Pickle Surprise

What is your favorite place to stop for food when you are on a road trip? If I had to choose, I would say McDonald's, for the 2 Cheeseburger Meal. It was choice # 2 on the Value Meal. However, one day I was surprised to learn, after ordering and driving away, that sadly, the 2 Cheeseburger Meal was replaced with with a single large burger. For some unknown reason the 2 Cheeseburger Meal has slipped into nonexistence. It does not even live on the menu. However, it is hiding on some button on the register. Sweet. Ok, I have a philosophy about the 2 Cheeseburger Meal that I would like to share. It is what I like to call, "The Pickle Surprise". Ok, this is the scenario.


Fatigued from driving up I-95, you get a rumbling in your belly. McDonald's, next exit. You pull off and order the nonexistent 2 Cheeseburger Meal. Pull up to Window One to pay, and Window Two for food. You receive that cool drink and the hot bag, steaming with the smell of salty fries. Ahhhhhhh. McDonald's Heaven. First, you reach in for a quick fix and mash a couple hot fries into your mouth. Then, comes the unwrapping of the yellow paper to reveal your coveted cheeseburger. Bite one: Mmmmm. cheese, burger, onions, divine. Bite two: Mmmmm. Your mind starts to wonder. "Where is the pickle?" Your taste buds start to panic. "Where is the pickle????!!!!!" Bite 3: YES! Hint of pickle. You found it! SURPRISE! There they are. Hiding. Two little, overlapping pickles. Just off-center to the middle. Pickle satisfaction. As your hunger is relieved, you get the added benefit of having that second burger on deck for a later pickle craving!


And, I hear they are now serving Sweet Tea at the Mickey D's in the big NYC! Ya'll, them some happy Yankees! Or transplanted Southerners!

Copycat Mcdonald's Burgers/Cheeseburgers Recipe
http://www.recipezaar.com/
15 min 10 min prep

1 burger or cheeseburger
1/2 teaspoon dried onion flakes
2 teaspoons boiling water
1/8 lb ground beef (I have used extremely lean ground beef for this, like 5% fat kind)
1 plain hamburger bun (I use Hot Dog/Hamburger Buns/Rolls/Cinnamon Buns Dough Cycle A.b.m.)
salt, to taste
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard (American yellow)
1 dill pickles, slice (sour kind, not sweet)
For Cheeseburgers:
1 slice American cheese (I have used those plastic cover cheese singles with good success if other American Cheese is unavail)

Mix the dried onion with the boiling water and let sit until re hydrated and no longer dry & crunchy.

Roll ground beef into a ball and press flat on waxed paper until about 1/8 inch thick.

Brown faces of bun in a dry frying pan over medium heat. Remove bun and cook burger in the same pan for 2 min per side, salting each side lightly during cooking.

On the top bun-half spread the ketchup, mustard, and onion, in the order, and top with the pickle slice.

Put the beef patty on the bottom bun and quickly slap the top and bottom together.

Microwave the burger on high for 10-15 seconds.

FOR CHEESEBURGERS: follow the above recipe, but add a slice of American cheese on top of the beef patty in the final assembly. Microwave for 15 seconds on high to help steam the bun and simulate being wrapped in paper.