Drool-Worthy Burgers

I just snatched up some smoked paprika recently after reading a blog post from a random foodie online. She made it sound like this wonder ingredient and I just lapped it right up. And, by golly, she may be right--it's fantastic! I'm not really a major burger lover but I've made burgers TWICE in the last week and both times both DH and I couldn't stay away from seconds. And after the kiddos went to bed we made a kitchen run for thirds! In fact, I just ate some leftovers from last night and I'm trying hard to keep from going back for ANOTHER hamburger!
Anyhow, I adapted the recipe from a Gordon Ramsay hamburger recipe and I have to admit that I'm really happy with the results. I regret that I didn't take pictures of the process but I'll share with you how I achieved such yummy results without grilling although I'm sure that grilling these would just put them over the top!

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs lean ground beef (preferable 90% lean or better)
1 egg
1 Tbsp minced Garlic
A good hearty dose of fresh cracked black pepper
1-2 tsp. kosher salt
1.5 - 2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 Tbsp. Worchestershire sauce (or "wooster sauce" as my Grammie would say)

I just mixed all the ingredients until it looked like the paprika and garlic were evenly incorporated (a wire potato masher works great--mental note to self: go buy a new one of those things!!) and then I made them into decent sized patties making sure to pat out the sides quite a bit so there were no cracks. The meat mixture was pretty wet at this point and initially I was worried that they'd fall apart once I started to cook them but it wasn't an issue. I put them on a plate and popped 'em in the fridge for at least half of an hour to help ensure the blending of the flavors and that they'd stay in one piece till they were cooked. I cooked these over medium heat in a large saute pan and they were ready after about 12 minutes and are some of the juiciest, most tender burgers I've ever had.

I know Gordon Ramsay might consider it a sacriledge, but if you get a chance, top these bad boys with some of Kraft's new Tangy Tomato Bacon dressing--very tasty. And if you've got some thick-cut peppered bacon, she's welcome to join the party in your mouth too. :)