Here's a twist on the more traditional Bacon Explosion!

Step 1: Ingredients

2 pounds bacon

2 pounds ground beef

1 8 oz package shredded or sliced cheese

Condiments (hot sauce, jalapenos, barbecue sauce, etc)

Barbecue rub/seasoning

Wood chips for smoking (hickory or apple work well)

Step 2: Weave a Bacon Base

Take the bacon and weave a square bacon base. Try to make the weave as tight as possible.

Step 3: Add the Beef

Add ground beef onto the bacon base. Spread beef evenly across the base, making sure to spread beef to the edges of the weave.

Step 4: Add Layer of Cheese

Add layer of cheese on top of beef. I used Swiss cheese slices to create a Barbecue Bacon Swiss Cheeseburger Explosion, and shredded Queso Quesadilla cheese for a Southwestern Bacon Cheeseburger Explosion.

Step 5: Add Condiments

Add any additional condiments on top of layer of cheese. I added barbecue sauce for the barbecue Swiss version, and fried jalapenos and hot sauce for the Southwestern version.

Step 6: Roll It Up

Roll the Cheeseburger Explosion into a tube shape. I found it to be easier to first roll the layer of ground beef by itself into a tube shape and then roll the bacon rather than trying to roll the entire Cheeseburger Explosion at once. Once rolled, rub barbecue seasoning on outer bacon layer.

Step 7: Smoke

Preheat smoker to 225 degrees. Smoke until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, usually about 1 hour per inch in diameter (mine took about 3 hours).