Smashed Cheeseburger Loaded Fries With Crispy Bacon

Equipment Needed:

• Large Saucepan: Choose a saucepan that comfortably fits the fries and water inside without over-spilling as they boil.
• Colander: A colander is used to drain the fries and steam dry inside.
• Large Baking Tray: Choose a baking tray that’s big enough to fit the fries in, in a single layer. Use two or more if needed.
• Small Mixing Bowl: Used to mix the cornflour, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika to coat the fries.
• Spatula: You’ll need a spatula to turn the fries and create the smashed burger patties.
• Small Baking Tray: Used to bake the bacon in the oven.
• Large Mixing Bowl: Large enough to fit the beef mince inside.
• Sharp Knife and Chopping Board: Used for chopping and preparing toppings like shredded lettuce, diced gherkins, tomatoes, and spring onions.
• Small Bowl: Used to mix the ingredients for the burger sauce (mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard).
• Large Frying Pan or Large Cast-Iron Skillet: Used to cook the burger patties.
• Baking Paper: Use a small square of baking paper (parchment paper) when pressing them into patties to prevent sticking to the spatula.
• Heat-Proof Serving Dish: For grilling and serving the fries.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes: Floury potatoes as opposed to waxy potatoes work best for fries. You can choose from a variety of types like Maris Piper Potatoes, Kind Edward, Russet Potatoes or Yukon Gold.
• Cornflour: We use this to coat the fries before baking. It’s help create a crispy and crunchy outer layer to the fries.
• Olive Oil: Use regular olive oil (not extra virgin olive oil) to bake the fries and bacon.
• Garlic Powder, Onion Powder and Smoked Paprika: This combination gives the fries their flavour. You can omit it if you’d prefer and just use regular salt after baking to season the chips.
• Streaky Bacon: I have used unsmoked bacon, but you can also use smoked streaky bacon for extra flavour.
• Minced Beef: I find that using a beef with higher fat content (around 12% or higher) will give you the best flavour and juiciest burgers. However, you can also use a leaner ground beef too.
• American Burger Cheese: For that cheeseburger flavour use the pre-sliced burger cheese you find at the supermarket.
• Mayonnaise, Ketchup and Yellow Mustard: These 3 simple ingredients mixed together make a quick homemade burger sauce that we use for drizzling the burger loaded fries.
• Lettuce: I am using a simple iceberg lettuce, but you can choose a different variety of lettuce if you like. Other options include little gem lettuce, curly leaf or romaine.
• Gherkins (pickles): No burger recipe would be the same without some gherkins being thrown in there somewhere!
• Tomatoes: Another typical topping you often find with burgers. Remove the seeds and dice the tomatoes to prevent sogginess.
• Spring Onions: I slice the spring onions and use them as a garnish on top.
• Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Used as a seasoning for the beef and fries.

Substitutions and Additions:

Wondering if you can substitute or add an ingredient? Here, I will tell you if that’s possible.

Substitutions:

• Potatoes: Try baked sweet potato fries for a unique flavour.
• Cornflour: If you don’t have any, a little regular flour can be used to substitute.
• Olive Oil: Another oil for baking can be used, such as sunflower oil or vegetable oil.
• Smoked Paprika: Regular paprika or hot paprika can be used if you like your fries a little spicy.
• Bacon: Use pancetta cubes instead for a substitution.
• Beef Mince: Turkey mince or chicken mince make a good alternative meat option if you’d prefer to not have beef.
• Burger Cheese: Cheddar Cheese, Mozzarella, blue cheese or pepper jack cheese make a good substitute for the burger cheese slices, giving you a choice of different flavours for your cheeseburger loaded fries, depending on your preference.
• Gherkins: You can use dill pickles instead.

Additions:

• Crispy Onions: You can sprinkle some crispy onions over the top of the burger loaded fries for added flavour.
• Jalapenos: If you like a spicy kick, add some sliced jalapenos to the topping.
• Chilli Powder: Want more spice? Add some chilli powder to the seasoning on the fries.

Storage

The assembled dish of burger fries does not store well as you will find that the fries become soggy. However, the components of the recipe can be stored separately as described below:

Fries:

• Storage: Store leftover fries in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Reheating: Reheat fries in the oven at 200°C (400°F) for about 10-15 minutes to restore their crispiness. You can also use an air fryer for reheating them too.

Bacon:

• Storage: Store cooked bacon in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Reheating: Reheat bacon in the microwave or in a hot skillet for a few minutes until crispy again.
• Freezing: Bacon can be frozen. Place cooked bacon strips on a baking sheet to freeze individually, then transfer to a freezer bag or container. Reheat from frozen in the microwave or oven.

Smashed Cheeseburger Meat:

• Storage: Store cooked burger meat in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Reheating: Reheat in a hot skillet or microwave until fully heated through. For even heating, cover with foil in the oven.
• Freezing: Cooked burger meat can be frozen. Place in an airtight container or freezer bag. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Burger Sauce:

• Storage: Store leftover burger sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Toppings (Lettuce, Gherkins, Tomatoes, Spring Onions):

• Storage: Store shredded lettuce and diced vegetables in separate airtight containers in the fridge. Use within 1-2 days.