Open-Faced Hamburgers

Between Christmas and New Year's — that weird liminal week where nobody knows what day it is and time has no meaning. I took a few days off from the brewery because the taproom is closed for the holiday and the tanks can manage without me for a week. Megan is off from school. We spent three days in the apartment doing nothing, which is the best use of a holiday I can imagine.

We cooked together. Or rather, I cooked and Megan assisted, which means she chopped things and asked questions and occasionally ate ingredients before they made it into the pot. We made a beef stew — simple, hearty, the kind of meal that takes three hours and fills the apartment with steam and the smell of bay leaves and red wine. Chuck roast, potatoes, carrots, onion. Nothing fancy. Everything good.

We talked about the year. 2021 was the year I met Megan, which makes it automatically the most important year of my life. She disagreed — she said 2021 was the year she met me, which makes it the most important year of HER life. We argued about whose year it was. This is the kind of argument I want to have forever.

New Year's Eve was quiet. Just us. Megan made champagne cocktails (she is good at drinks, even if she can't cook) and I made pierogi and we watched the ball drop on TV and kissed at midnight in my tiny kitchen with the champagne bubbles still on our lips. She said, "This is a good way to start a year." I said, "The best." I meant it.

New Year's resolution: I want to learn a new pierogi filling every month for a year. Twelve new fillings. Some traditional, some experimental. I want to push myself because Babcia pushed herself — she didn't stop at three fillings because she was comfortable. She stopped at three because they were perfect. I haven't found my perfect ones yet. I'm still looking.

That beef stew we made during the liminal week — the one that took three hours and steamed up every window in the apartment — reminded me that the best food is the kind you don’t overthink. Same goes for these open-faced hamburgers: ground beef, good bread, a few honest toppings, and someone standing next to you in the kitchen asking questions and stealing bites before anything makes it to the plate. It’s the kind of recipe Megan and I come back to when we want something real and warm without the fuss, the kind of thing that fits perfectly into a quiet evening at home with champagne bubbles still on your lips and a whole new year stretching out ahead.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs ground beef (80/20 blend)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 thick slices of sturdy bread (sourdough or rye work well)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup beef broth
Sliced tomato, lettuce, and pickles for topping (optional)

Instructions

Caramelize the onions. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15—20 minutes until softened and golden. Add beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, stir to combine, and let simmer 2 minutes. Set aside.
Form the patties. In a bowl, combine ground beef, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix gently — don’t overwork the meat. Divide into 4 equal patties, pressing each one slightly wider than the bread slices.
Cook the patties. Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook patties 3—4 minutes per side for medium doneness. In the last minute of cooking, lay a slice of cheddar on each patty and cover the pan briefly to melt.
Toast the bread. Butter each bread slice and toast in a separate skillet over medium heat until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes per side.
Assemble. Place each toasted bread slice on a plate. Top with a cheese-covered patty, then spoon the caramelized onions generously over the top. Add tomato, lettuce, and pickles as desired. Serve open-faced — knife and fork required.

Nutrition (per serving)

Open-Faced Hamburgers — The Comfort of Simple Things, Made Together