Summers wouldn’t be the same without a little heat, right?! Well I’ve got plenty of heat coming your way today! I’m out by the pool, in the Arizona desert heat, cooking up some Green Chile Mac N Cheese Burgers!
Did I mention I’m cooking on my brand new, smoking hot, Broilmaster Gas Grill?! I’m so very excited to be their newest partner and spokesperson, and I can honestly tell you, I’m already a HUGE Broilmaster fan. With the combination of versatile cooking capabilities and convenient features, it is the grill of a lifetime! The multiple cart options let you have a choice on where to put your grill, and mine just happens to be right next to the pool on the patio. Now THAT’S HOT!
This burger recipe is perfect for a small summer family BBQ! It has a TON of awesome Southwest flavor, great texture with the creamy mac n cheese, and it doesn’t take a ton of ingredients or culinary skill. If you can make mac n cheese and you can grill a burger…this is right up your alley. Oh, and here’s an additional perk…there will be lots of mac n cheese leftover for lunch the next day!
Make the Mac:
After making this recipe a few times, I’ve learned its best to make the mac n cheese first and let it cool a bit before spooning in onto the burger. It tends to hold up a bit better and make less of a mess on your plate!
Now, if you have picky kiddos like me, they’ll LOVE this mac n cheese, just use mild green enchilada sauce and diced green chiles, or eliminate them completely. I’ll queue up the kiddo substitutions below in the cooking instructions!
Char the Poblanos:
Poblano peppers (aka Anaheim peppers) are one of my favorite peppers to cook with. They’re easy to find, inexpensive, easy to clean, and they add just the right amount of heat to any recipe.
The Broilmaster’s timeless bow tie burner is known for even heat distribution, so you can place the poblanos anywhere on the heated grill. Another great feature on this baby are the versatile, multi-level cooking grids. You can place the grids in a raised or lowered position to get the food closer to or further from the fire. I’m using the lowered racks for the poblanos to get them right next to the heat. They might pop and crack a bit while they’re charring, but they’ll be done in just a few minutes!
Also, when I’m seeding and chopping the finished product, I keep the skin on to preserve that super charred flavor. If you don’t want them, let the peppers cool for a bit, and the skins will peel right off. I’m going to chop one of the poblanos up for the burger mixture, but I’ll just slice the other two in half lengthwise to plate with the finished product.
Prepare and Grill the Burgers:
In my eyes, all good burgers should be made from a different mix of meats. For this one, I’m using ground chuck, ground sirloin and ground pork. An egg is added as a binder to keep everything mixed together and to add additional fat and flavor. Start your diet tomorrow!
Mix and shape the burgers, leaving a well in the center to prevent them from puffing up. Remember those multi-level cooking grids? Now I’m going to turn them over to the higher side so that I get a nice even grill on all sides of the burgers without any flare-ups.
When the burgers are just about done, I’ll turn off the heat and place a pat of butter on top of each one. They’ll melt into a buttery heaven all over the burgers and take the flavor to another level!
Lastly, I’m toasting the buns on one of my favorite grill features, the retract-a-rack! This top rack feature on the Broilmaster gas grill is retractable when you need a little more room for cooking on the grill. When it’s in use, it’s great for letting items rest off of direct heat…or, you guessed it…toasting up some burger buns! Now I’m ready to plate and serve!
To create the final finished product, I’ll place one of the sliced poblano halves on top of the lower bun. I’m going to add my juicy, buttery burger on top, followed by a big spoonful of that creamy, spicy mac n cheese. Add that final top bun and it’s ready! I’m giving it a big squeeze and shoving it into my mouth now……mmmmmm, gotta go! I hope you and your family enjoy these as much as mine does!
Green Chile Mac N Cheese Burgers
Prep Time: 20 minutes / Cook Time: 30 minutes / Servings: 4 burgers
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. ground pork (85% lean)
1/2 lb. ground chuck (80% lean)
1/2 lb. ground sirloin (90% lean
1 large egg
2 tbsp. Butter, sliced into four 1/2 tbsp. pats
3 medium sized poblano peppers
1 lb. macaroni elbows
1 lb. (4 cups) shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, plus 4 oz. (1 cup) for topping
1 cup green enchilada sauce (mild or medium heat)
2 cans diced green chiles, drained (4 oz. each)
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. Corn starch, dissolved in 2 tbsp. water
1 tsp. Garlic powder
1 tsp. Onion powder
4 fresh Brioche hamburger buns
salt/pepper
Steps:
Heat your Broilmaster Gas Grill to approximately 400 degrees.
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni noodles and boil for about 7 minutes, until al dente. Drain from the water and transfer to a large, heat-resistant glass dish.
In a medium saucepan, combine 4 cups of the shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, heavy cream and green enchilada sauce. Kid friendly: use mild green enchilada sauce or substitute with another cup of heavy cream. Stir on medium heat until all ingredients are melted and combined. Add 1/2 tsp. each of garlic powder and onion powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir until combined. When the sauce begins to bubble, stir in the corn starch until the mixture is thickened. Remove from the heat.
Pour the mixture over the boiled noodles. Add one can of the diced green chiles and stir until all ingredients are combined and all the noodles are saturated with the sauce. Top with the remaining shredded cheese and remaining can of diced green chiles. Kid friendly: Use mild diced green chiles or set some of the plain mac n cheese aside before adding the diced green chiles.
Place the glass dish of Mac n cheese on a higher-set cooking grid and let the dish cook for about 5 minutes, until all of the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling. Remove the dish carefully from the heat and allow the dish to rest while preparing the poblanos and burgers.
For the poblanos, place the peppers on a lower-set cooking grid and allow the poblanos to char for about 2 minutes on all sides. Remove the peppers from the heat and allow them to cool. Pull the stems and tops off, and slice the peppers in half lengthwise. Scrape the remaining seeds out. Dice one of the peppers into small pieces and set aside. Leave the other two peppers sliced in half for final plating.
For the burgers, combine the ground chuck, ground sirloin and ground pork in a large mixing bowl. Add the diced poblano pepper, egg, and the remaining 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder and onion powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly (with your hands is best) until all ingredients are combined. Shape the burgers into four patties, creating a well in the center to prevent puffing. Kid friendly: eliminate the diced poblanos from the mixture.
Place the burgers on an upper-set cooking grid and grill for 3-4 minutes. Flip the burgers and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Then turn the grill off and place 1/2 tablespoon of butter onto each burger.
Place the buns face down on the Retract-a-Rack. Close the lid and allow the buns to toast, the butter to melt and the burgers to finish cooking for 1-2 minutes. Remove everything from the grill and allow the burgers to rest for about 5 minutes before plating.
To plate: Place the bottom halves of the buns onto a serving dish. Place the remaining slices of the poblano peppers onto the buns, then add the burgers. Top with a large spoonful of the mac n cheese. Place the upper half of the bun on top and serve immediately. Kid friendly: Eliminate the bottom slice of poblano pepper and serve the mac n cheese on the side.Summers wouldn’t be the same without a little heat, right?! Well I’ve got plenty of heat coming your way today! I’m out by the pool, in the Arizona desert heat, cooking up some Green Chile Mac N Cheese Burgers!
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