Bacon Cheeseburgers with Chipotle Chilies

Juicy beef burgers, spiked with sweet and smoky chipotle chilies in adobo. That alone makes a great burger. But take that sweet heat from the beef and add chewy-crisp bacon and melted cheddar? That's a win for me.

And I'm not messing around with these burgers. Those chipotle chilies are IN the meat, as in woven into the patties, so you get smoky heat in every lucious bite.

About the chipotle chilies in adobo: I'm referring the canned variety here - dried, smoked jalapeños in a tangy, slightly sweet red sauce. If you use just the chipotle chilies, you'll add intense smoky heat to the burgers. If you just use the adobo sauce from the can, you'll get a less intense, sweet-n-sour heat. I tend to do half and half for the best of both worlds.

About cooking the bacon: Cook the bacon however you like (skillet, griddle, oven). I almost always roast my bacon strips for 12 to 15 minutes at 400 degrees (I spread the strips out on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet). For me, that's the easiest, cleanest method and it frees me up to work on the rest of the meal.

About warming the rolls: I serve my burgers on warm rolls because, well, it's better that way. Just pop the rolls in a 300-degree oven (right on the oven rack is fine) for about 4 to 5 minutes (I warm the rolls while the cheese is melting on the burgers).

Bacon Cheeseburgers with Chipotle Chilies

1 1/4 pounds lean ground beef
2 tablespoons minced chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (read note above; you can use mostly chopped chilies or a combination of the chilies and the sauce from the can)
Salt and ground black pepper
Cooking spray
4-6 slices bacon, cooked until chewy-crisp (see note above)
6-8 ounces sliced or shredded cheddar cheese
4 burger or Kaiser rolls, warmed if desired

In a large bowl, combine the beef, chipotle chilies (see note above about adding the chilies and/or the sauce from the can). Mix well and shape the mixture into four patties, each about 1 1/2 inches thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Coat a stovetop grill pan, griddle or skillet with cooking spray and preheat to medium-high heat (you can also cook the burgers on an outdoor grill).
Add the burgers to the hot pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until you reach the desired level of doneness. Top the burgers with the bacon strips and cheddar cheese and remove the pan from the heat. Loosely cover the burgers with foil and let rest for 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese melts.
Serve the burgers on the warm rolls.

Serves 4