This is the house burger at Bobby’s Burger Palace. It’s a basic burger (I like it garnished with red onion, tomato, romaine lettuce, and horseradish mustard) with crunch.

The crunch factor comes from a big handful of potato chips layered between the burger and the bun. Some of you may have added chips to your sandwiches as kids, and if people ever told you that you were nuts, I’m here to say that you’re not! Oozing, melted cheese becomes a part of the chips and those crunchy chips become a part of the burger – delicious. I love getting a mouthful of juicy burger and salty, crispy potato chips in one bite; it’s a way to get a true contrast of textures into your cheeseburger. In fact, I make it an option to have all of the burgers at Bobby’s Burger Palace “crunchified.”

Serves: 4

1½ pounds ground chuck (80 percent lean) or ground turkey

(90 percent lean)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1½ tablespoons canola oil

8 slices American cheese, each ¼-inch thick

4 potato hamburger buns, split; toasted, if desired

4 slices beefsteak tomato (optional)

4 leaves romaine lettuce (optional)

4 slices red onion (optional)

Horseradish mustard mayonnaise (page 109 from Bobby Flay’s Burgers, Fries & Shakes), optional

4 handfuls of potato chips

Divide meat into 4 equal portions (about 6 ounces each). Form each portion loosely into a ¾-inch thick burger and make a deep depression in center with your thumb. Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper.

Cook burgers, using the oil (see page 16) and topping each one with 2 slices of cheese and a basting. Cover during last minute of cooking (see page 21).

Place burgers on bun bottoms and, if desired, top with tomato, lettuce, onion and a dollop of horseradish mustard mayonnaise. Pile on the potato chips, top with bun tops, and serve immediately.

*Adapted from Bobby Flay’s Burgers, Fries & Shakes Cookbook by Bobby Flay.  Copyright 2009.  Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers a division of Random House, Inc.