Andouille Sausage burger with Smoked Blue Cheese

This post is for Day 3 of Cajun week with the Creole Contessa.  I am having so much fun.  So much of the fun is in the planning and my mind has been going crazy with ideas.  Now a purist may not like all the recipes I have come up with since I am not doing totally traditional recipes.  This post is one of those examples.  I guess I now understand what fusion is.  I know it is generally melding 2 concepts, 2 different foods culturally.  I am not positive that this would be fusion but I married a traditionally Cajun ingredient, the andouille sausage into an American classic – the burger.

 

Before I get in to the specifics of this burger, I wish to share Creole Contessa’s next offering of Smothered Cabbage with Bacon.  What is so interesting about sharing this experience with someone of the Cajun lineage is the offerings are so much broader than one would find in a cookbook or on line.  I really feel we are all seeing into a little bit of what a family meal was like for a Cajun (I know I should use Acadian) from the Creole Contessa.

The only support I got on this recipe was at Whole Foods.  I had them make up my Chicken andouille and knew that they would have great ideas in the cheese department for pairing with this meat.  They suggested a few different ideas but I stuck with the first idea – smoked blue cheese.

The result was great.  The smokiness of the blue cheese with caramelized onions complimented then with the sweetness of a creole BBQ sauce.  The flavors went together so well if I may say so myself.  Rather than believe me, try it.  You will not be disappointed.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground chicken andouille sausage
• 8 oz smoked blue cheese
• 1 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 3 tbsp canola oil, divided
• 2 tbsp butter
• 4 oz tomato sauce
• 1/4 of a yellow onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp each light and brown sugar
• 2 tbsp molasses, divided
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt, pepper & red pepper flakes
• 4 Hamburger buns

Directions:

1. for the Creole BBQ sauce, take the onions and garlic and cook in a pot for 5 minutes until soft.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  It only needs 10 – 15 minutes.

 

1. For the onions, heat the oil and melt the butter, then add the onions.  Cook on medium low heat, stirring fairly often.  2/3 of the way through I added 1/4 cup of water.  At the very end, I added 1 -2 tbsp of molasses to really sweeten the onions.

 

1. Now take the ground sausage and form in to patties of any size you wish.  Heat oil in a saute pan and add the burgers.  Cook about 5 minutes per side.  In the last 2 minutes of cooking, top with the blue cheese.  I put a lid on the saute pan to help with the melting.

 

1. Put the buns in the oven for 1 – 2 minutes.
2. Assemble the sandwiches by placing the burger on the bun, topping with the caramelized onions and then the Creole BBQ sauce.  Enjoy!