Smoky Sweet Cherry Pepper Cheeseburgers

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 ounces smoked cheddar cheese, sliced
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1 teaspoon diced dill pickle
• 1 teaspoon bourbon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 8 slices applewood smoked bacon, fried
• 2 cups hot and sweet cherry peppers (also called pimentos), diced
• 4 potato buns or your favorite hamburger buns

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the ground beef, salt and pepper until just combined. Allow the ground beef to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, then form it into 4 equal sized patties. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and butter. Add the burgers and cook until your desired doneness - for medium-well, I do about 5 minutes per side. After you flip the burgers once, cover the tops with the slices cheddar cheese. At this point I like to cover the skillet and allow the cheese to melt all around the burger. You can also grill the burgers, obviously.
2. Mix up the smoky spread by combining the mayo, pickle, paprika and mustard in a a bowl until smooth and creamy. To assemble the burgers, spread the mayo on the bottom, topping it with the cheeseburger. Add the bacon on top along with a few spoonfuls of the peppers, then top it with the bun and smash it all together.