How to Make Cheeseburgers

Maybe cooking like a gourmet chef leaves you cold. That doesn't mean you can't make a dish that even a chef will love, and in less time than it takes to find your cookbook. All you need is a little ground beef, cheese and spices to make a satisfying cheeseburger. So follow these steps to get the basics down, then season to taste to make your cheeseburgers the hottest meal ticket in town. And don't be surprised if a chef shows up for dinner.

Things You'll Need

• Extra lean ground beef
• Hamburger buns
• Salt and pepper
• Cheese
• Condiments
• Grill or oven
• Spatula

Instructions

1. Shape a medium-sized portion of ground beef into a patty. The patty should be about an inch thick and larger than the diameter of the hamburger buns since the meat will shrink during cooking. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Cook the hamburger patty. You can use either a grill or the broiler feature on your oven. If grilling, turn the burger over to cook evenly when the bottom of the burger is browned. If using your broiler, turn the burger when the top is browned.

3. Add cheese to your burger. You can use American or cheddar cheese to make the classic All-American cheeseburger. But you can also use your favorite cheese to add a special twist. The cheese will melt quickly, so only a few seconds on the grill or under the broiler are needed to get the cheese the right consistency. Too long and the cheese will burn or melt off!

4. Use your spatula to place the cheeseburger on the bottom hamburger bun. If you like lettuce on your cheeseburger, you may want to spread the lettuce on the bottom bun before placing the burger on the bun.

5. Add the condiments you like to your cheeseburger and finish it off with the top hamburger bun.

Tips & Warnings

• Experiment with different cheeses to find the cheeseburger that really hits the spot with you.

• For an extra-seasoned hamburger, try a commercial blend of seasonings specially prepared for steaks. Or mix Worcestershire sauce into your ground beef to add seasoning. Use sparingly so that you do not over-season your burgers. In time, you'll figure out the exact amount of spices you like in your hamburger.

• Always cook beef thoroughly as raw meat can contain harmful bacteria.

• Don't leave your burgers unattended when grilling or broiling. A grease fire can flare up suddenly.