Recipe: Chipotle Bacon Maple Jam Burgers

Open a bottle of Sutter Home White Zinfandel and get the grill ready for Chipotle Bacon Maple Jam Burgers, a People’s Choice Award winner in the 2013 Sutter Home Build a Better Burger Recipe Contest.

Sweet, spicy, and a little bit smoky, the flavor combination is balanced by creamy blue cheese. The ultimate bacon blue cheeseburger, every bite is made even better with a glass of the #OriginalWhiteZin.

CHIPOTLE BACON MAPLE JAM

10 oz. bacon, sliced crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces

1 onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. maple syrup

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped

1 tsp. adobo sauce

3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup Sutter Home Zinfandel

Large pinch kosher salt

Large pinch freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

PEAR, SPINACH, AND HAZELNUT SALAD

1 cup julienned pear

1 cup baby spinach

1/3 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

2 tbsp. finely minced onion

1 tsp. maple syrup

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

Large pinch kosher salt

Large pinch freshly ground black pepper

PATTIES

2 lbs. ground chuck

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped

3/4 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

2 tsp. kosher salt

3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack

6 oz. Maytag or other blue cheese, crumbled

6 white bakery hamburger buns, split

1 1/2 cups Kettle Brand Sour Cream and Onion Potato Chips

Heat a grill to medium-high.

To make the jam, heat a large fireproof skillet on the grill. Add the bacon and cook for about 5 minutes or until just starting to crisp. Remove the bacon from the skillet, leaving the rendered fat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 seconds. Return the bacon to the skillet and add the syrup, chile, adobo sauce, vinegar, wine, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes. If the mixture gets too dry, add a little water. Stir in the mustard and set aside.

To make the salad, combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl.

To make the patties, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, mix well. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and form the portions into patties to fit the buns.

Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, just until done, about 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. During the last few minutes of cooking, top the patties with equal amounts of the cheese and place the buns, cut sides down, on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly.

To assemble the burgers, spread a generous layer of the jam on the cut sides of the buns. On each bun bottom place a portion of the salad, a cheese-topped patty, and some of the chips. Add the bun tops and serve immediately.