Little bacon Cheeseburger-style junior burger

Ingredients

burgers

• 400 g beef mince (20% fat)
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper

bacon

• 4 rashers streaky bacon (halved)

To assemble

• 4 small soft sesame-free buns
• 4 slices American cheese
• Shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1 small tomato, sliced
• ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
• pickle slices
• Mayonnaise
• butter, for toasting

Method

1. Cook bacon. pan-fry bacon until crispy. Reserve the fat.
2. Form burgers. Divide beef into 4 loose balls. press gently into small discs.
3. Season. Salt and pepper both sides.
4. Sear. Heat pan smoking hot. Smash burgers in. Don’t move for 60 seconds.
5. Flip + cheese. Flip, lay 1 cheese slice on each burger. Cook 30 seconds more.
6. Toast buns. In the reserved bacon fat. That’s the secret.
7. Assemble. bottom bun → mayo → onion → pickle → burger (cheese up) → bacon → lettuce → tomato → top bun.

Tips

• Half a rasher of bacon is enough. Don’t overdo it on the junior.
• Toast the bun in bacon fat — adds another layer of flavour.
• Single burger, single cheese, half a bacon. Kid-sized proportions.