This post is made in partnership with TINE.

With the sun high in the sky, the kitchen moves predominately to the outdoors because summertime, for many, means grill time and getting creative over the flames. This month’s featured Brunost recipe is definitely going to add a new dimension to your burger prowess with a Norwegian twist: a Brunost burger topped with a luscious lingonberry-bacon jam and sautéed onions.

Brunost isn’t a cheese that is typically associated with anything other than its traditional uses here, let alone with burgers, but it has a salty sweetness that just works. When I grilled some of these for Norwegian friends and family, their skepticism turned into excitement – brown cheese now has another use in the kitchen.  

With burgers being a global phenomenon, the first burger joint to open in Norway was McDonalds in 1983 on the 18 November in Oslo. It would be followed by other chains over the years and the burger would become a standard addition to the home table. Today, Norway boasts a pretty great burger scene with street vendors to restaurants offering their artisanal takes and gourmet spins. All you need is a patty and bread, and then the imagination can let loose and explore all sorts of concoctions. And that’s just what this recipe is. A concoction of salty and sweet sensations to celebrate summer.   

Be sure to include all the accompaniments when making this burger and if you can’t access lingonberry jam, you can swap it for cranberry jam.

The Ultimate Brunost Burger with Lingonberry-Bacon Jam

Serves 4

For the Sautéed Onions:  

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced into thin rings
• ¼ teaspoon salt

For the Lingonberry-Bacon Jam:

• 5.3 ounces (150 g) bacon lardons
• ½ small red onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons lingonberry jam (tyttebærsyltetøy)

For the Burger:

• 24 ounces (680 g) good-quality ground beef
• Salt and pepper, to season
• 8 to 12 slices of Ski Queen®/Gudbrandsdalen
• 4 burger buns
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves

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For the sautéed onions, in a large, heavy pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion slices, lower to medium heat, season with salt, and sauté for about 10 minutes or until golden brown and softened. Remove to a bowl, cover to keep warm, and set aside.

Using the same pan, add in a dash more of oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the bacon lardons and red onions and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and the red onions are softened. Spoon in the lingonberry jam and cook until it all comes together, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

For the burgers, form the meat into 4 equal-sized patties, pressing your thumb into the middle of each to make a little indention. Season the patties on both sides with plenty of salt and pepper.

Grill the patties on an oiled grill or pan-fry in a little hot oil for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, flipping once until your ideal doneness. Place 2 to 3 slices of Brunost on each patty during the last minute of cooking and cover with the lid until the cheese melts. While the patties are cooking, you can toast the buns on the grill or in a separate pan.

Arrange a good dollop of mayonnaise on both sides of each bun. Top the bottoms with some baby spinach leaves then the Brunost-covered burgers, followed by the sautéed onions and lingonberry-bacon jam. Finish with the bun tops and serve immediately.