Pretzel Bun Burgers & Pretzel Bun Brunch

As we settle into the 'burbs, we're starting to enjoy trying new recipes at home more than going out to eat.  Don't get us wrong; we still love a great restaurant experience.  But with limited take-out options (there might be one local option on Seamless and it's pizza), we much prefer picking up our own fresh ingredients and getting creative.  And we're lucky enough to have the most amazing, massive Whole Foods nearby so getting top-notch organic meats and produce is a breeze.  (We go there so often, we're actually going to give "Whole Foods" its own tag on this blog from now on.  We are kind of in love with them, not gonna lie.) Needless to say, one weekend when we were in the mood for juicy burgers we decided to make them ourselves.

Mel had noticed some yummy packs of pretzel buns in the Whole Foods bakery aisle one day, and there's really nothing better than pretzel bread.  So we grabbed those along with some fresh ground beef from the butcher and were ready for action.  DJ heard a cool suggestion for broiling burgers in the oven, so we decided to try that method.

First, you season the beef patties generously with salt.

Then, place the patties on the bottom halves of the buns on a lined baking sheet.

Place the burgers in the oven on the broil setting.  As they cook, the fat that spills out creates a nice caramelization on the bottom buns making them crispy and extra tasty.  (Some people put a pat of butter on top of each burger to add to that process, but we opted out of the extra fat and it all worked out fine.)

We set our handy thermometer to "Burger - Medium Well Done" and let the magic happen.

Finished with a bit of cheese, the toasted top of the bun, avocado and pickles, this was a perfect weekend lunch.  And what we love most about this recipe is that it does not require smoking up the whole house with stovetop pan grilling.  Score!

Since the pretzel buns come in packs of four, we decided to make the most of their yumminess and use them as bagel replacements for a simple Sunday brunch the next morning.  A little bit of cream cheese, a little bit of lox, and a whole lot of coffee made for a lovely stay-at-home splurge.