Turtle Burgers

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Servings: 8
Yield: 8 servings

Description

This turtle burger recipe creates giant beef burger "turtles" wrapped with bacon to simulate shells, and hot dogs for their heads, legs, and tails.

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef round
2 teaspoons minced fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
4 slices sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion (such as Maui)
12 regular-sized hot dogs, halved crosswise
12 slices bacon, cut in half crosswise

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2 Mix ground beef, chives, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and dry mustard together in a large bowl; divide into 4 thick oval-shaped burgers. Top each burger with a slice of cheese and about 2 tablespoons onion.
3 Create turtle-shaped burgers by poking 3 holes in the long ends of each burger. Insert cut ends of hot dog, about 1 1/2 inches into each hole to make heads and arms, and tails and legs. Press ground beef around hot dogs to secure. Cut 2 small slits, about 3/4 inch long, into ends of legs to make toes.
4 Wrap 6 bacon halves around each burger between heads, legs, and tails, enclosing cheese and onion inside to simulate turtle shells. Secure with toothpicks.
5 Place a baking rack into a large roasting pan; lay burgers onto the rack and cover lightly with foil.
6 Bake in the preheated oven until burgers are no longer pink in the middle and hot dog ends are browned, 20 to 30 minutes. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a burger should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).