Burgers

1. Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp; remove to a medium mixing bowl. Cooking it at a lower heat takes longer, but more of the fat renders out so that the pieces cook more evenly and crispier.
2. Drain most of the bacon grease, leaving a teaspoon or so in the pan. Sauté onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir bacon, onions, and cheese together. It’s okay if the cheese melts a bit; that will make the filling easier to handle.
3. For the burger outsides, season ground beef with lots of salt and pepper, more than you think you need, and the garlic. Test the flavors by sauteeing a little piece; add more salt and pepper as necessary.
4. To build burgers, divide burger meat into eight. Form each section into a thin patty, about a quarter of an inch thick. Divide filling into four. Form a filling quarter into a ball and sandwich between two burger patties. Pinch the edges together to seal. You can carefully flatten them a little more at this point, pinching together any breaks.
5. Grill, or cook on the stove on medium heat, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with toppings of your choice and lots and lots of fresh hot crisps.

Homemade Crisps

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Use a mandoline or a knife to slice potatoes very very thin. Lay out on the baking sheet (I found that I could just squish one whole potato’s worth of slices onto one baking sheet). Brush with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt. Bake for 8-12 minutes, checking often to achieve desired crispiness.