I was first introduced to Burger’s Priest by my friend Jon when I was visiting Toronto and, holy cow, was this ever a big fatty treat! It’s a classic burger joint with ridiculous options, like eating a burger smashed between two grilled cheese sandwiches as the buns or adding on a deep fried cheesy portobello mushroom. I’m not even that “into” burgers, yet I still dream about that day when I finally got a chance to see (eat) what all the Toronto hype was about. They even have a secret menu that the regulars know about, but I knew I wasn’t ready to cross that line into the regulars territory – I decided to go for a classic cheeseburger and add on ‘the option’ of the fried cheesy mushroom, as you do.

Since I’m drooling and now craving a burger, I just had to make one and it had to be extreme. I dedicate this cheesy, salty, spicy, juicy Curry Mac and Cheese burger to Jon, since, after all, he is the one who changed my views about burgers and introduced me the heavenly place known as, The Burger’s Priest. I can’t wait for you to try this one!

Yield: Makes 4 burgers (with some leftover mac and cheese)

Ingredients:

Burger:

• 1 lb ground beef (80% beef/20% fat)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp cumin
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 cup (about 2 leaves) shredded kale, hard inside stems removed
• 4 King’s Hawaiian burger buns
• butter for buns
• oil for cooking

Curry Mac and Cheese:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp flour
• 1 tsp curry powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp cumin
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp salt + 1 tsp for salted boiling water
• pinch of pepper
• 1 cup milk
• 2 – 2½ cups cheddar cheese, grated
• ½ a 16 oz. box of macaroni noodles

Radish Raita:

• 2 radishes, finely grated
• 1 7 oz. container of Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• pinch of garlic powder
• pinch of salt (to taste)
• pinch of pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350° to toast the buns. Mix all the ingredients for the radish raita (yogurt sauce) together. Set aside. Gently mix the burger ingredients (minus the kale, buns, oil and butter) being careful not to over mix. Form the meat mixture into 4 balls. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a teaspoon of salt. Once boiling, add in the macaroni noodles, giving it a quick little stir so they don’t stick. Cook to al dente, according to package. Drain the noodles. In the same pot the noodles came from (just to not dirty another pan), turn the heat to medium and add in the butter, flour and  all the spices for the mac and cheese. Whisk together until spices become aromatic and the flour is starting to cook, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Continually whisk until all the clumps are gone and the milk begins to gently boil, about 3-4 minutes. Turn the heat to low and mix in the cheese. Once the cheese is almost completely melted, add in the noodles and stir together. Keep the heat on low until ready to serve.

In a large sauté pan on medium-high heat, heat just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot, add in the burger balls. Smash each ball with the back of a spatula to form a patty and create a nice crust for the burger. Cook on each side for about 4-5 minutes (depending on thickness – mine was about ¾ inch thick) for a medium-well burger.

While the burgers are cooking, butter each bun and toast in the oven for a few minutes until golden.

To assemble: Spread the raita on the bottom bun followed by the shredded kale. Place burger on the kale and top with as much mac and cheese as your heart desires. Enjoy!