Perfect for entertaining, these cheeseburger puff pastry bites are so delicious and satisfying! Flavorful ground beef, mixed with irresistible caramelized onions, and cheddar cheese wrapped in delicious flaky puff pastry, and served with a tasty special sauce.
Start by chopping the sweet onion finely. To do so peel the onion, then slice it in half lengthwise keeping the root. Then make vertical cuts, and horizontal cuts, then slice thinly with a sharp knife. Finish by gathering the chopped onions and continue chopping a bit.
Heat up oil into a skillet over high heat. Once hot add the chopped onion, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic powder, stir well, then reduce heat to medium/medium-low and cook the onions for about 20 minutes, stirring them often with a wooden spoon. Be careful not to burn them.
Then add the water and lemon juice to deglaze the pan by scrapping all the brown bits at the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking stirring often for about 5 minutes or until all the liquid is gone. Then remove from skillet and set aside.
For the special sauce
While onions are cooking, stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, Dijon, salt, garlic and onion powders, pickle and pickle brine. Set in the fridge.
For the cheeseburger puff pastry bites
Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Once the caramelized onions are cooked and set aside, use the same skillet and add the ground beef, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. Break it off with wooden spoon, and cook on medium-high heat stirring often until just no longer pink, about 6-8 minutes.
Remove from heat, spoon out or pour out all the excess fat left behind from the skillet if any, then use paper towels to soak up as much of it as possible.
Add the caramelized onions and ⅔ of the cheese and stir. Set aside.
Dust all-purpose flour onto a large cutting board or flat surface. Unroll pastry puff sheet on top, then with a pizza cutter or sharp knife, slice it in squares, 12, 10 or 8 depending on the size of the dough. You can roll out the dough with a rolling pan a bit before if it feels thick to stretch it out.
Beat an egg with a splash of water in a small bowl. On each square of dough, add a little bit of shredded cheese, then a scoop of ground beef mixture and a little more cheese on top. Don't overfill.
Brush each corner of each square with a bit of the egg wash. Working with 1 corner at a time, pinch together opposite corners diagonally.
Then pinch together 2 other corners to create a pocket. Seal the sides if big gaps by pinching them together with your fingers. Repeat until each square is filled.
Transfer each filled puff pastry bite to the baking sheet. Brush each puff with egg wash generously, and bake for 20 to 24 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from oven, let rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes then serve with a side of special sauce and chopped lettuce and tomatoes if you wish. Be careful the content of the puffs will be very hot. Enjoy!
Notes
Baking time: every oven is different, baking time will vary from about 20 minutes to 24 minutes. The puffs are ready when top is golden brown.
The special sauce can be prepared in advance and stored covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
*The nutritional values shown in this recipe are approximate for one suggested serving size using the ingredients listed but not including any optional items and may vary per actual preferred portion sizes.