Swiss and "Ham"burgers

I've always struggled with the "hamburger" title...it's made of cow, not pig!! But, these burgers really do include ham, and some cheese, stuffed inside the beef. De-lic-ious-ness! These are large burgers--1/2 pound each, so you won't need a heavy side to go along side them. The recipe below is for just two burgers, but it's easy to scale up (or down) as you like!

What you need:

1. 1 lb lean ground beef (or ground chuck)

2. 2 tablespoons-ish of ketchup

3. 2 slices of ham (any variety)

4. a couple ounces of swiss cheese

5. Salt and pepper

6. Buns, mustard, ketchup, tomato slices, and purple onion slices

What you do:

1. Seperately, shred the ham and swiss cheese with a grater, or you can cut it with a knife. But, make sure it's thin if you choose to cut it yourself. Set both aside for later use.

2. Put beef in medium-sized bowl. Add ketchup, and a dash each of salt and pepper. Be your own judge--if you don't like a lot of salt, don't add so much. If you like your lips to shrivel up when you eat, then add lots. And, really, you can never add too much pepper!

3. Combine ingredients in the bowl with your hands. Be sure to get a good mix especially of the ketchup. It's messy, and be sure to wash your hands well after touching the beef.

4. Separate the beef mixture into 4 pieces. Pat each one into a thin patty.

5. Add half the ham and half the cheese shreds to one patty. Place a second patty on top and pinch sides to form one large burger patty. Repeat with other two small patties.

6. Place patties on preheated grill. Cook approximately 5 minutes on each side, or until desired degree of doneness. These can also be cooked in a skillet on the stove (med-hi heat). Or, you can put them in an oven if you choose. I would recommend about 15 minutes on 375F.

7. Warm buns in microwave for 5 seconds.

8. Dress buns with mustard, ketchup, tomato slices, and purple onion slices. Add burger patty, and top with bun.

Enjoy!!