Southwestern Jalapeño Cheddar Burgers

My husband and I came up with this burger recipe last night.  The recipe is inspired by the ingredients in pico de gallo, one of our favorite foods to snack on.  Also, if you like the cilantro ranch sauce, you can double the recipe and it makes for a great dip for chips, veggies, etc.

Burgers


Ingredients:

1.5 lbs. ground beef
2 jalapeños, minced (if you prefer less heat, remove the seeds ... I like my burger with a little kick to it, so I leave all the seeds in)
1/2 Tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Cilantro ranch sauce (see recipe below)
Sliced tomato, for garnish
Sliced onion, for garnish
4 - 6 hamburger buns (toasted, if you prefer)

Directions:

In a large bowl, mash up ground beef with your hands.  Add jalapeños, salt, and pepper; knead to incorporate fully.  Add Worcestershire and work it into the meat (beef should now be slightly sticky).  Add cheese and knead until all ingredients are mixed in evenly.

Divide beef into four to six patties, depending on how big you want your burgers to be.  Grill on both sides until burgers reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees on a meat thermometer (if you don't have access to a grill, you can cook them in a pan on your stovetop).

Garnish with tomato, onion, and cilantro ranch sauce.

Cilantro Ranch Sauce


Ingredients:

1/2 c. ranch salad dressing
2 handfuls of cilantro
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  I like to use my Magic Bullet for this one, as I think the smaller capacity of the blending chamber lends itself well to small quantities of sauce.