ALE AND KRAUT BURGERS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 400. Spray or line a 7x11 or 9x9 pan. Pour your drained and rinsed Kraut into the pan, grind your pepper over top. Pour 1/2 of a bottle of ale over top, place in oven UNCOVERED for 1 hour, stir after 30 minutes.
• 2. Once Kraut is in the oven, prepare your burger, as you want it to rest/marinate about an hour before you prepare it. Place burger in a large bowl, add 1/2 bottle of ale, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper. Mix well, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• 3. After 30 minutes, remember to stir your kraut, then remove burger from frig, shape into patties...whatever size you like, I happen to like to make 1/4# patties, so I will get 8 patties total. Cover your patties with plastic wrap and let set out at room temp for 30 minutes.
• 4. I like to use two skillets, simply because I don't have one large enough for all the patties...yes, you could grill them as well. Add 1 T olive oil to each pan over med high heat. When hot, divide the onion between the pans. When starting to brown, add 1 T butter to each pan, when melted sprinkle salt over top, DO NOT STIR, place burgers on top, flip when half cooked, for a 1/4 # burger about 4 minutes. Make sure to get onions when you flip it, so the onions are on top. Fry another few minutes, add kraut to half of them, place 2 slices of swiss cheese over the kraut. Top remaining burgers with 1 slice of cheddar, cover to help melt the cheeses.
• 5. Once fairly melted, remember it will continue to melt a little bit on the way to the table, take swiss topped burger and place on top of a cheddar burger then onto to plate of kraut. Or place each double burger right onto a bun, with kraut in a bowl on the side. My favorite way to plate this is to place kraut onto platter, place burgers on top. Scrap up extra caramelized onions from the pan and place over top as you can see in photo. :o) Serve with favorite toppings...spicy brown mustard is great!