Make Your Own: Hott Denn Burger

Welcome to the kitchen of John and Mike, current chefs-in-residence at the esteemed Hott Denn. Since 2002 the Hott Denn has been a center of creative food for the bachelor. You might remember the first installment of "Make Your Own" where John re-created the Chocolate Hazelnut Milkshake. The milkshake was inspired by the seasonal offerings of Burgerville, which also inspired the Hott Denn Burger.

We'll start off with a list of ingredients and tools. You will need:

• Eggs
• Cheese, Swiss, Sliced
• Chili, Veggie
• Buffalo Patty
• Whole Wheat Bun
• George Foreman Grill
• Toaster Oven
• Stovetop and Pot
• Various Utensils

The creation of the Hott Denn Burger is all about timing. Since the buffalo patties are frozen, you need to start with them. I don't really know how to use a George Foreman Grill, but it only has two buttons, and one of them doesn't really seem to do anything. So I just put the timer all the way up to 10 or 12 and put the patties on. Turns out, that worked great. So we have 10 to 12 minutes to get everything else ready!! We made some french fries, so we threw those in the oven, and then I turned the pot on low heat and started heating the chili.

I really like the Smart Chili, mostly because it's easy, and there is no scary mystery meat in it. This doesn't need to be on the heat that long, but since it's going to be next to the cheese, we want it pretty hot. Also, this stuff isn't really spicy, so feel free to add some Tapatio (wink!) to it.

So now we have the meat grillin', the fats rollin' off into a pan (note: you need something to catch the fat that will come off the patties! Even though buffalo is 70% leaner than beef, the Foreman isn't called a "lean mean fat reducing machine" for nothing. Also, remember that you don't want to overcook the buffalo, as that leanness also means it will be real dried out if you overcook it), and he chili warming up. Next thing we need is to start toasting the buns.

All jokes aside, you want to keep an eye on these. Toasters are weird, and you can easily burn a bun. I prefer to err on the side of under-toasted, especially as we're going to put the buns back in with the cheese on them to ensure it gets all melted. At this point you're probably feeling a little stress. You've got patties cooking, chili heating, (maybe fries in the oven) and buns toasting, and we're about to fry up some eggs. This is normal, don't freak out. You need to have faith in your George Foreman Grill, your General Electric Toaster Oven, and other various appliances. Plus, it helps to use the buddy system. The Hott Denn kitchen has been a two person operation since it was founded in 2002. A cool headed cooking buddy is as essential as a non-stick pan in an environment like this.

The fried egg is the trickiest part of the whole operation, but it's also where you get to show off and use some real kitchen flair. Nothing impresses the crowds like a smooth one-handed egg-cracking into a sizzling pan! Get a nice flat spatula for flipping these, because we're making them over easy, so the warm runny yolk breaks open on that first bite and runs down your hands into the bed of fries. (yeah, you'll need some napkins)

So the pressure is on! Things start dinging and buzzing and everything is finishing up all at once. Here we go: 1) remove the buns and separate them (the cheese will be slightly melted, sticking them together) so they are face up on a plate. 2) Take the egg off the pan and slide it onto the cheese, then 3) spoon on a little too much chili. 4) on the other bun (the top) add any needed condiments (ketchup, mustard, relish, ranch, etc) and then place the buffalo patty on it. Finally, 5) just flip the top onto the base and you are looking at your very own Hott Denn Burger!

The chili and runny yolk will run off the burger, which is why we advise a bed of fries to sop it all up with. The milkshake offers a meal of American Perfection, but you easily substitute a beer or cola. Salads are forbidden with this meal, but dessert is recommended. In the end you'll be looking at empty plates and dirty napkins. Bon Appetit!