INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds cold ground bison or ground chuck, 80 to 90 percent lean
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 6 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely diced
- 4 slices bacon, cooked at a previous grill session, and crumbled
- 2 tablespoons minced onion
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 hamburger buns for serving
- Leaf lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and sliced red onions for serving
PREPARATION
1. Make the cream cheese filling: In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, jalapenos, bacon, and minced onion.
2. Divide the ground bison into 8 portions and form each into a patty. Put a generous spoonful of the cream cheese filling on 4 patties. Top with the remaining patties. Dip your hands in cold water, then gently press the seams together to completely enclose the filling. Reshape the patties as needed, using a light touch. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for one hour. Just before cooking, season both sides of the patties with salt and pepper.
3. When ready to cook, start the Traeger grill on Smoke with the lid open until the fire is established (4 to 5 minutes). Set the temperature to 400 degrees F (High if you have a manual controller) and preheat, lid closed, for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Arrange the bison patties on the grill grate and grill, turning once, until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F, about 20 minutes.
5. Place lettuce, onion, and tomato slices on the bottom half of each hamburger bun. Top with a bison patty and serve immediately.
