broccoli cheddar bacon turkey burgers

Who says you can't put broccoli into a burger? I say do whatever the heck you please. Throw whatever combination of ingredients you like into your burger! I don't know why I hadn't thought of this before now. I'm always trying to fit more veggies into our day and this is an easy way to get one more serving in.


You could really throw in a combination of veggies like carrots cauliflower and broccoli. Maybe some greens like kale or spinach. Go crazy! The more veggies the better. Roasted broccoli and cauliflower would also add terrific flavor. I think I'll try that next time.

broccoli cheddar bacon turkey burgers
by theUngourmet

1 lb ground turkey
4 slices of turkey bacon, cooked crisp and chopped
2/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup fresh or frozen chopped broccoli (if frozen, allow to thaw partially)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar
1 egg
2 tsp dried chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 tbsp dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. Shape into patties. Grill, broil or pan fry.

Serve on your choice of bun and garnish as desired.

I served these burgers with a side of baked sweet potato fries. I sliced the sweet potatoes fairly thin, tossed with olive oil, kosher salt, cracked pepper and parsley. I spread them out in a single later on a well oiled baking sheet and baked at 425 until slightly browned, about 25 minutes, turning once half way through the baking time.

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This is a terrific weeknight meal. It's quick, easy and flavorful. Give it a try soon!






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some mighty lovely lentil burgers

This is my second attempt at making lentil burgers. I tried putting a recipe together last summer and they were way too dry. I vowed not to give up and then quickly forgot all about lentil burgers.


Recently, I stumbled onto the nifty blog, Vegetarianized. There I found an adapted lentil burger recipe from Cooking Light. I decided it was high time I gave lentil burgers another try.



I adapted the recipe even more and came out with a winner....at least in my book. What completely amazed me was when both my son and my daughter's bff, two of the pickiest of eaters on the planet, returned to the kitchen with nearly empty plates. Incredible! I thought for sure they would take one micro-bite, curl up their lips and be done with it.

Smoked Cheddar Stuffed Lentil Burgers
very adapted from Vegetarianized

makes 6-8 burgers depending on the size

1 lb of steamed lentils, cooled and mashed with potato masher
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, grated
1 small zucchini, grated and water squeezed out with paper towels
1/4 cup chopped spinach
1 tsp fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tsp worcestershire
1/2 tsp dried mustard
salt and cracked pepper to taste
1/3 cup smoked cheddar, grated
1/2-2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 egg

Whole wheat buns and condiments of your choosing

Heat the oil in a small skillet. Saute the onion, garlic and carrot until soft. Set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, mix together the zucchini, spinach, basil, worcestershire, dried mustard, salt, pepper, cheese, panko and egg. Add in the lentils and carrot mixture. Mix well. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Shape into patties and fry on a lightly oiled, non stick griddle until crisp on each side.

Serve with your favorite toppings.

Note: These burgers wanted to fall apart a little. I had to make sure they were cooked enough on each side and I also had to adjust the breadcrumbs after I cooked the first few burgers.

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Give these a try. I think you'll love them too!

Don't forget to enter my Girard's Dressing giveaway!!




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More flowers and a burger with the works

Spring has definitely sprung here in Oregon! Here are a few more pretty shots from my house. This is a Star Magnolia from our front yard. It's nearly ten feet tall and looks much more like a bush than a tree.



I love this variety, it's so delicate and pretty.



I'm still working on my indoor food photos. I really need one of those lovely light boxes!

Last night we had these yummy burgers. They are jam packed with all sorts of scrumptious stuff like bacon, spinach, garlic, olives, mushrooms, feta.... You'll love 'em!



The Works Burger
by theUngourmet

serves about 6

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1 lb lean ground beef
2 pieces bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1/3 cup chopped fresh spinach
1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped black olives
2 oz crumbles feta
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tsp worcestershire
1/2 tsp salt
cracked pepper

fresh spinach
oregano garlic mayo
whole wheat buns

Combine beef, bacon, mushrooms, olives, feta, garlic, onion, ketchup, worcestershire, salt and pepper. Form into evenly sized patties. Grill or broil to desired temperature.

Place each patty on a toasted bun and garnish with spinach and oregano garlic mayo.

Oregano Garlic Mayo

1/2 cup mayo
1 tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried oregano
1 clove minced garlic

These burgers had lots of big delicious flavor and were definitely a hit!

Hope you're having a terrific week so far!





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Turkey-Bacon-Guacamole Burgers

So tomorrow is the big game! Super Bowl....what number is it???? Oh yes, Super Bowl XLIV... right??? I really wish I was more of a football fan. The game will be on tomorrow at our house and we will have chips, dip, and beer on hand. I will try to watch and grasp just what all of those penalty flags are all about.



I will also whip up some guacamole, thanks to Joe!



Isn't this just the coolest little kit you've ever seen? I spotted it the moment I entered the store and I nearly jumped for joy! I am pretty sure that the employees at Trader Joe's are used to this jumping for joy business and probably wouldn't have even batted an eye.



Here is a great way to use your guacamole kit!

Turkey-Bacon-Guacamole Burgers
by theUngourmet

makes 4 1/4lb burgers

1 lb ground turkey
4 slices of turkey bacon
1 trader joe's guacamole kit
sliced cheddar cheese
lettuce leaves
a nice loaf of crusty bread

Put together your guacamole. Cook your bacon until crisp. Shape your patties, season with your choice of seasoning. Cook thoroughly. Place the turkey burgers on toasted bread and garnish with cheese, guacamole and lettuce.

Serve with chips and beer.

Cheer for your favorite team and have a fun day!





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chicken on a biscuit

I'm such a ground chicken lover. No, Not Chicken Liver, Chicken LOVER! You guys are so silly! ;0)

I'm always on the look out for a fresh new way to make a burger or a wrap. It never occurred to me to use a biscuit for a bun until I jumped over to one of my new favorite blogs called
Sandwich 365. I spotted a pork sandwich over there with a biscuit as a bun and I knew I had to try it!

I actually have a confession to make. Shhhhh! Come closer. I'm in love with Sandwich 365. Please don't tell anyone, especially my husband. It will just be our little secret. Whew! I feel so much better now that I got that off my chest.

So now let's talk about this slider!

slider ingredients

1 lb ground chicken
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1 tbsp chopped basil
1 tbsp chopped chives
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp white pepper

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and place into the freezer while you get the biscuits ready. Trust me, it makes the chicken so much easier to work with. (It's much wetter than beef.)



For the biscuits

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp chopped basil
1 tbsp chopped chives
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shortening or butter
3/4-1 cup of plain nonfat yogurt

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in the shortening or butter. Add the yogurt and herbs, stir well.
Place on a floured board and knead 8 times. Roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Use a glass or biscuit cutter to make 6 inch rounds. Bake in a 425 degree oven about 10 minutes.



Form chicken into 6 inch round patties. Grill or broil to proper poultry temperature.



Place on a biscuit and add a bit of spicy dijon mustard.



You can also add tomato or lettuce if you wish.

I really think this is my new favorite slider! Try it, Try it, you will see!


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itsa pizza slider

So today I got down to business and organized my daughter's room. Well, everything except the closet. That is an entire days job in itself! She is such a little gatherer. I swear that girl saves everything. Apparently, even candy wrappers hold some kind of sentimental value for her.

After several hours of separating piles for Goodwill, recycling, garbage, and Can't Bear To Part With we finally have everything looking pretty darn good. I promised to paint her bedroom purple so that is on the agenda just after closet organizing.

I finished up just in time for dinner. This recipe came together in my head over the course of the day. It came out really well and everyone loved it except my son who isn't too keen on anything but cheese quesadillas, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and chicken nuggets right now.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1/3 cup bread crumbs
• 2/3 cup Italian cheese blend
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp fresh basil
  
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup Italian cheese blend
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce

• 1 loaf of Ciabatta flatbread
  

Combine all but the final three ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Place onto a foil lined cookie sheet or broiler pan. Press into a 10x6 patty. (It should be about 1/2 inch in thickness.)



Brush the 2 tbsp of tomato sauce over meat and sprinkle the 1/4 cup of cheese.



Place into a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes.



During the last 10 minutes of cooking time, throw your bread into the oven too to crisp it up a bit.



Cut it in 1/2 and place the meat on top. You may have to cut it down to size slightly.



Put the top piece of bread onto the meat and cut into 6-8 equal burgers.



You can add sliced tomato, peppericinis, lettuce or anything else you fancy. My husband suggested putting pepperoni slices on the burger before cooking and I think that is just a smashing idea!



These were really fun! I can't wait to make them again. You should try them too. I think you'll like them!

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Turkey bacon and cheese stuffed turkey burgers

I apologize for all of the bacon going on here lately! I just can't control myself! Hey, at least it's uncured organic turkey bacon. That's not so bad right? Right!

My husband was off golfing again so I thought this would be a good choice for me and the kiddos.

Just look at all of that gooey goodness inside!

This recipe is really simple and great for a weeknight dinner. Here is what you'll need for 4 stuffed burgers:

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
3 pieces of turkey bacon, diced
1 clove minced garlic
1-2 tsp oil
1/4 -1/3 cup jack and cheddar cheese, diced
salt and pepper to taste
ranch dressing (I'm totally hooked on the Trader Joes ranch right now!)
lettuce
tomato slices
sourdough bread, sliced and toasted

Pour oil into a large pan and add garlic and bacon. Cook, stirring frequently until bacon is crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. divide ground turkey into 8 equal balls. Form 4 of the balls into oblong patties.




Top each patty with cheese and bacon like so. Make 4 more patties and place on top of each of the first patties. Pinch edges to seal.



Place onto a 325 degree grill and cook thoroughly.



Place on toasted sourdough and top with ranch, lettuce and tomato.

What are you waiting for? Dig in! ;0)

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The all and nothing Turkey burger

Do you ever have a night when nothing and everything sounds good and you're just at a total loss to figure out the answer to the question, "So what for dinner?"? Well, this was me tonight. I just started grabbing things out of the fridge and perusing the cupboards and one thing led to another and this is what became of it all.

This humble yet delectable turkey burger is full of all sorts of goodies like zucchini, jack cheese, cilantro, bread crumbs, garlic, onion, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.

I also made up some yummy mayo using lemon, cilantro and garlic.

Lucky for me I had a tomato ready on the vine to put with my burger. Yum! There's just about nothing in this world as wonderful as a homegrown tomato. Don't you agree?!

I also had some fresh green beans ready as well. I didn't want my beans to feel left out so I threw a little dollop of my mayo on top of them too. I swear I saw one of them smile!

I chose to serve the burger up on some lightly toasted wheat sourdough bread.

This all and nothing burger turned out to be quite something! :0)

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friday's try a bloggy friend's recipe day!

Tonight we had some really terrific taco burgers for dinner! I got the idea for these from Heidi's blog, Tried and True Cooking with Heidi. Heidi always has something good cooking in her kitchen. Her recipes are easy to follow and kid friendly. She makes some wonderful desserts as well!



I decided to turn my taco burgers into wraps. (You know me.)



For the burgers you'll need these ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
1/2 cup shredded jack and cheddar cheese mix
1 clove chopped garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
cracked pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients well and shape into oblong patties. Place into the freezer until your grill is hot and ready. (A tip I learned from Heidi.)

Place patties on the grill and cook to desired temperature.

For garnish you will need shredded lettuce, slice tomato, chopped onion, and salsa.

I also whipped up a little zippy mayo for these burger wraps.

For this mayo I used:

1/2 cup light mayo
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 clove chopped garlic
juice from 1 small lime

Combine all ingredients into a small bowl and give it a good stir. Refrigerate while the burgers are cooking.



I place the patties on tortillas and topped with the mayo, salsa, lettuce, tomato and onion. Then I wrapped them up tightly and cut in half.

These were so fun and yummy with the chips inside and the mayo really added extra zippiness!

Please visit Heidi's blog for the original recipe! Thanks Heidi! :0)

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