Blamburgers

Compliments of Isabel and Stuart Mace

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 cup wheat germ
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• l/2 pound ground lamb
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons high-grade steak sauce
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

In a skillet, lightly saute the minced garlic clove in 1 tablespoon of oil. Add parsley, wheat germ, and sesame seeds and saute lightly again. Remove from heat and let cool.

Put ground beef and ground lamb in a mixing bowl. Add the cooled sauteed ingredients, salt, steak sauce, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, and eggs. Form into 3-inch patties. Place patties on grill and cook about 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked to desired doneness.

Big Bacon Burger

I sometimes add Pepper Jack Cheese to add a little kick!

Compliments of Aida

Ingredients

• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and water squeezed out
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
• 1 tablespoon oil, plus more for grill grate
• 4 slices Jack cheese
• 4 kaiser rolls, halved and toasted
• Chili Mayo, recipe follows
• 8 slices crisped bacon
• Quick-Pickled Onions, recipe follows

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the spinach, Worcestershire, egg, and salt and pepper, to taste. With a whisk, mix the ingredients until egg is broken up and incorporated. Add the meat and with your hands, mix until thoroughly combined. Shape the meat mixture into 4 even patties, to fit the size of the kaiser roll, and put a 1/4-inch slight dimple in the middle of each patty to allow it to cook evenly.


Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Alternately, heat a grill to medium (350 degrees F) and rub the grate with a towel dipped in oil.
Heat the broiler on low heat.


Add the patties to the skillet, and cook for about 4 to 6 minutes. Flip the burgers and cook another 4 to 6 minutes for medium-rare burgers. Alternately, grill the patties uncovered for 4 to 6 minutes, then flip and grill for another 4 to 6 minutes. Top each patty with a piece of cheese and put under the broiler to melt the cheese. Alternately, close the grill top, and cook until the cheese is melted.


For the each burger, spread the bottom of the roll with 1/4 of the mayonnaise. Put the burger on the mayonnaise and top with 2 slices of the bacon and some of the onions. Cover with the top of the roll and serve.

Quick-Pickled Onions:

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 medium red onions, halved and sliced paper thin
• 1 bay leaf

Combine all the ingredients, except the onions and bay leaf, in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, and then bring to a boil. When the mixture comes to a boil, stir in the onion. Remove the pan from the heat and add the bay leaf. Let sit at room temperature until cool, at least 1 hour.

Chili Mayo:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 teaspoon chili powder

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl until evenly mixed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Swiss Cheeseburger Sliders

These swiss sliders are very tasty

Compliments of Aida

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil, for brushing and coating grill
• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 thin slices Swiss cheese, cut into small squares to fit the sliders
• 8 slider buns, halved and toasted

Toppings Bar, optional:

• Crisp bacon
• Chive sour cream
• Honey mustard
• Guacamole
• Mayonnaise and ketchup mixture (1/2 mayonnaise, 1/2 ketchup)
• Dill pickles
• Grilled pineapple slices
• Mango salsa
• BBQ sauce
• Black bean salsa
• Pico de gallo salsa
• Hummus

Directions

Heat the grill or grill pan to medium heat (350 degrees F) and rub the grate with a towel dipped in oil.


In a large bowl, mix together the meat, salt, and pepper until well combined. Shape into 8 (1/4-inch thick) patties and brush the patties with vegetable oil.

Cook the patties until browned on first side, about 1 to 2 minutes. Flip, top with cheese, close grill top and cook until cheese is melted and patty is cooked through, about 1 to 2 more minutes. If you are using a grill pan, tent the burgers with foil to melt the cheese.


Serve the patties on the slider buns with optional toppings.

Better Burger with Green Olives

This is a healthy alternative to beef or pork and an interesting combination of flavors.  The olives really add to the flavor and texture of the ground turkey

Compliments of Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground turkey or beef (at least 90 percent lean)
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted green olives (2 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Cooking spray

Directions

Combine the turkey or beef, olives, parsley, cumin, and pepper in a mixing bowl and mix until well incorporated. Shape into 4 burgers.

Spray a grill pan with cooking spray and preheat over a medium-high heat or prepare an outdoor grill. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through. 

Serving suggestion: Serve on whole-wheat buns, garnished with slices of tomato and lettuce, with ketchup and mustard on the side.

MOP Sausage Burgers

Compliments of Rachel Ray

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large onion, quartered lengthwise then sliced
• 2 Cubanelle peppers, seeded and halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 1 pound bulk hot Italian sausage
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 1 tablespoon grill seasoning
• 2 large cloves garlic, grated
• A handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 8 deli slices provolone cheese
• 4 sesame Kaiser rolls, split

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Saute mushrooms, onions and peppers until tender, 7 to 8 minutes then season with salt and pepper. Deglaze the pan with stock.

Combine the sausage and sirloin with grill seasoning, garlic and parsley. Mix and form 4 patties thinner at the center and thicker at the edges for even cooking and to keep burgers from bulging. Heat cast iron or nonstick skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat, cook patties 12 minutes turning once and top with mushrooms, onions and peppers and 2 slices of cheese. Turn heat off and cover pan with foil to melt cheese, 2 minutes. Pile on buns and serve.

A Burger for Rachael

Compliments of Rachel Ray

Ingredients

• 4 large Idaho potatoes, scrubbed
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 to 5 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, divided
• 4 to 5 cloves garlic
• 1/2 pound ground sirloin
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 tablespoon grill seasoning
• 2 teaspoons fennel seed
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons capers
• Handful fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 3/4 cup pitted black or green olives
• 4 slices sharp provolone or thinly sliced smoked mozzarella
• 4 crusty rolls, such as sesame Keiser rolls, split
• 2 vine ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 10 to 12 basil leaves, torn or shredded
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Directions

Heat oven to 500 degrees F.

Cut 10 wedges from each potato and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle a couple tablespoons of oil over the potatoes to coat them lightly then season with rosemary, salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Throw a couple of cloves of cracked garlic on the sheet with potatoes. Roast 25 minutes, turning once.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place ground meats in a bowl and add a 2 to 3 cloves of grated garlic, grill seasoning fennel seed, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce. Mix the burgers and form 4 patties. Make patties thinner in the center - burgers bulge as they cook. Cook burgers 5 to 6 minutes on each side.

While burgers cook, sliced cheese and tomatoes, onions and basil and reserve.

In a food processor, combine capers, parsley, anchovy paste, lemon zest and olives. Turn processor on and drizzle in 3 to 4 tablespoons oil until a thick paste forms.

Melt cheese on burgers.

Toast buns.

Place burgers on buns and top with tomato, basil, red onions and slather the bun tops with some olive tapenade and serve with oven fries.

Blue-rugula Burgers

Compliments of Rachel Ray

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• Splash water
• 1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
• 1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
• A handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 pound Cambazola blue cheese, thinly sliced
• 4 crusty rolls, split, lightly toasted
• 2 handfuls arugula leaves, coarsely chopped

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add onions, season with salt and pepper and cook until caramelized and sweet, about 20 minutes. Stir sugar and water into onions then add mustard, combine and turn off heat.

Combine meat with garlic, Worcestershire, parsley, salt and pepper, form 4 patties thinner at the center and thicker at the edges for even cooking. Also, the burgers will bulge as they cook, this will give the cooked burgers an even thickness. Cook patties 8 minutes turning once for medium doneness, 1 to 2 minutes less for rare patties, 1 to 2 minutes more for burgers that are medium well. In the last minute of cooking time, top burgers with a few slices of Cambozola blue.

Place burgers on bun bottoms and top with some arugula and mustard glazed onions, set tops in place.