BBQ Havarti Burgers with Sweet Potato Curly Fries.
I’m making big plans.
We might get blasted with snow this weekend and while I’m currently deciding if I want to relive Ben picking the pink power ranger over Felicity, fall in love with Sam Seaborn again or do something really drastic like make a Huey Lewis and the News playlist while we’re housebound, I have one super serious question that I must have the answer to ASAP.
What are you thinking of making for the super bowl? Or for a playoff game this weekend? I’m quite concerned since it’s an excellent excuse to braise short ribs and find yourself elbow-deep in some sort of horrifyingly delicious cheese dip. And while I might not be watching a game for any other purpose than socializing, I’ll probably get the itch to have some sort of spread on hand during the inevitable binge session of Scott Foley forever known to me as Noel.
Can we talk about how ORANGE this entire situation is?
It’s no secret that photography is my least favorite part of this process, but there are two things I find super difficult to photograph and that I just loathe taking pictures of: triangle slices (how/where/when to get the best angle?!) and orange foods (probably scarred for life from the yellow orange lighting back in the 2009 days of my blog). It’s not that I don’t love eating orange foods but they just always look… super orange.
Eddie was in it to win it though. He doesn’t mind the orange and I’m almost positive he took down a whole baking sheet of fries.
And I guess that I can get over it for these fries, because they are heaven on earth. I pretended they were stuck in a snow globe of BBQ spice and seasoned the ever-living heck out of them.
So, I think the secret to really crispy, delicious sweet potato fries, whether they be curly or regular, is the double fry. With one fry, they were slightly soggy and not crisp all around. But the MINUTE they hit the second fry, they were golden and crunchy on the outside but still so soft and sweet on the inside. I was DYING.
And I just used canola oil to fry, but I’ve made some smaller batches in coconut oil. It is SO good. It’s just hard for me to fathom wasting that liquid gold for a huge batch of frying. You know?
When I get on a burger kick, I get on a burger kick. There isn’t much else that solves a burger craving for me – I need a burger piled high with tons of toppings. In my early days, I only wanted cheese. For most of my childhood I ordered a “plain cheeseburger,” half scared that they would forget the cheese and I’d have a plain dry burger, but that wasn’t as bad if lettuce and tomato ended up between the buns. Oh heck no. I was NOT doing that.
Then I came to my senses. I wanted more flavor, more texture, more toppings to make it delicious. Now I prefer piles a spring greens, still like to leave off the tomato (too weird on a burger, no thanks) and tons of other toppings, like caramelized onions, mushrooms, mustard (always, where my mustard freaks at!), and fries. It’s practically required to stick a fry or five on top of your burger, just like it’s required to stick potato chips inside your sandwich. It adds SO much.
I promise.
I swear. To the moon and the stars and the sky.
My current favorite topping on my burger is a three-way tie between bacon jam, truffled aioli and shoestring onions. Freaking adore those crunchy onion frizzles! They kill me. And sometimes when the burger is topped with all that stuff, I actually prefer it wrapped in LETTUCE.
I know. What is wrong with me.
Not all the time, but occasionally the crispy, fresh iceberg wrap is ideal when you have 67 toppings on an already-thick patty.
Try it!
I’ve made the crispy onion straws at home before but I really wanted sweet potato fries on the side… and knew they’d end up on my burger. Especially since I decided to spiralize them into curly fries. I tried a few different settings on my spiralizer and actually loved them all! I had a tough time deciding but I think the thinner, angel-hair-like, shoestring fries win. Not only are they perfect for dipping (chipotle ketchup all the way) but topping? They rival the onion straws.
On to the burger, before you lose your patience. (Too late, I know).
I put some BBQ sauce in the beef mixture. I topped the thing with entirely too much Havarti cheese, really an obnoxious amount. It’s just so fantastic and ridiculously melty. Spring greens went on too. More BBQ sauce once served, a pile of bread and butter pickles (they are becoming a thing here, I’m totally blown away) and the sweet potato curls. All on a sesame bun that I brushed with butter because I didn’t think I had enough calories in my life. WAH.
But no really, just brush your buns with butter and throw them in the oven for five minutes. Life changing.
Sold yet? Give me an extra plate of pickles!
BBQ Havarti Burgers with Sweet Potato Curly Fries
Ingredients
BBQ havarti burgers
sweet potato curly fries
- 3 sweet potatoes, spiralized
- vegetable or canola oil for frying
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
BBQ havarti burgers
- Place the beef in a bowl and seasoning with the salt and pepper. Add the BBQ sauce and gently mix with your hands to incorporate, forming 4 to 6 patties, whichever size you wish and whatever size fits your bun. Heat a large skillet (or your grill, your preference) over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. Cook the patties until browned on both sides and your desired doneness is reached. I do about 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-well, but it will depend on how think your burgers are. A minute or two before they are done, cover the tops with the sliced harvarti and cover the skillet to let the cheese melt.
- To serve the burgers, add a dollop of BBQ sauce on the bottom of the bun, then cover with spring greens. Add the patty on top, more BBQ sauce and a heaping pile of sweet potato fries!
sweet potato curly fries
- Spiralize the sweet potatoes and place the spirals in a large bowl. Cover with water completely and let soak for 45 minutes. Once finish soaking, place the potato spirals on a large towel, covered with another towel, and pat firmly to remove as much water as you can.
- Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium-low heat. Fit the pot with a candy thermometer. You want the oil to be around 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with paper towels. Stir together the sugar, paprika, garlic powder, salt, onion powder and pepper.
- Working in batches, add some of the potato spirals to the oil (don’t overcrowd!) and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until the very so slightly seem to be crisping or changing texture. Remove the spirals with a slotted spoon or kitchen tongs and place on the paper towel to drain the excess oil. Repeat with remaining spirals. Once those are all finished, you do the second fry. Work in batches again – this time the spirals will only need 1 to 2 minutes in the oil – they will turn golden, you will see. Remove and place on a paper towel again. While still hot, cover the spirals in the seasoning mixture.
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I appreciate you so much!
when I dip you dip I dip.
67 Comments on “BBQ Havarti Burgers with Sweet Potato Curly Fries.”
YUM! For the win! This will be dinner tonight, Happy Friday :)
My mother loves orange colors, especially orange beets.
There is no end to what you can spiral cut……..or is there?
I agree! I’ve tried Brussel Sprouts and they were fun!!! But of course sweet potatoes spiralized are so much tastier. Especially when you are homebound, which is kind of nice. I love the feeling of no-pressure-leaving-the-house stay in my Christmas PJ’s eating delicious food I read about on blogs. Can’t beat it!!
spiralized brussels?! i need to try that!
I hadn’t really given the Superbowl much thought honestly, which is startling to me since anything involving food is on my radar, especially when there are excuses to eat all the cheese. My boss is actually hosting a Superbowl party though so I could get on it. These burgers would be a dream come true on Superbowl Sunday.
Oh My! Curly sweet potatoes on a burger beside more curly sweet potatoes. Sign me up. Holy YUM
First, this looks amazing and I wish it could be waiting for me when I get home tonight with a delicious Sam Adams Cold Snap- best mid winter beer!
Second- fall in love with Sam Seaborn again. You won’t be sorry. I am currently re watching the entire series for maybe the 5th time- no joke, serious obsession- and just watched the episode where he defends Ansley against the two guys who sent her the dead flowers and then the whole staff serenades her with opera music. Amazing every time.
i think you sold me! god i love that show so much.
Kicking myself for not grabbing hamburger buns during my pre-snow storm grocery run last night! At least I have potatoes and a spiralizer…
that means you can have EXTRA FRIES.
Jessica – I love your blog! It’s so nice to hear that photography is your least favorite part of blogging. Your pictures are AMAZING and you would never know. I started a blog in July, and photography is for sure my least favorite part. And I too have found orange/yellow to be the worst… so many yellow meals. I hope to improve and be an expert like you one day! Even if I may never love it.
thank you so much marilyn! i just really struggle with having a natural creative eye for it and the photography is SO hard for me. but since i have been doing it for so long, it’s slightly less difficult. if you keep at it, it will get easier!
Oh! Looks so delicious…The bbq sauce is yummy. I will try to prepare Bbq sauce for sandwiches tonight:
In a blender, combine brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, water and Worcestershire sauce. Seasoned with mustard, paprika, salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce. Blend until smooth. This is the recipe. :)
love that! so quick.
Imagining these on a pretzel bun … dreamy :) those fries also look amazing!!
ugh, now i’m really sad i didn’t use a pretzel bun. that sounds so freaking good.
Okay, Jessica, your recipes this week are completely and totally KILLIN’ IT. These burgers look so dang good. And your photos look so great!! Not too orange at all :)
because i had to google “Da’ Dip” because of your closing line i learned this:
“One common interpretation is that the text is a description of a series of three successive real dips in time: first I dip, then you dip, then we dip. An alternative interpretation is that the text is a logical statement: when I dip and you dip, that means we dip. Here the word “when” serves as a key indication of coincidence-in-time of the “I dip” and the “you dip”, which leads to the conclusion “we dip”.”
i always through it was the first one. you?
Oh an obviously i want to eat my computer screen right now. i figured that was self explanatory.
and PPS, i once had a friend ask me what my favorite sandwich topping was, and I said potato chips and he smiled and gave me a high five and said “this is why we’re friends”. that crunch. it’s the best.
that is crazy! i also always assumed it was the first interpretation, ha. innnnteresting. and yes, potato chip sandwiches for life.
Your Felicity references … be still my heart! <3 Noel
best show in the universe.
What does the soaking do to the sweet potatoes? Can you remove the water with a salad spinner?
soaking the potatoes (white or sweet) before frying helps remove some of the starch so they are crispier. i find it makes a huge difference with sweet potatoes, but actually didn’t try these spiralized ones without soaking because i’m so used to it. they *might* be thin enough to skip the soaking??
This looks fantastic! <3
I’m dying to dig into that plate full of crispy fries! Yum!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
How scrummy do these look!! I need to get myself a spiralizer!
Jess @ http://www.juicyyyjesss.co.uk
i am now in love with the word scrummy.
Yes!!!! These remind me of those totally unhealthy but amazing potato straws! I have to ask what kind of pickles you get? They look just as good as the burger!
these ones are the 365 brand (got at whole foods), bread and butter pickles! they are pretty fantastic.
OH MY GOD! Printing the recipe right away x
http://jessicawoods.fr
I just fell over in my chair from ALL THE YUM.
Sooo, we’re headed out to dinner to soak up a little freedom before the” Great Blizzard of 2016″ hits…and I couldn’t figure out where I wanted to go or what I wanted to eat…but now, it’s pretty obvious, I want/need/must have THIS for dinner. Clearly all that photographed orange food had something to do with it… :)
Holy moly this spread looks amazing! I wasn’t sold on the spiralizer until I read this post, and now I’m thinking it needs to be my next favorite kitchen tool! Loving your giant burger too…and I agree, the more toppings the better! My personal fav is a fried egg :) Thanks for sharing and stay warm in the snow this weekend!!
OMG this looks delicious!! I’m making buffalo chicken dip and ham & cheese sliders for the Panthers/Cardinals game this weekend. Haven’t decided what I’m doing for the Super Bowl yet, but if I have a party, there will definitely be delicious snack food!
This is everything.
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Totally sharing! You make me want to eat my computer screen!
These posts always make me wonder why I’m not making homemade burgers more often, since I love them so much! Add BBQ sauce in the mix, and I’m sold! Plus, your photography is always so stunning!
What spiralizer do you recommend? I need these sweet potato fries! ?
i have the inspiralizer and LOVE it. http://inspiralized.com/the-inspiralizer/
YES! Thank you for validating me :) I am a relatively newbie food blogger, and I naively did a carrot noodle dish this week… OMG the photos had me tearing my hair out. They were like oompa loompa orange. These burgers look outrageously delicious, by the way. Just got your book for Xmas and can’t wait to cook from it!
Yum! I love spiralized sweet potatoes so much. I’ve only had them in salads though….I think a burger is a MUCH better option ;)
They look fantastic. I wonder who ate all those fries that were all over your counter?. Come on own up!!
great post thank for the share
This looks amazing! And I feel like we are totally on the same wavelength with our choice of television shows. I am currently rewatching the West Wing since my husband has never seen it and Sam is my favorite! BUT, I also have Felicity hanging out all of the time! Scott Foley will forever be Noel!
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Burgers and curly fries are great. Thanks for sharing.
LOVE these! Made them last night and they were a hit! Thanks for sharing.
thinking I need to break down and get a spiralizer!
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I made these last night for my brother’s birthday. They were delicious and I received multiple comments on how good they were. BUT let me tell you the worst thing EVER. I had my large stock pot on the stove and filled it with ~2″ of oil…when I added the sweet potatoes (which I had dried), the oil pretty much atom-bombed out of the pot all over my stove and floor. Ugh, worst nightmare ever. Have you ever seen that picture of the olive oil crate that tipped over in the grocery store resulting in an ocean of oil on the floor? Well that was my kitchen last night. As my stove was out of commission, I had my mom bring over her deep-fryer which was a quick solution to my problem. Unfortunately, I spent today taking apart my stove and cleaning oil out of every crevice. I sent my brother a picture…he said the sweet potatoes were worth it ;)
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