Jalapeño Cheeseburgers

Remove the honey from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Place an oven rack in the center of the oven, then preheat to 450°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel the carrots; quarter lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Halve the buns. Cut off and discard the stem of the pepper. Halve lengthwise; remove and discard the ribs and seeds, then thinly slice crosswise. Place in a bowl. Thoroughly wash your hands immediately after handling.

Place the carrot pieces on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Arrange in an even layer. Roast 15 to 17 minutes, or until browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven.

While the carrots roast, add the honey (kneading the packet before opening) and vinegar to the bowl of sliced pepper; season with salt and pepper. Stir to coat. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally, at least 10 minutes.

While the pepper marinates, place the beef in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Gently mix to incorporate. Using your hands, form the mixture into two ½-inch-thick patties. Transfer to a plate.

While the pepper continues to marinate, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the patties and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare (flipping carefully, as the oil may splatter), or until browned and cooked to your desired degree of doneness. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a plate.

Add the buns, cut side down, to the pan of reserved fond. Toast on medium-high 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until lightly browned. Transfer to a work surface. Assemble the burgers using the toasted buns, creamy mustard sauce, cooked patties, cheese (crumbling before adding), and as much of the marinated pepper as you’d like (draining before adding), depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Serve the burgers with the roasted carrots. Enjoy!