Combine ground meat, bacon, cheese, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well.

Form into 2 ½ inch patties.

Arrange patties on your racks, and place them into your 220°F preheated smoker, for 20 minutes of smoke. Your choice of wood. We like mesquite or hickory.

Remove from smoker and finish cooking on the grill.

I suppose you could finish in the smoker if preferred, but I like the combo of smoke and grill flavour.

If you fully cook them in the smoker the USDA/FSIS recommends a cooking temperature of at least 225°F for ground meat.

While the patties are cooking, in a large skillet melt 3 tablespoons butter, then add sliced onions. Cook stirring often until caramelized; about 15 minutes.

For buns, use any brand Parker house rolls. Allow to rise and bake as instructed on the package.

Add all sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

While the buns are hot out of the oven, split and apply sauce to the bottom half and top if you’d like! Place a patty on the bottom half of the roll, then a spoon on some onions and the top half of the roll.