Cheeseburger Scramble

What follows is the brain child of me wanting a bacon cheeseburger, but being too lazy to make a hamburger. I was surprised how much I liked this dish. It is high and protein and good for keto diets. I eat this as is, but can be enjoyed several different ways. I included the modifications at the end of the recipe.

Cheeseburger Scramble

16 oz 85/15- grassfed- grass finished ground beef
1 package of nitrate free bacon, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 large onion- about 12 oz, frenched
1 8-oz package of baby portobello mushrooms sliced into thirds
2 tbs- mayonnaise (I use primal kitchen's)
1 tbs- Dijon mustard ( I use Grey Poupon)

Makes six servings

In a large skillet on low, (as low as the stove goes), use kitchen shears to cut the bacon into the pan. It's helpful to do this a few slices at a time. Allow the bacon to render out its fat. When this happens, turn the stove to medium low. Allow the bacon to cook, and render even more. Once the bacon is cooked, turn the stove to medium to crisp up the bacon. I like to pile all of the bacon to the far edge of the pan and tilt the pan so that the oil covers the meat. Cook until your desired crispiness. Once the desired level of crispiness has been achieved, remove the bacon from the pan and drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Next, in the same pan with the bacon grease, make small (1.5 inches in diameter) balls of the ground beef. Place in the pan making sure not to over crowd the pan. Give the meat about two minutes on each side. There should be some browning on the meat. Remove from the pan onto the plate with the bacon. The meat should still be a little under-cooked. That's okay. We were just trying to get some good browning on the ground beef.

Remove the grease from the pan making sure to reserve the fat. This is liquid gold. It has so much flavor packed into it. In the pan, you will notice brown bits covering the bottom. This is called fond, and is packed with meaty deliciousness. Next, add 1 tablespoon of the reserved fat back into the pan. In a single layer, place mushrooms in the pan. The heat should be on medium low. Make sure the mushrooms are in one layer, and that they have as much surface area
on the pan. We want to cook these low and slow to draw out the moisture.

After about three minutes, there should be moisture weeping from the mushrooms. You can flip them and add a pinch of salt over the mushrooms. Cook until they are dry again. Over cooked mushrooms  look small and shriveled. They should look meaty.  Remove from the pan, and add another tablespoon of oil. Add in your onions, make sure to get a little bit of oil on each of the onions. We want to cook these low and slow. This will help us avoid burning the onions during the caramelization process. After they begin to soften, but are still white, add a  bit of salt. This will help draw out
even more moisture, and allow the onions to soften and flavors to concentrate when the liquid is cooked off.

Once cooked to your desired level of softness, you can push them to one side of the pan. Turn up the heat to medium. Next, add back in your meatballs. Take your spatula and break up the meat so that it can cook all the way through. Once this is done, you can add back in the bacon and mushrooms. Stir to combine. Turn of the heat. Then add in the mayo and mustard. Stir to combine.
Take sharp cheddar cheese (or whatever you like on your burgers), and grate over the top of the mixture. Allow to melt. Done!

I like to scoop this into a bowl and eat as is. But this would be good spooned into romaine lettuce with some tomatoes sliced or chopped on top.  You can  spoon the mixture on a hamburger bun if you are wanting something reminiscent of a Sloppy Joe. Heck you could put it on a hot dog bun!

This would also make a great mixture for a quesadilla. Skip adding the cheese to the entire mixture. In a large skillet on medium heat, place a tortilla and cover with grated cheese. Next, spoon the  meat mixture onto one half of the quesadilla. Fold over and enjoy with some dill pickle slices. (Blasphemous, but delicious).

You could forgo the mayo, mustard, and cheese on top, and instead slice open a hoagie roll and spoon the meat into the roll. Cover with some marinara and shredded mozzarella,  and pop the sandwich into the oven until the sauce is hot and the cheese is bubbly. You will probably need to eat this with a knife and fork.