My Big Fat Greek Burger

I was trying to figure out what to do with the leftover sun dried tomatoes in my fridge. I also had a jar of diced green olives ... I must be in the mood for burgers lately because this combo is what inspired me to create My Big Fat Greek Burger! The moist burger is topped with caramelized balsamic onions and eaten over broiled garlic bread or a bed of lettuce.

The Burger:
1-2 lbs ground beef or ground lamb
1 egg
1 c finely chopped sun dried tomatoes
3 heaping spoons of diced green olives
1 T dried basil
1/2 t cumin
Sea salt & pepper to taste
Feta cheese sliced
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl with a big spoon. Form into patties, leaving a dent or thumb print on the top (this prevents a puffing/dome shaped burger that results from steam being trapped inside).
Cook burgers on BBQ or like I do on our Traeger Smoker on medium heat.

In the meantime, prepare the onions!

The Caramelized Balsamic Onions:

1 medium onion diced
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 t sea salt
Heat extra virgin olive oil in skillet over medium heat
Add onions, salt, pepper
Cover and cook for about 5 minutes
Uncover and let the sauteing begin

Saute, stirring frequently until the onions begin to be tender and brown, this will take 20-25 minutes
Remove from heat and stir in balsamic
Serve hot or cold over burger

They are done!

Now that the onions are done ... time for bread (if you want it - otherwise eat over bed of lettuce)

The Bread:

Slice of your favorite bread
Spread on butter (I love Brummel & Brown yogurt butter)
Sprinkle on cumin, garlic, onion salt
Broil until lightly crisp

When the burger reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees, place a slice of feta cheese on top and cook until it reaches 160 degrees.

Great as leftovers for your lunch tomorrow! :)

Mexican Burgers

I love a good burger. Why not mix it up, and throw in a little Mexican flavor? If you really want to mix it up drink this with a margarita or Corona! Ingredients are listed under each category, depending on your taste and calorie counting status, you may want to leave the cheese, sauce, or tortilla out. It is a self guided recipe, you make what you want to eat! (Kind of like paint by number ....!)

 

The Burgers
1-2 pounds ground beef, bison, chicken, turkey, elk (It's your call, I like bison)
1.5 T Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 t cumin
1/2 t chili powder
1 egg
Mix well in a bowl, form patties, make sure to leave a "dent" or big thumbprint in the top (this prevents the puffing/dome shape a thick burger gets when steam gets trapped in it). Or, if you have an eater in your household like my husband, you have to "flatten" out a couple burgers completely because for some reason he likes a flat burger!

I cook mine on our Traeger Smoker, but these can be BBQ'ed or broiled. So pick a cooking method and cook on medium until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. I recommend temperature over time, because every oven and BBQ is different.  This ensures a safe and tasty piece of meat.

The Sauce
3/4 can red enchilada sauce
1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 can diced tomatoes (or equal amount of fresh tomatoes diced)
A couple dashes of sea salt
Fresh cracked pepper to taste
Put all ingredients in a pan over medium to high heat, bring to a simmer. Let simmer up to 5 minutes, stirring continually while it simmers and thickens. Turn down to low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

In the meantime, throw 1 T extra virgin olive oil in a skillet (I like cast iron), let it heat up.

The "Cheese"
4 oz cream cheese, room temp
1/4 onion, diced
1/2 can olives, hand chopped
1 T taco seasoning

When burgers are getting close to being done (reaching about 150-155 degrees) top with heaping spoonfuls of "The Cheese". It will melt a little and get browned on top.

Now that "The Cheese" is on, cut 1 tortilla in half, put both halves in your skillet to warm up. When the tortilla starts to "bubble" flip and cook the other side. Remove from heat, put on your plate, and go get those burgers off the grill, I know you are hungry by now!

Layer the tortillas on each other, place 1 burger per 2 tortilla halves (1 full tortilla), you need the thickness of 2 to hold up to a burger. Top with "the sauce" and fold tortillas around the burger. Add other toppings such as sour cream, hot sauce, or pickled jalapenos.

Healthy twist: Use a whole wheat tortilla, don't eat the tortilla, or leave off the sauce. The cheese and burger hold up well on their own on top of a salad.