Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Pepperidge Farm® in conjunction with Blog Meets Brand and I have been compensated for my participation. All opinions remain my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep the lights on at Poet in the Pantry.
Come summer, weeknight meals often consist almost entirely of cookout foods.
It’s not that I’m looking to party all the time, though that would be a lot of fun. It’s more a matter of simplicity. Making life less complicated. Speeding up the process of dinner prep so I can spend more time doing things that we enjoy…even if that’s only sitting around the fire pit, bundled up against the cool night breeze, laughing and making s’mores.
As such, it can get boring fast without changing it up a bit. Which is a little tricky, too. While my kids used to be excellent eaters, consuming just about anything you placed in front of them, my youngest is starting to be more particular. He wouldn’t eat hot dogs for a good six months. He can’t stand mustard. And he prefers his burgers plain. As in, absolutely nothing on the bun other than the cheeseburger itself. Because, yes, cheese is okay, but the rest of it? He’ll leave it, thankyouverymuch. The rest of us? We need some variety!
In my quest for new flavors without offending sensitive taste buds, I recalled a special I had at Plan B Simsbury a couple years ago. I was certain it had strawberry jam, but the memory was too hazy for me to recall the rest of that burger’s adornments. After thinking it over for a few days, I decided less is more and went with cream cheese and baby spinach–foods my kids already enjoy, even if they haven’t tried them all mixed together yet. On round 1 of testing, it took a little coaxing at first, but my daughter came through in the end–and LOVED it. We decided the burgers were a little plain looking, however, so it was back to the kitchen to solve that problem. I’m pretty happy with the changes I made in round 2. Everyone else was, too.
All of this relies upon a solid foundation, like Pepperidge Farm® Farmhouse Hearty Buns.
You’ll need a bun designed with your bigger, bolder burgers in mind to contain this delicious mess. Larger than your average bun, you can pile all the good stuff on Farmhouse Hearty Buns without worry–they can handle it! And they come in three flavors: Hearty White, speckled with sesame seeds; Stone Ground Wheat; and my favorite, Rustic Potato (which I used in this recipe). There’s the perfect Farmhouse Hearty Bun for every sandwich under the sun!
Just look at that strawberry jam dripping down the side!
Each savory-sweet bite is a delight! (I know what you should make for dinner tonight!)
Strawberry Jam Cheeseburgers
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 Pepperidge Farm Rustic Potato Farmhouse Hearty Rolls
- 4 ounces full fat cream cheese
- 1/4 cup strawberry jam/preserves
- 1 cup baby spinach leaves
Instructions
- Add the pepper and salt to the ground beef and mix with your hands, then form 4 patties. (Be careful not to overmix or the texture will suffer.)
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat and add the burgers to the pan. Cook until they've just about reached desired doneness, flipping halfway through cooking time. (About 4-6 minutes per side.)
- Drop 1 ounce cream cheese on top of each burger and cover. Turn off the burner and let the residual heat soften the cream cheese.
- Place 1 burger on the bottom of each bun and dollop 1 Tablespoon of jam on each. Divide the spinach evenly, then place the top of the bun on the burgers.
- Serve immediately.
Pepperidge Farm® Farmhouse Hearty Buns are available in the Northeast portion of the United States only.
