Pub Cheeseburgers with Warm Roast Fingerling Potato Salad

Ingredients

For the Roast Fingerling Potato Salad:

  • 1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes, halved

  • 4 shallots, peeled and root attached cut into thin edges lengthwise

  • Olive oil cooking spray

  • 1 teaspoon (1/3 palmful) granulated garlic

  • 1 teaspoon (1/3 palmful) granulated onion

  • Salt and pepper

  • 2 tablespoons white Balsamic or white wine vinegar

  • Juice of 1 lemon

  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

  • 1 tablespoon Acacia (light in color and flavor) honey

  • About 1/3 to 1/2 cup EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • 2 large bunches, about 4 cups, Upland cress or trimmed watercress

For the Burgers:

  • 8 slices meaty bacon

  • 1 4-ounce brick cream cheese

  • 2 cups sharp orange cheddar cheese

  • 1/4 cup port wine

  • 1 large clove garlic, pasted or grated

  • 1 rounded tablespoon prepared horseradish, preferred brand Gold’s

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin

  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

  • Kosher salt and coarse pepper

  • Olive or canola oil, for drizzling

  • 4 burger buns, split and toasted

  • Sliced bread-and-butter pickles

  • Leaf lettuce, sliced tomato and white onion

Directions

For the potato salad, preheat oven to 450ͦF. Coat the potatoes and shallots with cooking spray and season with salt, pepper, garlic and onion. Roast potatoes cut-side down for 25 minutes; turn over and cook 10 more minutes to very crisp. 

Whisk dressing in a large mixing bowl, add warm potatoes and toss. Cool to almost room temp then fold in cress. 

Lower oven temp to 375ͦF after the potatoes come out. Bake bacon on a slotted pan or wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake bacon 18 minutes to very crisp. 

Place cream cheese in a food processor, add shredded cheese, port, garlic and horseradish, and pulse to combine into pub cheese; transfer to a bowl. 

Combine beef with Worcestershire and salt and pepper then form 4 patties thinner at center and thicker at edges for even cooking. Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle burgers with oil and cook patties 8 minutes, turning occasionally. 

Assemble burgers: toasted bottom of roll, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon, burger patty, pub cheese spread, another burger patty and the bun top. 

Serve burgers with potato salad alongside.