Cheeseburger Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Dough and filling

• 12 slices of white bread
• 200 g lean ground beef
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 6 slices of bacon
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp hot mustard
• 1 tbsp sweet pickle relish, plus extra for serving
• 90 g sharp cheddar, cut into 12 cubes (about 2 cm each)
• 1.5 cups premium flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs

Special sauce

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp. ketchup

For serving

• Shredded romaine lettuce
• Tomato slices
• Chopped red onion
• Slices of pickled cucumbers

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a 12-cup metal muffin tin with paper cups. Spray the cups with cooking spray.
2. Cut a 5cm circle out of each slice of bread and toast them on a baking sheet in the oven until lightly browned. Set aside the remaining bread for breadcrumbs. Place a slice of toast in the bottom of each muffin tin and set aside.
3. In a 25 cm skillet, brown the ground beef over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 6 minutes. Season with 0.5 teaspoon salt and pepper. Drain any fat, if necessary, and transfer the beef to a medium bowl; set aside.
4. Wipe the skillet dry with paper towels and cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, turning once, about 6 minutes. Transfer the fried bacon to paper towels to drain any excess fat.
5. Drain all the rendered fat from the skillet, reserving only 1 tablespoon, and add the onion. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is very soft, about 8 minutes. Add the mustard and relish. Stir the onion into the bowl with the ground beef. Divide evenly among the prepared ramekins.
6. Place a cube of cheese in each mold and gently press into the meat mixture.
7. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. In a 1-quart measuring cup, combine the milk, sour cream, and eggs. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and knead until smooth. Return the dough to the measuring cup. Pour the batter over the beef mixture.
8. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
9. Mix mayonnaise, ketchup, and relish. Pour the sauce over the cooled cupcakes. Garnish with fried bacon and lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles.