Cooking On Deadline: When you're looking for a little zing, try Deviled Burgers
Some good ground beef, preferably not too lean (when making burgers, fat is our friend), and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper is all you need to make a fine burger most days. But on some other days, you might want a burger with a bit more zing, more interest, more panache.
Some days might call for a deviled burger.
Shallots, mustard, chili sauce, hot sauce - just a little bit of these ingredients turn plain burgers into “can I get this recipe?” burgers. If you are looking for more heat, just increase the amount of dry mustard and/or chili powder.
Note that this recipe calls for ancho chili powder, a ground spice made of 100 percent ancho peppers. It's available in the spice section of most supermarkets. This is different from a general chili powder, sometimes called chili blend or chili seasoning, which contains a mix of ground chilies, garlic, cumin, oregano and maybe additional spices. But if that blend is what you have on hand, it will still make a burger with portfolio.
These burgers, like all burgers, can easily be made into a cheeseburger, using whatever cheese you like, from cheddar to Emmental to provolone to blue cheese to a good old slice of American cheese. The seasonings in the meat take well to a variety of cheeses, from pungent to mild. It's a question of whether you want to keep pumping up the flavor or just add some meltiness to the equation.
Instead of ketchup on top, you might also try a bit of the chili sauce. A slice of sharp onion keeps the flavor ratcheting upward.
Bring it, you say? Oh, it's on.
Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs at http://www.themom100.com/about-katie-workman. She can be reached at Katie@themom100.com.