Cookout Season Has Officially Begun

It seems to happen every single year. The tulips and daffodils have budded. The rough looking store lot plants have hopefully endured the last of the unprotected frosts (here in WI). And people drag out the patio furniture they've had packed in the back of the garage, when it hits me all at once. It's already May! All those things I spent the entire winter looking forward to come rushing back and I realize I’m wildly unprepared for it all.

If you’re anything like me, you’re staring down a calendar full of weddings, showers, graduations, summer baseball games, family gatherings, on and on and you’re wondering how every single weekend suddenly disappeared before summer even officially started. Oh yes, I was planning to start my own seeds this year. I still haven’t built the garden!

Thankfully, there is one thing I don’t have to build, mail, RSVP to, or remember the start time for. All I need is a grill, a few packs of meat, some cheese, and no reason whatsoever to call family over.

It’s cookout season.

Now, I know some of you never stopped grilling in the first place. Every neighborhood has at least one die-hard standing outside in his shorts and flip flops, a winter jacket and poking at the steak inside a smoking hot grill while a snowbank keeps his beer cold.

I commend you, Winter Grill Master.

For the rest of us, this is the season where evenings get longer, dinners move outside, and somehow food tastes better when eaten from a paper plate in a lawn chair.

I may be biased on this, I'll admit, but if there’s one thing that can completely change a burger from “good” to “where has this been all my life,” it’s the cheese, my friend.

A Few Burger Tips To Make The Difference

Over the years, I’ve learned and relearned a few things that make burgers better at home.

The Magic Ratio: 80/20

That 80/20 lean beef to fat ratio is the magic spot. You need that little extra fat to keep it juicy and flavorful.

Don’t Overwork the Meat

Admittedly, this one took me too long to discover and even longer to truly embrace. Only modest integration of seasoning is needed and gently form the patties just enough for them to hold together. Overworking or compressing the meat too much creates dense, tough burgers that are more suited for use in a game of floor hockey than placed on a bun.

Salt Right Before Grilling

Salt pulls moisture from the meat over time, so season only immediately before the burgers hit the grill and no sooner.

We All Need Rest

This is the hardest step because everyone has been sniffing at that great grilled food smell and they're ready to feast. Trust me, I get it! However, giving burgers a few minutes to rest after coming off the grill helps the juices redistribute. And besides, that molten cheese as enticing as it is, is only going to torch those taste buds.

Extra Crispy Bacon

Ok, bacon on a burger isn't a secret tip you didn't know already. The tip is the extra crispy bacon method I learned from my in-laws that may only be second to when my wife said, "I do," on the list of profound life changing moments. 1. Start your bacon on a sheet pan in a cold oven. 2. Crank it up to 400. 3. Wait roughly 20 minutes. 4. Live your best life.

The Secret to a Great Burger Is the Melt

Before we even talk flavors, let’s talk melt.

One of the more common questions we hear at Springside is something along the lines of:
“What cheese will give me the best melt?”

The answer surprises people sometimes.

When you’re looking for that perfect melter atop a burger, for example, fresher cheese is usually better.

In general, cheeses aged around 6 months or less tend to melt more smoothly because they still retain higher moisture and a more even fat distribution. That combination creates the rich, creamy melt everyone wants on a grilled burger or chicken sandwich.

So then they ask, "What about a sharp cheddar?" As cheddar ages longer, it develops deeper sharpness and complexity, which is wonderful for snacks and pairings, but it can also become more crumbly or slightly grainy when melted. Nobody has ever asked for a little extra grit on their burger!

When that mild/medium cheddar, or that fresh monterey jack cascades down the side of the burger and glistens like a flavor beacon of tastiness… you know you've got a winner.

Three Cheeses. Three Completely Different Burgers.

When it comes to cheese on a burger, there are so many great options! One of my favorite things is how this one ingredient can completely change the personality of a meal. The burger may stay the same, but the cheese transforms everything around it.

This summer, these are the three cheeses I know I’ll be leaning into for my burger flair.

Smoked Cheddar

Rich & savory, a traditional backyard cookout flavor

Smoked Cheddar feels like it was made specifically for grilling season.

It has that familiar creamy cheddar flavor, but with a deeper savory warmth that immediately tastes like cookouts, campfires, and backyard evenings with friends & family.

This is the cheese I reach for when I want a burger that feels hearty and classic.

Best Pairings

• caramelized onions
• bacon
• barbecue sauce
• crispy onion straws
• toasted brioche buns

Flavor Tip

Because smoked cheddar already brings bold savory flavor, simpler toppings usually work best. Let the cheese carry the burger.

Maple Bacon Cheddar

Sweet, savory, and well, bacon'ey!

The rich creaminess of cheddar paired with smoky bacon and maple sweetness creates the kind of burger that is going to hit on multiple levels.

What I love most about this cheese (I mean, besides the bacon of course) is how balanced it is. It's actually the maple flavor that's not “sweet” in a dessert kind of way, but instead adds a subtle warmth that works incredibly well against salty, savory grilled beef.

Best Pairings

• fried egg
• caramelized onions
• barbecue chips
• bourbon glaze
• brioche buns
  

Flavor Tip

Maple Bacon Cheddar already brings both savory richness and a hint of sweetness, so it pairs best with toppings that enhance those flavors rather than overpower them. Smoky, salty, and lightly tangy toppings help create the perfect balance.

Ghost Pepper Monterey Jack

Creamy… Until It Isn’t

Alright. We need to have a conversation about this cheese.

Ghost Pepper Monterey Jack is hot.

Not “kinda spicy.”
Not “Midwest spicy.”

Actually hot. And somehow, that’s exactly why I can’t stop eating it.

Ever since trying it recently, I’ve become slightly obsessed with finding foods that can stand up to that screaming heat. There’s something about the tropical sweetness behind ghost pepper heat that just feels like summer to me.

In fact, it inspired me enough that I’m seriously considering growing ghost peppers this year. Or at least thinking very seriously about it while continuing to not build my garden.

The beautiful thing about this cheese is that the creamy Monterey Jack softens the heat just enough to keep you coming back for another bite you immediately regret and then somehow take again anyway.

Best Pairings

• grilled pineapple
• avocado
• crispy bacon
• sweet barbecue sauce
• pickled onions

Flavor Tip

The key with heat is balance. Sweet, creamy, or acidic toppings help complement the ghost pepper instead of competing with it. And yes, you may want a beverage nearby.

The Best Part of Cookout Season

At the end of the day, I don’t think cookout season is really about burgers.

Or cheese. Or even grilling.

It’s about what happens around those things. It’s family sitting outside longer than planned because the evening finally feels warm again. It’s paper plates balanced on patio tables. It’s knowing the neighbors are smelling what you’re cooking. It’s the feeling that winter is finally behind us and life is blooming again.

Food just happens to be the thing that gathers everyone together and for long enough to truly enjoy it. This, truly, is my favorite part of summer.

 

Have a favorite grilling recipe of your own? We’d love to hear it!
Send it to customerservice@springsidecheese.com.
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