What's the best way to cook and serve a cheeseburger?

Yes, there are a thousand variations on the recipe, and 999 of them are good.

Hand flatten the patty
Montreal seasoning on top
Cook it on the grill
Last 2–3 minutes – Swiss cheese on the top.

Grilled onions if you want to make the effort.

On a charcoal grill. But don’t make those giant honking hamburger patties that guys seem to favor. A regular McDonald’s size works for me.

I’m not a fan of cheeseburgers. To me, the best way to cook a cheeseburger would be to put the burger meat on the grill and hold the cheese, thank you.

Mix chopped onion into the meat. Add Montreal seasoning. Grill on a bbbq. Top with cheddar cheese. Serve on English muffins rather than buns.

Work shredded cheese into the hamburger before you make the patties.

I like a cheeseburger served on French or sour dough bread. My perfect size is a six oz. chopped sirloin patty cooked outside on charcoal, medium well done. I prefer to add light mayo, lettuce, salt, cracked pepper, and a tomato slice. Naturally put cheese on the meat when done. Cheddar or Swiss is good on burgers. That is all…..no more or less. Serve it on a plate that is neither paper, styro, nor plastic/melamine. I would offer a knife and fork. Good burgers need no sides in my opinion. However, a light cole slaw is a good choice for that.

@SnipSnip Yum, I love slawburgers.

I would use fresh local chopped sirloin on a cast iron griddle. Thin loose patties, well-seasoned with Lawry’s and cracked black pepper. Half an onion, garlic and mushrooms sauteed as toppings.
Served on a soft onion bagel. Maybe a good Wisconsin thick cheddar slice, red onion and lettuce. Homemade steak fries on the side, slightly overbrowned. Maybe a splash of Worcestershire on top of it all.

I learned, living in Reno, altitude can take all the joy out of cheeseburgers. I finally found a solution.

Any cheeseburger is best when made according to the tastes of the eater.
If you want it thick, it needs to be understood that the edges draw in toward the center. Make the patty half as thick as you want, or less, and at least an inch bigger in diameter than you want.
I’ve known people to mix chili into the meat as they make the patties, or seasonings. I had a friend who liked mixing in finely diced celery and onions.
So long as the meat is cooked well, toppings are limited only by taste.

First you need to add some seasoning, but I guess you aren’t asking about that. Shape it larger in diameter than you want the final size to be.

I like both over and open fire or in a pan. Don’t squish down on the burger and push the juices out of it. Let one side get nice and brown and then flip it over. I flip back once more for a minute just for food safety. If you want cheese this is the best time to add the cheese so it melts in the burger. Just slapping a slice of cheese on it when it’s already on the bun isn’t as good, but ok as long as you make sure the cheese melts. I usually eat hamburgers not cheeseburgers. I like hamburgers just fine, so no need to add the extra fat and cholesterol.

I like my burgers medium well or well done.

The only real difference I have is that when I’m patting it out, I make the center thinner than the edges so that it’s concave on both sides. That way you end up with a burger with a nice even thickness. I like a smidgen of pink in mine.

Oh! I forgot to share my secret with the cheese. Most people put a lid over the burger to melt the cheese. The steam makes a bunch of the cheese slide off into the pan. Instead, I put the top part of the bun on the cheese right when I put the cheese on the burger. The cheese will still drop off a little, but just the corners. The bun helps to hold in the heat, but the cheese mostly sticks to it instead of draining off.

Could put the cheese in the middle.