Temps were COLD in Texas this week!  I know, I know, those of you up North are already rolling your eyes at our definition of cold!!  But we Texans simply are not equipped for temps in the teens….that’s why everyone is so friendly here…we don’t use all our energy shivering and shoveling snow!

All this cold weather had me dreaming of summer days by the pool with burgers on the grill!  Since there was no way I would ask the hubs to grill in this weather, I used this easy method to make some pretty flavorful burgers in the oven.  I’ll admit, they don’t quite match the greatness of a burger hot off the grill, but they are pretty darn close!

We made ours with sautéed garlic, mushrooms and onions and a little swiss cheese!  SO good!  But of course, top yours however you like!

Ingredients:

Ground chuck-  I usually get the leanest option they have, but for this, you really don’t want to get leaner than 80/20.  The fat helps keep the patty together and some will melt down

Burger seasonings- I just use salt and pepper, but there are lots of great seasoning options out there!  Use what your family likes!

Nonstick cooking spray

You will need a baking sheet, aluminum foil and a roasting or cookie rack

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Lightly spray your cookie rack with nonstick cooking spray and place on top of foil.

Season your meat and form patties.  The thinner they are, the faster they will cook. Place your patties on the cookie rack.

Place your patties in the oven.  You will need to base the amount of time on the thickness of your patties and how your family likes their meat cooked.  My patties were about 1/2 an inch thick and took 18 minutes to cook.

You can also test your patties with a meat thermometer:

Medium rare:  130 degrees

Medium:  140 degrees

Medium well:  160 degrees

Well done:  170 degrees

There is no need to flip the burgers.  Since they are raised on the cookie rack they will nicely brown on both sides.  The baking sheet also catches the grease and makes for easy cleanup.

If you want to add cheese, just add it on top the last 1-2 minutes of cooking in the oven.

If you are craving reminders of summer days to get you through these cold, cold winter night, these juicy burgers might just be the little ray of sunshine you need!