Have you ever seen a burger like this before? This is my Cheeseburger Wellington. Quick recipe is below but as always you can find the full recipe and more on my website at the link in my bio or thechefoutwest,com Ingredients For the Wellingtons 2 sheets puff pastry thawed 4 small burger patties (2-3 oz each) 4 small squares cheddar cheese 4 –6 pickle slices ⅓ cup caramelized onions recipe below Burger sauce (store-bought or homemade — recipe below) 1 egg beaten (for egg wash) White sesame seeds Flaky salt Quick Caramelized Onions 1 large onion thinly sliced 1 tablespoon olive oil Pinch of salt ½ teaspoon sugar optional, speeds up caramelization Splash of water as needed Crispy Oven Fries 3 –4 russet potatoes cut into fries 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt to taste Instructions Start the Fries: Preheat oven to 425°F. Soak cut potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes. Drain and dry very thoroughly — any remaining moisture will steam instead of roast. Toss with olive oil and salt. Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer and bake 25–35 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crispy at the edges. Make the Caramelized Onions: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and salt, cooking 5–7 minutes until softened. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook a further 10–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding a small splash of water if they start to stick. Add sugar if using. Cook until jammy and deeply golden. Set aside to cool slightly. Cook the Burger Patties: Season patties generously with salt and pepper. Sear in a hot pan 2–3 minutes per side until just cooked through — they'll finish in the oven. Rest briefly and let cool slightly before building. Build the Wellingtons: Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the insides of two small round oven-safe bowls. Cut puff pastry into roughly 7x7 inch squares and lay one square over each bowl. Layer in this exact order: Burger patty, Cheddar square, Spoonful of burger sauce, Pickle slices, Caramelized onions, Second burger patty, Second cheddar square Fold pastry corners up and over the stack. Pinch tightly at every seam — any weak point will open during baking. Flip and Finish: Invert each bowl to release the wrapped Wellington onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam-side down. Brush generously all over with egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and flaky salt. Bake: Bake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes until deep golden brown and the pastry is crisp all over. If the top is browning too fast, tent loosely with foil. Rest 5 minutes before slicing. Serve: Slice in half and serve immediately with crispy fries and burger sauce on the side. Notes The single most important thing in this recipe is drying your fries properly. I cannot stress this enough. Water on the potato surface means they steam instead of roast, and you end up with pale, soft fries that don't do justice to the Wellington next to them. Pat them with a kitchen towel, then leave them on the towel for a few minutes while you work on everything else. On the pastry — don't rush the bake. The visual cue people use (the outside looks golden) is misleading because the inner layers of puff pastry need more time to actually crisp through. Go by the full time, not by how it looks at 20 minutes. If your oven runs hot and the top is browning quickly, drop to 325°F and lay a piece of foil over the top loosely. The bottom needs the heat more than the top does. I also want to mention the pizza dough swap from the notes — if you want a lighter version, roll store-bought pizza dough thin and use it exactly the same way. It comes out crispier and with less richness, which actually makes the burger flavors punch through more. Both versions work really well and serve completely different moods. Sealing the pastry firmly is the difference between clean layers on the plate and a blowout in the oven. Pinch like you mean it, and flip seam-side down. Gravity helps hold it together through the bake. - @thechefoutwest