Cooking with David Maciel

Sponsored by Ray’s Food Place, Furber Plaza

The Fourth of July always means firing up the BBQ. I really enjoy making these cheesy stuffed burgers. They come out juicy with every bite and are always a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients

• • 8 slices thick-cut bacon
  • 1½ pounds of ground beef 75% to 80% lean
  • 1 medium sweet yellow onion, sliced or dice
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • drizzle of olive oil
  • ½ Tbsp butter
  • Your favorite all-natural barbecue sauce
  • 4 hamburger buns, toasted

Instructions

Pre-heat the BBQ to a medium to high heat.

In a large skillet, add bacon strips and heat over MED-LOW heat. Cook until bacon is cooked to your desired crispness, then transfer bacon to a paper-towel lined plate to cool. Drain all but about a tablespoon of the bacon grease, reserving that last Tbsp in the pan.

Increase heat under the same skillet to MED heat. Add sliced onion and cook 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove onions to a plate, and turn off heat.

Divide the beef into 8 equal portions and shape into balls. On a flat surface, lay down a sheet of wax paper and top with a ball of ground beef. Top with another sheet of wax paper and use a flat bottomed pan to press the meat into ¼-½ inch patties. Repeat with remaining patties.

To one of the thin patties, top with 1/8 cup cheddar cheese, a tablespoon or two of the onions, and another 1/8 cup cheese. Leave a border around the patty. Top with another thin patty, pressing the edges of the top and bottom patty together to seal well. Shape into a thick burger patty.

Double check burger to make sure there are no holes, then season well with salt and pepper.

Heat the BBQ to medium high or indirect charcoal

Add burgers to the grill (I like to cook 2 burgers at a time to make sure I have room to flip them carefully), and cook approximately 8 minutes, until burgers are brown up the sides. Use a wide spatula and carefully flip burger to the other side and cook
another 5 minutes or so, until golden brown.

Add BBQ sauce and bacon to the bottom bun, top with burger, top with additional caramelized onions and a drizzle of more BBQ sauce. Top with the top bun and enjoy!

Barbara Avila passed away with family at her bedside on June 13, 2025 in Napa, California. She was born April 11, 1936 in Oakland, California to Fred Herod and Cliffie Gunter. She moved to Petaluma with her mother, father, and two sisters, where she graduated high school. Soon afterward, she married James Rufus Brattin, and together had three children – Sue Brattin, Randy Brattin, and Sandy Brattin. The marriage ended and she moved to Sonoma. Soon she met her life mate and married Bill Avila, who had two children of his own – Bob Avila and Dave Avila. Bill Avila was a cattle rancher in Glen Ellen. Barbara worked for many years at the Sonoma State Hospital as a Psychiatric Technician, and later in life became a Registered Nurse. As the children grew up and out of the house, Barbara and Bill moved to a ranch they built in Covelo, California. As they aged and health became a problem for Bill, they moved to Reno, Nevada, where they both enjoyed life there and had many friends.

Bill Avila passed away while there, but Barbara continued to live there until she decided to move back to Sonoma
County, moving in with her son, Randy Brattin and Phoebe LeMay Brattin in Cloverdale in June 2018. Barbara made many friends easily with many wonderful people. She loved the Senior Center, card games, Yahtzee, dinner dates with close friends and looked forward every week to Friday Night Live with some of her most dear and favorite friends. Barbara was loved by all who knew her and will be deeply missed by all.