Blue Apron Dish 6: Short Rib Burgers on Pretzel Buns with Hoppy Cheddar Sauce & Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds

This has been one of my top three favorite recipes from Blue Apron thus far!! Ahh - it was so good. My only mistake is that I enjoyed this right before going to the gym - haha I definitely regretted my decision of eating beforehand, during my workout. They recommend enjoying this meal with a nice beer to go with the hoppy cheddar sauce you'll make :) Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

- 10 oz. ground short rib
- 2 pretzel buns
- 1 lb. sweet potatoes
- 1 red onion
- 1 bunch thyme
- 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 2 ounces of cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons of heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon of flour
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1 tablespoon of fresh hops flowers
- 1 tablespoon of whole grain dijon mustard

Makes 2 servings.
Cooking time: 25 to 30 minutes.

Directions:

Prepare the ingredients!

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Wash and dry the fresh produce.
• Grate the cheese.
• Cut the buns in half horizontally.
• Pick the thyme leaves off the stems; discard the stems and roughly chop the leaves.
• Peel the onion and thinly slice into rings.
• Roughly chop the hops flowers.
• Cut the sweet potatoes into thin rounds. 

Roast the sweet potatoes!

• Place the sweet potatoes on a sheet pan.
• Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to thoroughly coat.
• Arrange in a single, even layer.
• Roast, flipping half way through, 28 to 30 minutes, or until browned and lightly crispy.
• Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the thyme.

Make the patties!

• While the sweet potatoes roast, in a large bowl, combine the ground short rib and breadcrumbs.
• Season with salt and pepper; mix to thoroughly combine.
• Form the mixture into 2 equal-sized patties.
• Set aside.

Make the cheddar sauce!

• While the sweet potatoes continue to roast, in a small pot, melt the butter on medium heat.
• Once melted, add the flour and cook whiskey constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden and fragrant.
• Gradually whisk in 1/4 cup of water and the heavy cream.
• Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thickened; season with salt and pepper.
• Reduce the heat to low. 
• Gradually add the cheese and cook, whisking constantly 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until smooth.
• Remove from heat and stir in the hops flowers; season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Set aside in a warm place.

Cook the patties!

• While the sweet potatoes continue to roast, in a large pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil, on medium until hot. 
• Add the patties and cook 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium, or until they reach your desired degree of doneness.
• Transfer to a plate, leaving any drippings in the pan.
• Let the cooked patties rest for at least 5 minutes. 

Toast the buns and plate your dish!

• Heat the pan of reserved drippings on medium-high heat until hot.
• Place the buns in the pan, cut dies down and roast 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned and warmed through.
• Spread half of the mustard onto the bottom of each bun; top with a cooked patty.
• Spoon half the cheddar sauce onto each patty.
• Top each with as much of the onion you'd like, and top of the bun.
• Serve with the roasted sweet potatoes on the side.

Enjoy! :)