Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburgers & Ranch Fries

Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburgers and Crispy Ranch Fries
Cooking with Paula Deen July/August 2009

I cut the recipe in half and got 3 burgers.  These are the best.  If you like barbecue this is the recipe to try.  The burgers, were juicy, sweet and we used 3 napkins apiece!  Dick says "nothing wrong with these"!  This will be my new go to recipe for barbecue burgers.  I served them with homemade coleslaw, and the fries.  I used Jack Daniels Hickory Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce and Hoffman's super sharp cheddar cheese. 
 

1 (1 lb) package of bacon, cooked until crisp,
2 pounds of ground chuck
3 tbsp hickory-flavored barbecue sauce
1 tbsp liquid smoke
1/2 tsp salt
12 slices of sharp cheddar cheese
1 large sweet onion
6 hamburg buns


Cook the bacon until crisp.
In a bowl add the ground chuck, 10 pieces of crumbled bacon, barbecue sauce, liquid smoke and salt and mix. Shape into 12 thin burgers, about 4 inches. On top of 6 of these burgers add small slices of the cheddar cheese, then top each burger with the remaining patties and seal the burger to keep the cheese hidden inside. Cook these outside on the grill or inside on the electric griddle. Toast the hamburg buns, top each burger with lettuce, sliced tomato, another slice of the cheddar cheese, a slice of bacon and serve with the following sauce or additional barbecue sauce.

Crispy Ranch Fries

1 (26 ounce) bag of frozen extra crispy fries
1 (1 ounce) package dry ranch dressing mix, divided
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup mayonnaise

On a large baking pan, spread the fries in a single layer and sprinkle with 1 tbsp of the dry ranch salad dressing mix. Bake according to package directions.

Sauce:
In a small bowl, mix the mayo, ketchup and the remaining dry ranch dressing mix. Combine together. Serve this as a spread for the burgers and also as a dip for the fries.

Creamy Coleslaw
MAINEiacs in the Kitchen "refueling"
First printing- December 2004

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 (1lb) bag of coleslaw mix

In a large bowl add the coleslaw mix. In another small bowl combine the ingredients and mix together. Pour this over the slaw, mix until all is blended. Allow to sit on counter for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Serve either room temperature or chill in refrigerator. This can be made the day before covered and chilled.

Other suggestions:
Add a can of crushed pineapple well drained and adding a bit of the pineapple juice to the slaw.
or:
At the last minute before serving add an apple that has been cut in small pieces.