Southwest Burgers with Pepper Jack Cheese and Avocado Salsa

| Laura Davidson
Southwest Burgers with Pepper Jack Cheese and Avocado Salsa

"To take the burgers to the next level, I added a hefty amount of seasonings to the ground beef mixture. Paprika, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and jalapeno hot sauce—just to name a few!" shares Laura. "The spice mixture was not at all overpowering, but definitely shined through in every bite. These are the opposite of bland."

Avocado Salsa

  • 2 large vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
  • 11/2 ripe avocados (pitted), large dice
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1/2 jalapeño, finely diced (seeded and ribs removed)
  • 1/3 cup finely diced red onion
  1. Allow ground beef to rest at room temperature for 45 minutes to an hour.
  2. Prepare the Avocado Salsa: Combine the tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno, lime juice, and salt. Gently stir in avocado chunks and cilantro. Set aside while you prepare the burgers.

    Southwest Burgers

    • 11/2 tsp dried oregano
    • freshly ground black pepper
    • sea salt or kosher salt (roughly 1/4 teaspoon per burger)
    • 3/4 tsp sweet paprika
    • 3/4 tsp chili powder
    • 3/4 tsp ground coriander
    • 11/2 tsp garlic powder
    • 11/2 tsp ground cumin
    • 11/2 tsp jalapeño hot sauce
    • 36 oz (2 lb, 4 ounces) 85% ground beef
    1. Prepare the Southwest Burgers: In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, jalapeno hot sauce, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, coriander, chili powder, and sweet paprika. Mix gently with your hands—but do not over mix. Form the ground beef mixture into 6-ounce burger patties (roughly ¾-inch thick). Heat a large cast iron grill pan (over medium-high heat, and grease lightly with cooking spray. Cook the burgers on each side until charred, roughly 4-5 minutes per side (or until the internal temperature reaches roughly 150 degrees Fahrenheit). Top each burger with 1 ounce of pepper jack cheese, tent pan with foil (or close grill top), and cook until the cheese has just melted. Remove and allow the burgers for rest for several minutes. Meanwhile, grill or toast buns lightly, if desired (spray grill pan lightly with oil, if grilling).

      For Assembly

      • avocado salsa (see above)
      • 8 Cobblestone Bread Co. Corn Dusted Kaiser Rolls
      • 6 oz pepper jack cheese, sliced
      1. To Assemble: Place burgers on toasted buns, and add a large spoonful of avocado salsa. Serve immediately.

      For the full post, visit Blogging Over Thyme.

      Compensation for this post was provided by Cobblestone Bread Co. via AOL Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Cobblestone Bread Co. or AOL.