It's not exactly breaking news to say that Minnesotans love their burgers. If you're new to the state, as I was eight years ago, you would notice that burgers of all varieties can be found on almost every restaurant menu, whether you're at a diner or an upscale dining experience. Clearly this is because burgers are a popular item here in the North Star State, where we know a good Jucy Lucy can see you through the coldest winter night.

Yes, we have a soft spot for our molten cheese-stuffed patties, but you don't have to look at too many menus to see that the possibilities are endless. Burgers with American cheese and bacon sit side-by-side with foie gras burgers. Some are dripping with ketchup and mustard, while others are slathered in truffle aioli.

After a childhood in the Southwest, however, I have observed a glaring omission in the Minnesotan burger lexicon — the green-chile cheeseburger. While I'm sure some restaurants in the Twin Cities are serving this New Mexico classic, it's not nearly as popular as it should be.

A good green-chile cheeseburger is thing of beauty. A beef patty is grilled, griddled or sautéed, and topped with a generous amount of roasted green chiles. I like poblanos, but Anahiem chiles work well, too, and if you can get your hands on some New Mexico Hatch chiles, look no further. The chiles are topped with the melted cheese of your choice (Monterey Jack is a Southwest favorite), a chile-seasoned mayo is usually spread onto a toasted bun, with some crispy lettuce, tomato and onion slices thrown in to balance out the rest of the spicy elements.

A bonus feature to this zippy burger is that because there's a generous amount of peppers and other veggies, you don't need a huge patty or an overwhelming amount of cheese. These burgers are so full of flavor, you won't miss either one.

Meredith Deeds is a cookbook author and food writer from Edina. Reach her at meredith@meredithdeeds.com. Follow her on Twitter: @meredithdeeds.