Big football games are a wonderful excuse to have a party and cover a table with food. Not just any food though – food fit for a battle on the grid iron.
Football party cuisine has a certain masculinity about it, not only because football culture is male-dominated, but because of the violent game it is celebrating. The rough and tumble nature of the sport has an influence on how cooks imagine and create food for tailgating and football parties. It’s a place to showcase the finest dips, wings, pizzas and any number of over-the-top treats suited for stadiums and parking lots, rather than fancy restaurants or romantic dinners.
When I started thinking about this recipe I wanted to mix the football masculine with a refined touch. Something with a business in the front, party in the back attitude – much like the mullet hair cut I used to rock in the early 90s.
Cheeseburger deluxe cups are just that – a hearty man-bite disguised as finger food.
I use a wanton wrapper to provide a crispy and delicate shell to a warm beef and cheese center topped with fresh garnishes and special sauce.
The beef is a more flavorful, 73/27 meat-to-fat mixture and seasoned only with salt and pepper. The simple preparation and less-lean choice of beef produce a heartier beef flavor.
For the fresh garnishes, finely diced raw onion is a key element. Small slivers provide a subtle but sharp aromatic presence that amplify the other fresh toppings. Large pieces, or too much onion, can overpower the bite, so special attention should be given to prepare the onion as finely as possible and should be used sparingly.
The real showstopper to these cups is the simple, yet flavor-packed sauce made with mayonnaise and the brine of sweet bread and butter pickle chips. It acts as a tangy dressing for the fresh salad that tops the cup. This sauce can be used on anything that welcomes pickles and mayo and is tasty enough to make a person contemplate drinking it by the glass.
In the end, these cups delivered and exceeded my original vision. They appear as yummy little snack bites with a delicate shell, but hold the flavor of a cheeseburger found at a roadside diner and are perfect for gameday.
Ingredients
- 24 wanton wrappers
- 1 lb ground beef
- ¼ cup onion diced
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup lettuce shredded
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes quartered
- ¼ cup bread & butter pickle chips diced
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup mustard
- ¼ cup bread & butter pickle juice strained from jar
- ½ cup mayonnaise
Makes 24 cheeseburger cups
Prepare cups
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Push wanton wrappers into the wells of a prepared muffin tin. Bake until crispy, six to eight minutes. Remove and set aside.
Brown burger, fill and bake
In a skillet over medium high heat, sear ground beef until browned and cooked through, five to seven minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir occasionally. Fill each wanton cup with a tablespoon of ground beef, a dab of ketchup and mustard, and top with a tablespoon of cheese. Return to oven for six to eight minutes to melt cheese, then remove.
Make sauce, assemble and finish
In a bowl mix together mayonnaise and pickle juice until well combine and smooth. Top cups with with onion, lettuce, tomato, pickles and drizzle with pickle sauce, then serve.
Cheeseburger Deluxe Cups
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