Close-up of a beef patty with Swiss cheese and olives in a soft burger bun

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Michigan Olive Burger

First We Feast’s take →

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About

The olive burger is a regional speciality of Michigan: a beef patty topped with a creamy spread packed with green olives. Outside the state it is little known, and it is one of the more unusual toppings a burger can have, salty, briny and rich at once.

This version makes the spread from softened cream cheese beaten with mayonnaise, then stirs in sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives, a spoonful of their brine for tang and a spoonful of hoagie cherry pepper spread for a little heat. The patties are simple, seasoned only with salt and pepper and cooked in a hot skillet without moving them for about four minutes, then turned and finished over medium heat to 160°F, with a slice of Swiss melted on top. Pile the olive spread on generously, add chopped iceberg lettuce for crunch and serve straight away.

Ingredients

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Cream cheese4 ounces cream cheese, softened
Mayonnaise1/4 cup mayonnaise
Olives1/2 cup sliced green olives with pimientos
Olive brine1 Tablespoon olive brine
Cherry pepper spread1 Tablespoon hoagie cherry pepper spread
Ground beef1.25 pounds ground beef
Black pepperSalt and pepper to taste
Swiss cheese4 slices Swiss cheese
Burger bun4 hamburger buns
Iceberg lettuce1 cup chopped iceberg lettuce

Recipe

1
Beat the cream cheese and mayonnaise together in a bowl until smooth, then stir in the olives, their brine and the cherry pepper spread. Keep it aside, or in the fridge, until the burgers are ready.
2
Divide the beef into 4 patties and season them with salt and pepper.
3
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the patties without moving them for about 4 minutes, until browned underneath. Turn them, lower the heat to medium and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, until a thermometer in the centre reads at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Lay the cheese on top and let it melt.
4
Set each patty on a bottom bun, pile on plenty of olive spread, add lettuce and close with the top bun. Serve at once.