Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburgers

Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburgers from Paula Deen's magazine
1 lb bacon, cooked til crisp
2 lbs ground chuck
3 T hickory-flavored BBQ sauce
1 T liquid smoke
1/2 t salt
12 slices sharp CHeddar cheese, divided
1 lg sweet onin, cut into 6 rings
6 hamburger buns, split and toasted
BBQ sauce, lettuce, and tomotoes *opt
crispy ranch fries

1. Preheat grill to med-high (350-400). Spray grill rack with nonstick nonflammable cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, crumble 10 slices bacon; set remaining bacon aside. Add ground chuck, 3 T BBQ sauce, liquid smoke, and salt. Stir gently to combine.
3. Divide mixture into 12 equal portions and shape each into a 4" patty.
4. Cut 6 slices cheese into quarters. Place4 cheese quarters on top of 6 paaties. Place remaining 6 patties on top of cheese and press edges of patties together to seal.
5. Grill patties, covered with grill lid, for 3-4 minutes per side, or until onions are browned and tender.
7. Spread additional BBQ sauce over bottom halves of buns, if desired. Top as desired with lettuce, tomatoes slices, grilled onion, burgers, and reserved bacon slices. Cover with bun tops. Serve immediately.

In my opinion: I halved this recipe including the amount of cheese I pressed inside the patty. These burgers were fabulous! Be sure you get the patties as flat as possible when first forming them or the burger will be pretty fat!