugs in!) Sautee onions until they are translucent and begin to brown (about 5-6 minutes). Remove onions and set aside.

Divide ground beef into 8 equal pieces and shape to fit your french rolls (long, oval, very flat and somewhat awkward is the best way to describe them). Season each side with seasoning salt and pepper. Turn fire under your grill or cast iron to high heat and place the patties on the surface. Allow them to sear for about 4-5 minutes, or until they get a nice crisp brown crust. Flip and sear for an additional 3-4 minutes or until burgers are cooked through. These burgers will cook quickly because they are so thin so keep an eye on them. During the last minute of cooking, place half a slice of swiss cheese on top of each patty and place a heaping pile of grilled onions on each. The onions will melt into the cheese and create a lovely, gooey mess.

While burgers are cooking, butter the inside of the bun and place each half on a hot grill or skillet over high heat for a minute (until bun is slightly toasted).

Sprinkle a handful of lettuce on the bottom bun, top with a few slices of tomato, followed by 2 burger patties. Pour on a tremendous amount of ranch dressing, throw on top bun, slice in half and devour quickly.