Cheddar Cheeseburgers

Preheat the oven to 475°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Halve the buns. Slice the potatoes lengthwise into 1-inch-thick wedges. Pick the thyme leaves off the stems; discard the stems and roughly chop. Peel the garlic. Mince the smallest clove; smash with the side of your knife until it resembles a paste (or use a zester). Smash the remaining cloves to flatten. Thinly slice the cucumber into rounds; place in a heatproof bowl. Peel, halve and thinly slice the onion.

Place the potatoes on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and the thyme; toss to thoroughly coat. Arrange in a single, even layer, skin sides down, and roast 26 to 28 minutes, or until browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and set aside in a warm place.

While the potatoes roast, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), combine the smashed garlic cloves, vinegar, sugar and ⅓ cup of water; season with salt and pepper. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, carefully pour the mixture into the bowl of cucumber. Set aside to pickle, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes. Carefully rinse and wipe out the pan. While the cucumber pickles, in a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and garlic paste; stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the cucumber continues to pickle, place the ground beef in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and gently mix to incorporate. Using your hands, form the mixture into four ½-inch-thick patties. Transfer to a plate.

While the potatoes continue to roast, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the patties; cook 3 to 4 minutes on the first side, or until browned. Flip and top with the cheese. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until the patties are cooked to your desired degree of doneness and the cheese has melted. Transfer to a plate and set aside in a warm place. Carefully drain off and discard any drippings from the pan, leaving behind any browned bits (or fond).

Heat the pan of reserved fond on medium-high until hot. Working in batches, add the buns, cut sides down, and toast 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown. (If the pan seems dry, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil.) Transfer to a work surface. Spread a layer of the aioli onto the bun bottoms. Top with the cooked patties, as much of the onion and pickles as you’d like (draining the pickles before adding) and the bun tops. Divide the burgers and roasted potatoes between 4 plates. Serve with any remaining pickles on the side. Enjoy!