Everything Bagel Cheese Burger

 

We New Yorkers take our bagels very seriously. Every Sunday morning when I was growing up, my parents would go out early and pick up an assortment of fresh bagels, as well as accoutrements, such as various flavors of fresh cream cheeses, lox and whitefish salad (for my mom—the rest of us steered clear), sliced tomatoes and red onion. We'd listen to jazz and each take our favorite section of the newspaper and we'd feast. Every. Sunday. Morning.

It was a wonderful ritual; that was back when I had a teenager's metabolism. As a fortysomething mom with thyroid disease, I feast on bagels much less frequently now. However, I still appreciate a good bagel—especially if it's an everything bagel! Everything is EVERYTHING.

If you're unfamiliar with everything bagels, my friend, you have been missing out. These bad boys are positively saturated in the best of bagel toppings: sesame and poppy seeds, onion and garlic and salt. I recreated these flavor bombs in a homemade spice blend, with a very special secret ingredient that kicks it all up another notch. It's good on everything from baked potatoes to homemade pretzels to dips. And burgers. Yeah, it's really great in burgers.

The only thing that could make it better? Everything Bagel-seasoned cheddar cheese. Yes, such a wondrous thing exists. I discovered it while on vacation. Not only did I snack on it every afternoon, I also brought some home (since it's apparently not sold within 20 miles of my house).

You better believe that cheese went on this burger. So, imagine this savory flavor explosion: everything bagel + everything seasoned burger + everything cheddar cheese. Yeah, that's right, baby. Are you drooling yet?

Ingredients
makes 4 burgers

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 Tablespoons Everything Bagel Spice Blend
• 4 everything bagels, lightly toasted
• about 4 oz of sliced Everything Bagel Cheddar Cheese (or substitute another cheese—a really sharp cheddar would be great)
• lettuce, tomato slices, paper-thin red onion, and additional everything spice blend, for topping  
• mustard, or any condiments you like

Gently combine beef and the everything spice blend, taking care not to overwork the mixture. Shape into patties. Grill (or cook in a skillet) to desired doneness, topping with cheese in the last few minutes of cooking.

Assemble the burgers on the bagels with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. Top the burger with an additional sprinkle of the everything spice mix.

It's that quick. This would be a great weeknight dinner during the school year, when time for making a homemade supper is at a premium. These burgers are super kid-friendly—as burgers tend to be!—while offering interesting flavors to please adult palates.

If you don't eat bread (or are just watching your carb intake), you can skip the bagel bun. After all, you've got that delicious everything bagel flavor right in the burger!

Do you love everything bagels as much as I do?