Friday, April 1, 2011

Stuffed Burgers


You know that I like to talk about inspiration.

These burgers are totally inspired by my friend Brenda.  She invited me and my boisterous group of boys (including my husband) over for dinner one Saturday evening, not long ago.  Brave woman, that.

She made the most amazing burgers that I've had in a very long time.  They are definitely in my top two.

She stuffed hers with onion, bacon, and cheese.

I'm a total copycat. I admit it.  I was inspired to make my own.



You have to start with a lot of ground meat.  This was close to 3 pounds.

I found some good hormone & antibiotic free ground beef.  I'm not into eating hormones or antibiotics.

I really have enough of my own hormones. Please!





I cheated here and bought pre-sliced onions.  The peppers went into the vegetable stir fry we had with the burgers.

I like cheating.



Shrooms.  Clean them off with a dry piece of paper towel.

I usually cheat here too and buy the pre-sliced ones.

Not sure what I was thinking.



Saute the mushrooms and onions in a pan.  Season with salt and pepper.



I had turkey bacon on hand so I cooked up a few slices.



I can't remember what I did with the wine.

I drank it?

Too much maybe?

Nah. I'm pretty sure I put a splash of wine in the mushrooms and onions. 

I'm pretty sure.



Slice up some cheese.  Here we have yellow cheddar, white extra sharp cheddar, and raw goat cheese.



Season the raw ground beef.

I added salt, pepper, dried basil, curry, paprika, maybe something else.  It's my arsenal of seasonings.

I mixed the meat till just combined. Don't overwork it or it gets tough.



Pardon the gloved look.

I don't like raw meat on my hands. I'm a girl.

Form the patty in your palm. Press a little hollow in the center.



Add some onions, mushrooms...



 Bacon and cheese...

and press another disc of meat on top. Press the edges well to make a seal.



Ya don't want the cheese to leak out.

Trust me.

Grill or pan sear them and finish them off in the oven.

I was out of gas, so I pan seared them.



Just look at those layers of goodness.



Delicious with a salad and some stir fried veggies.

This is what I like to eat for dinner.

No Buns. (They don't need 'em.) No carbs.  Why? How?

Losing my love handles, one month at a time,
The Lunch Lady

4 comments:

Chef Fly said...

How many carbs are these burgers? I love burgers but don't love the carbs that normally go with them!

The Lunch Lady said...

No carbs if you eat them without buns! I season them like meatballs or meatloaf so they are fantastic on their own! Especially stuffed with bacon, cheese, and mushrooms!

Doc Drew said...

They look awesome!
I started to sweat seeing the bacon...
But the change to turkey made me smile!

The Lunch Lady said...

DD- Trader Joe's now sells uncured BEEF BACON! It's awesome! I like their uncured turkey bacon too. Now if there was only one nearby....