WENDY’S: BIG BACON CLASSIC

SAVE: 176 CALORIES, 15 G FAT, 7 G SAT. FAT

Everyone knows that Wendy’s burgers are square, right? So imagine my surprise when I arrived home with my first Big Bacon Classic and the burger was rectangular. Granted, in my days of frequenting Wendy’s, I’d never ordered one. Maybe they weren’t all square? Perhaps they just had square edges.

I called a local Wendy’s to inquire and learned that, in fact, all of Wendy’s burgers are square. Hey, I got a bum burger. I drove to another chain and picked up another Big Bacon Classic. When I opened the wrapping, I started to wonder if I was in the Twilight Zone. The second burger was rectangular. How could that be? I decided to proceed, regardless, and broke apart the burgers: weighed them, measured them, etc. I took a guess at the proper dimensions, put the patty in my frying pan, and . . . uh . . . my perfectly square patty morphed into a rectangle as it cooked.

I think you, too, will enjoy watching this burger go from a square to a rectangle every time. Oh, and I should mention that I was surprised at how little mayonnaise and ketchup are on this burger.

3 ounces 96% lean ground beef (about 1⁄3 cup)

1⁄8 teaspoon salt

2 slices center-cut bacon

1 kaiser-style hamburger bun (about 4")

1 slice (½ ounce) 2% milk yellow American cheese

1 large leaf iceberg lettuce

1 slice tomato (¼" thick)

5 pieces from 1 slice small white onion (¼" thick)

1 teaspoon light mayonnaise

¼ teaspoon ketchup

5 rounds dill pickle

ON a sheet of waxed paper, shape the beef into a 4½" square patty. Lightly season both sides with salt. Transfer the waxed paper to a plate. Place, uncovered, in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Lay the bacon slices in a small nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Cook, flipping occasionally, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until cooked but not crisp. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Cover to keep warm.

Discard the bacon fat. Off the heat, carefully wipe the skillet clean with several thicknesses of paper towels. Preheat the pan over medium-high heat until drops of water sizzle when splashed on the pan. Place the patty in the pan. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until no longer pink.

Place the bun bottom on a plate. Top with the burger, cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and onion. Spread the mayonnaise on the cut side of the bun top. Dollop on the ketchup. Place the pickles over the mayonnaise mixture. Flip onto the sandwich.

MAKES 1 SERVING

404 calories, 31 g protein, 42 g carbohydrates, 14 g fat, 5 g sat. fat, 4 g fiber

Original Wendy’s Big Bacon Classic: 580 calories, 35 g protein, 46 g carbohydrates, 29 g fat, 12 g sat. fat, 3 g fiber