Roasted Chile Cheese Smashburgers

I've got a pretty stellar smashing arm. Case in point: the wasp who thought it was the Alpha dog in my kitchen.

No, my buzzing enemy. I am the Alpha and Omega of my apartment kitchen.

So I hunted that sucker down like Navy Seal Team 6 tracked Osama. My weapon of choice was a rolled up Chicago Tribune and (wo)manpower instead of high-powered automatic weaponry. Tightly wound newspaper still does damage, though. Just ask my poor fern plant and permanently bent venetian blinds. But you can't contact the wasp since he's in a billion pieces.

Fist pump!

Fortunately, wasp hunting does not have to be a prerequisite for this recipe, but smashing skills are a must. Smashing the burger in a skillet forms a delicious crust and keeps the inside incredibly juicy. And just imagine roasted chile pepper and cheese as the icing for a very beefy cake. I added a scoop of sour cream and scallion/tomato topping for maximum burger glory, but it'd also be fine as is.

Roasted Chile Cheese Smashburgers    Serves: 1
4 oz. (about 1/4 of a 1 lb. package) ground sirloin
Salt and Pepper
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 whole roasted chile pepper from a 5oz. can
1 slice sandwich bread, toasted (or a burger bun if you don't want open-faced)

For the optional topping:
Sour cream
1/4 tomato, diced
1/2 scallion, sliced
Salt
Lime juice
1.) Form the meat into a ball, handling it as gently as possible. Season with salt and pepper.
2.) Heat a drizzle of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat and cook for one minute, then smash with the back of a spatula to around 1/3 inch thickness. Cook for two more minutes, flip, and pile on the chile pepper and cheese. Cook for 1-2 more minutes, covering with a lid to let the cheese melt.
3.) Place the burger on the toasted bread. Top with sour cream and the tomato/scallion mixture.