Pimento Cheese Burgers

These are outstanding! The recipe is for 16 burgers because I won't make them for just a few people as they are somewhat labor intensive. We also make the pimento spread for parties or just a great pimento cheese sandwich. i like mine on served on Onion Buns!

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 16
• Yields: 16 Burgers

Ingredients

• Pimento Cheese

• 4  cups  shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, room temperature
• 1 1⁄3 cups  shredded monterey jack cheese, room temperature
• 16  tablespoons mayonnaise, room temperature
• 8  tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
• 8  ounces  jarred diced pimento pepper, drained
• 4  tablespoons bread and butter pickle juice
• 2  tablespoons horseradish
• 4  teaspoons yellow mustard
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon black pepper

• Honey Slaw

• 8  tablespoons mayonnaise
• 4  tablespoons honey
• 5  cups  shredded cabbage
• 32  slices  thick-cut apple wood smoked bacon

• Patties

• 5  lbs  ground chuck
• 1  lb  cured and smoked country ham, finely chopped (or chopped in a food processor)
• 1  teaspoon kosher salt
• 4  teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• 16  large  hamburger buns
• 4 1⁄2 ounces  potato chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. To prepare Pimento Cheese, in a medium mixing bowl, combine Cheddar and Jack cheeses, mayonnaise, cream cheese, pimento peppers, pickle juice, horseradish sauce, and mustard; mix until well combined. Refrigerate. (make at least 2 hours ahead of time).
3. To prepare Honey Slaw, in a small mixing bowl combine mayonnaise, honey, and cabbage; mix until well combined. Refrigerate.
4. Heat a 12-inch nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until the bacon is crispy, about 5 minutes, flipping once. Drain on paper towels. Reserve the bacon fat from the pan.
5. To make the patties, combine the beef, country ham, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, mix well. Divide the mixture into equal portions and form into patties to fit the buns.
6. Cook patties on a charcoal or gas grill until medium.
7. Meanwhile, place buns on a rack in the oven. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes.
8. To assemble the burgers, spread a generous amount of Pimento Cheese on the cut sides of the buns. On each bun bottom (on top of the Pimento Cheese), place a thin layer of Honey Slaw. Top the slaw with a burger patty, 2 slices of bacon, and crushed potato chips. Add the bun tops. Place the completed hamburgers on a nonstick baking sheet and bake in the oven for 1 minute.