Smash Burger Dip with Sesame Bun Crostini
Crispy smash burger beef and onions folded into a creamy sharp cheddar dip, then topped with dill pickles, homemade burger sauce and sesame seeds. Serve it hot with buttery sesame hamburger buns toasted into crispy crostini for the ultimate game day dip.
Equipment
- 9-inch pie dish or similar baking dish
- Large heavy skillet
- Cheese grater
Ingredients
Smash Burger Beef
- 1 pound 80/20 ground chuck or 80/20 ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion very thinly sliced
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Creamy Cheddar Dip
- 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Kosher salt to taste if needed
Burger Sauce
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped dill pickles
- 2 teaspoons dill pickle juice
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
For Finishing
- 1/3 cup finely diced dill pickles well drained
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- Reserved crispy smash burger beef and onions
- Prepared burger sauce
Sesame Bun Crostini
- 6 sesame-seed hamburger buns
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
Make the Sesame Bun Crostini
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Separate the tops and bottoms of each hamburger bun and cut each half into 3 wedges.
- Arrange the bun pieces in a single layer on a sheet pan. Lightly brush both sides with melted butter and season with kosher salt.
- Bake on the middle rack for 13 minutes. Flip each piece and continue baking for approximately 10 minutes, or until deeply golden and crisp.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool. They will continue to crisp slightly as they cool. Keep the oven at 375°F.
Make the Burger Sauce
- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, yellow mustard, chopped dill pickles, 1 teaspoon pickle juice, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper.
- Stir until smooth. Add the remaining teaspoon of pickle juice if needed for additional acidity or a thinner drizzling consistency. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Make the Smash Burger Beef
- Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high to high heat until very hot.
- Loosely divide the ground chuck into 4 portions. Do not tightly form them into patties.
- Working in batches, place one portion of beef into the hot skillet and immediately smash it into a very thin layer using a sturdy spatula. Scatter some of the sliced onion over and around the beef. Season lightly with the kosher salt and pepper.
- Leave the beef undisturbed until the underside develops a deep brown crust. Flip and cook the second side until the beef is cooked through and the onions are browned and softened.
- Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining beef and onions, making sure not to overcrowd the skillet.
- Let the cooked beef rest briefly, then roughly chop it into small, irregular pieces. Toss with 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce.
- Reserve approximately 1/4 of the crispiest beef and onion pieces for topping the dip.
Make the Dip
- Lightly grease a 9-inch pie dish.
- In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sour cream, 1 cup of the shredded sharp cheddar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper.
- Mix until smooth and evenly combined. Taste and add kosher salt only if needed.
- Fold the remaining 3/4 of the chopped smash burger beef and onions into the creamy cheese mixture.
- Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pie dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup sharp cheddar over the top.
- Bake at 375°F for 12 minutes.
- Scatter the reserved crispy beef and onions over the top. Return to the oven for another 5–8 minutes, until the dip is hot throughout, the cheddar is melted and the edges are bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and let the dip rest for 5 minutes.
Finish and Serve
- Top the warm dip with the finely diced dill pickles.
- Drizzle with burger sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Serve immediately with the sesame bun crostini and additional burger sauce on the side.
Notes
Ground beef: 80/20 is ideal. You need enough fat to develop the deeply browned edges that distinguish this from ordinary crumbled ground beef.
Don't overcrowd your skillet: If necessary, use several batches. Browning is more important than speed here.
Cheddar: Buy a block and shred it yourself for the smoothest melt.
Burger sauce: Start with 1 teaspoon pickle juice and add more only if needed. You want the sauce loose enough to drizzle without becoming watery.
Pickles: Drain the finishing pickles well and add them only after baking to preserve their crunch.
Crostini: Our tested timing was 13 minutes on the first side + 10 minutes after flipping at 375°F on the middle rack. Oven and bun brands can vary, so begin watching them toward the end and pull them once deeply golden and crisp.
Serving: The dip is intentionally thick rather than queso-like. Letting it rest for 5 minutes after baking gives you the best scoopable consistency.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 577.46kcalCarbohydrates: 22.28gProtein: 20.49gFat: 45.26gSaturated Fat: 20.59gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6.13gMonounsaturated Fat: 13.12gTrans Fat: 0.95gCholesterol: 117.53mgSodium: 869.04mgPotassium: 331.24mgFiber: 1.14gSugar: 5.69gVitamin A: 901.71IUVitamin C: 2.13mgCalcium: 265.81mgIron: 2.55mg
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