Melt that cheese!

I put it on right after flipping but it didn’t melt enough. Since I was making sure to get a good sear I didn’t want to mess it up by adding a steam dome.

Looks tasty, were you happy with it?

This is for two people, right?

Mmm, squash…

Definitely not. We might have a few snacks but this is our only meal of the day and her plate looked identical to mine.

Could have been better with higher quality buns.

That’s a pretty reasonable tradeoff. We normally cook beyond burgers at home so that sear is valuable. But I throw a lid on top to melt the cheese anyways. As a side benefit you can get that slightly burnt cheese crust and you still get the crust on the bottom of the patty.

This post must have caught my brain in mid hiccup, because I was trying to parse if these were supposed to be vegetarian burgers made of squash, or if this was a language difference and you were translating “smash burger”. Took longer than I’d like to admit to reorient myself lol.

How did you prepare your squash? A neighbor’s zucchini are starting to come in, and they always share some with me, but I’ve never found a cooking method I’m super satisfied with. Grilling works well, but I don’t have that capability currently.

Cut, olive oil, homemade herb d provence. 400°f for about 35 minutes. Sometimes I will put them under the broiler for the last few minutes to add a little bit of texture, color and caramelization.

You can go with chili powder, curry or whatever other seasoning you’ve got.

If you like hummus though, then I have to recommend the one I posted a couple days ago with a link in the comments. Hummus made from squash is by far my new favorite.

I do understand your squash burger issue. I almost intentionally phrased it that way to play off squash and smash.

And I actually like cheddar with a little texture still in it on my burger.

Looks delish!

Pro tip: add a teaspoon of water to the pan next to (not on) the burger and quickly cover for 20 seconds - creates just enough steam to melt the cheese while keeping that perfect sear intact.

American cheese? Because this is straight cheddar.