My addiction to Pinterest started about six months ago. I’d been a registered Pinterest user for over a year at that point, but never used the account because I just didn’t get it – what the heck was the point of pinning something onto some imaginary board that you liked because your friend liked because someone before her liked it too? It seemed complicated and unnecessary. Then, my good friend Sarah told me about how her Pinterest account helped her decorate her new house. I was getting ready to move at the time and wanted to do some household updates in my new digs. No more than two hours after arriving home after dinner with Sarah, I was officially hooked on Pinterest. The level of addiction is pretty bad too – I have to limit my Pinterest time per day to 15 minutes in the morning and evening, but only if I get my daily workout it (yes, removal of Pinterest privileges is all I need to get a workout it. I’m a nerd.).
I digress… ever since become a rabid Pinner, I have been obsessed with making these burgers. I mean, come ON – beef patties paired with thick slices of pineapple and wrapped in bacon!??!?! Sounds like a perfect meal to me. Why haven’t I made them yet? I seriously don’t know. Probably because I always forgot to buy pineapple at the market. Fortunately, the produce man at Frank’s pointed out some absolutely beautiful pineapples today. I had one under my arm in no time and beelined home to whip up these burgers. You could grill them up if you wanted, but I’m out of propane right now and was way too excited about this creation to put off making them for one more minute.
Pineapple Bacon Burgers
Ingredients:
2 lbs. extra-lean ground beef
12 strips of high-quality bacon
1 pineapple, peel removed and sliced into 1/4″ pieces
Salt & pepper to taste
Toppings: sliced tomato, romaine lettuce, Dijon mustard, pickles, bell peppers, Greek olives, more bacon… cheese if you’re feeling crazy… whatever your heart desires!
Method:
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2) Form hamburger into five patties, approximately 1/4″ thick and 4″ in diameter. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Make sure not to break up hamburger too much while handling; you want it to keep its form.
3) Make an X out of bacon at your workstation. Place a hamburger patty in the middle of the X and top the patty with a slice of pineapple. Wrap the bacon all the way around and secure on top of the pineapple. Flip over the bacon-burger package and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat for all your burger patties!
4) Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on how well done you like your hamburgers. I like mine medium-ish, so they baked for 17 minutes or so. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Serves: 5 big burgers
