Who’s ready for a long weekend filled with barbeques and fireworks? This girl, that’s who! There’s nothing like digging into a thick, juicy burger on the Fourth of July. It’s the ultimate American dish, especially when it’s hot straight off the grill. This holiday, instead of bringing out the same ol’ burger and cheese combo you’ve used in the past, try kicking it up a notch with bacon jam. Yes, that’s right, I said bacon jam.

Bacon jam takes a burger to a whole different level of smoky and savory flavor. This jam is packed with bacon, kissed with just a touch of sweetness from maple syrup and enhanced with just a bit of coffee too. Slather a heaping helping of it onto these bacon jam burgers and you’ll never look at ketchup and mustard the same way again.

That is, if you can resist the urge to devour it all straight from the jar before it even reaches your burger… Happy Fourth of July!

INSTRUCTIONS: In a large bowl, combine beef, garlic, salt and pepper and mix well with your hands. Divide the meat into 4 patties. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the patties and cook to your desired temp. For medium rare, cook 3 to 4 minutes per side. In the last minute, top each burger patty with a slice of blue cheese or a couple of tablespoons of blue cheese crumbles. Cover with a large metal bowl to lock in the heat or stick the patties under the broiler to melt the cheese for 30 seconds or so.

For each burger, top the bottom half of the bun with a layer of arugula. Place the burger patty with melted cheese on top. Slather on the bacon jam equally between the four patties and top with the cooked red onions. Top with the other half of the bun and serve.

Shop This Post Pig of the Month Bacon Jam Recipe & Photos by Meghan Bassett