50/50 Bacon Bison Burgers

So, you know how I was just talking about how much I love Fall and it’s the bestest of all the seasons? Well, Rob decided we needed to go take advantage of the cooler temps and head up to the mountains for the weekend to check out the beautiful Aspens changing to their golden hues. So we packed up a bag, checked the kids out of school early, and took a drive through one of the few Colorado roads not washed out by the floods. We decided on Breckenridge, since our usual destination of Rocky Mountain National Park was inaccessible (due to the flooding and the government shutdown).

We noticed that the weather report showed snow in the forecast, but it kept dwindling, going from an estimated 6-12 inches down to an estimated 1/2 inch accumulation. I expected some flurries, because it’s October, in a mountain ski town at an elevation of 10,000 feet. I mean, you’d be crazy to not expect snow. So we got there Thursday afternoon and drove around, admiring the pretty colors of Fall. We went back to the hotel and went hot tubbing outside, because sitting in a hot tub when it’s stupid cold out is surprisingly awesome, and even better when it’s snowing.

When we woke up the next morning, it was a white-covered wonderland outside. And it was still snowing. I think it’s safe to say there’s nothing more beautiful than Fall in the Winter in a Colorado ski town. Don’t even argue me on this. It snowed almost all of Friday and Saturday, getting down to 8 degrees on Friday night. So our little Autumn-inspired vacation turned into a double season trip. Even better!

Breckenridge, October 2013

Frisco, October 2013

Before we left on our trip, I made these burgers. We had bacon-bison burgers at a restaurant in Denver a couple months ago and they were amazing! I’ve put bacon in burgers before, but the 1:1 ratio is really the best! And we don’t try to substitute for burger buns in our house, it’s just not worth it to us. We just cut everything up unless we’ve got some lettuce leaves and wrap the burger in some of those. Buns really detract from the flavor of a delicious burger anyway, and are totally unnecessary.

A little tip about making burger patties: put an indentation in the center to keep them even as they cook, rather than puffing up in the middle. This will make it easier to pile on your toppings as well. I explain two methods for making the patties in the recipe below.

Also, you could totally grill these burgers, but I like the option of cooking them indoors, especially now that it’s getting cooler and I don’t really like having to clean the grill. I got grilled-out this summer.

Oh, one more tip: a burger’s not a burger without dill pickles. That’s a fact.

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50/50 Bacon Bison Burgers

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 5

Calories 581kcal

Author Kendra Benson

Ingredients

Burgers

• 1 lb Grass-Fed Ground Bison or Ground Beef
• 1 lb Uncured Bacon
• 1/2 tsp Dried Parsley
• 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
• Smoked Sea Salt to taste
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste

Recommended Toppings

• Iceberg Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Paleo Lime Mayo
• Dill Pickle Spears
• Sauteed Onions
• Sauteed Mushrooms
• Crispy Bacon Strips yes, more bacon
• Avocado or Guacamole

Instructions

• Turn the oven broiler on to High. Line a broiler pan with foil.
• Finely chop the bacon so it resembles the same texture as ground meat. Alternately, if you have a meat grinder, use that for a more even texture.
• Combine all burger ingredients in a large bowl, using either your hands or a wooden spoon to evenly mix everything.
• Once everything is combined, shape patties. You have a few options here:
  - Shape into 5" patties using your hands. Use the bottom of a glass to create an indentation in the middle of the patty.
  - Spoon meat mixture into a mini tart pan that has an indented bottom and press to compact it. Tap a few times and the patty will fall out. This is my preferred method, keeps the patties uniform in size and my hands stay clean.
• Place patties on the foil-lined broiler pan. Place on the top rack, directly under the broiler, for 10 minutes.
• Flip, and broil another 5-10 minutes, depending on your preferred doneness. Another 5-7 minutes will get you medium-done burgers, but use a thermometer to be sure.
• Remove form the oven (don't forget to turn off the broiler) and place burgers on a paper towel-lined dish to soak up the extra grease from the bacon.
• Serve hot with your preferred toppings.

Notes

• Nutrition Facts do not include toppings