Pimento Cheese Burgers

These Pimento Cheese Burgers bring the addictively creamy, mildly sweet heat of Pimento Cheese to the top of a juicy burger! Amped up with a special ingredient, you will want these burgers to be a part of all your summer gatherings!

Alright, people of the South. Y’all have been holding out on me.

Sure, I learned saying y’all was a lot easier (and more charming) than saying Hey Dudes! a long time ago. What I didn’t know about was this magical thing called Pimento Cheese.

I’ve seen pimento cheese in the grocery store before, but the fakey orange dip in the plastic containers never appealed to me. Then, a few months ago, we took a family vacation to Charleston, SC. We ate our way through all the Southern favorites–buttermilk biscuits, shrimp and grits, crab cakes, and fried green tomatoes–but still no pimento cheese dip.

Then one day as we strolled through the Sullivan’s Island farmer’s market, I spotted a local cheese maker and made a bee-line for her booth. She had all sorts of tempting cheeses, but when I asked for her favorite, she handed me a tub of pimento cheese spread and said, “Put this on a burger.”

Not one to argue with a cheese professional, I handed over the cash and hurried home to give it a try.

My word. It was a revelation. So creamy! So cheesy! So wonderfully spreadable and dippable! For the remainder of the week, I ate the cheese on everything–smeared on an English muffin in the morning, on a tomato sandwich for lunch, and yes, slathered on top of a burger for one decadently cheesy and delicious dinner.

By the time we headed home, the container was empty, but I knew I’d be recreating the pimento cheese burger at home. I did A LOT of research on pimento cheese, and finally settled on a recipe that I feel gets the right balance of cheesiness, creaminess, spreadability, and flavor.

Cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and just a hint of mayo form the base of the spread. The pimentos, of course, are essential for their mildly sweet and pleasant heat, but the unexpected ingredient that really takes it over the top is a dash of Old Bay Seasoning.

I decided to add some of the seasoning to the burgers as well, and this turned out to be the best decision of all. These were some of the best burgers I’ve ever made, and they’re oh so simple to throw together.

The Mr. immediately wanted to know what I had done differently, and was shocked to learn it was just a bit of Old Bay seasoning. We both fell in love with this combination of savory juicy beef and creamy, melty pimento cheese.

This absolutely feels like a summer burger, perfect for cookouts, backyard BBQs, and any old weeknight you feel like a cheeseburger is in order.

Be the master of all your summer cookouts by following these simple beef grilling guidelines from Ohio Beef, but don’t think beef is limited to the grill! We make beef a regular part of our meals year round. It’s an affordable and filling option that provides 25 grams of protein and 10 essential nutrients in one 3 ounce package. It’s also an excellent source of iron, which has been important for me during this pregnancy.

If you’re looking for more great summer meals using ground beef, check out my burger collection. Skirt steak, flank steak, and ribeye are also wonderful options for the grill (try my Flank Steak Sandwiches or Cilantro Marinated Skirt Steak!). For even more recipes, visit Ohio Beef’s website!

Pimento Cheese Burgers

Yield: 4 burgers

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

These Pimento Cheese Burgers combine the creamy, melty, mildly sweet heat of pimento cheese with a juicy burger!

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Ingredients

For the pimento cheese:

• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
• 4 ounce jar pimento peppers, drained and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• Salt, to taste

For the burgers:

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
• Fresh black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pat of butter (optional)

To serve:

• Sliced tomato
• Leaf lettuce
• Sliced red onion

Instructions

1. In a stand mixer or a bowl, combine the cheddar cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, pimentos, Old Bay Seasoning, and Tobasco. Blend on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Season with salt to taste.
2. In another bowl, gently combine the ground beef, Old Bay, salt, and pepper. Using your hands, divide the burger meat into four equal sized patties. Press your finger into the center of each patty so there's an indent. This will keep your burgers from doming in the center when cooked.
3. Heat a grill or cast iron skillet over medium high heat. If you're using a cast iron skillet, add a pat of butter and let it melt. Grill or fry the burgers for 4-5 minutes on each side, flipping only once, or until you reach an internal temp of 160 degrees for medium burgers. Add big scoops of the pimento cheese to the top of the burgers and cover for the last two minutes of cooking time to allow the cheese to melt.
4. Meanwhile, butter the sandwich buns and grill them alongside the burgers for about a minute. Serve burgers with slices of lettuce, red onion, tomato, and more pimento cheese if desired.

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