Wednesday, July 30, 2008

SALSA BURGERS

I love burgers, but am not too fond of plain ol' boring burgers. LOL I found this recipe a couple years ago and we just love them. They are SO moist and flavorful. They don't do real well on the grill though, because they fall apart easily. I like to do these ones in the skillet. My Honey has done them on the grill before, but usually there will be pieces falling off into the grate. I topped these with Provolone tonight and WOW, they were so good! For those of you that are dieting, you could easily replace the beef with ground turkey and use low fat cheese.

SALSA BURGERS

1 lb ground chuck
1/2 cup salsa (mild, medium or hot, it's your choice)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 tsp. ground Cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper medley
Sliced provolone cheese

Salsa
Ranch dressing

In a mixing bowl, combine the ground chuck, 1/2 cup salsa, shredded cheddar, Cumin, salt and pepper. Mix with hands and form into 4 patties. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spray it with cooking spray. Carefully lay the patties in the skillet and cook over med - low heat for several minutes on each side, until done. This is what they look like as they are frying in the skillet. You can see the flecks of veggies in the salsa, and the little shreds of cheese. Mmm! When the burgers are done, top with a slice of Provolone cheese and cover with a lid (or if you don't have a lid that big, use a pizza pan like I do). Butter your hamburger bun and toast it nice and crisp on a griddle. In a separate small mixing bowl, combine equal parts of salsa and prepared ranch dressing. Place burger on bun and top with the salsa/ranch dressing.
Serves 4

*WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE?* Now will you share with me, what your favorite burger is? Everybody does something different and I just love to hear your ideas! And don't be afraid to include the recipe in your comment. *hint hint* LOL

5 comments:

Jessica said...

I have to be honest, I love plain my burgers plain but I add sauted onions and mushrooms to them.

By the way, I learned a tip the other day from a radio program. The chef said it wasn't a good idea to press the burgers while cooking on the grill because the meat juices are what keep the burgers moist. If you press out the juices, then the burger will be dry. I tried it and he was right.

Arlene said...

You know what? My dad's recipe for his "famous" burgers is almost exactly the same as yours. But he had problems with the meat falling apart on the grill, too. So, he made some additions and now they work very well -- because men HAVE to grill their burgers, you know. It is the only way they can cook them, lol.

Anyway, he crushes up some potato chips (I think like a cup or so) and adds an egg to help everything bind together. And, he makes monster burgers; I think he uses 2 pounds of meat for four burgers! Seriously, they're humongous; it's ridiculous! Since we lived in Japan (my parents are still there), he named them Godzilla Burgers, lol!

Maybe you can try them out that way and do them up on the grill next time.

Sarah D. said...

One of our favorite burgers I got off of allrecipes.com. They are blue cheese and jalepeno burgers. Very good!

2 pounds ground beef
6 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
8 ounces crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
4 slices Swiss cheese
4 hamburger buns, split

DIRECTIONS
Preheat a grill for high heat.
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, jalapeno peppers, blue cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, tamari and salt. Mix well using your hands. Pat lightly into 4 large fat patties.
Place patties on the grill, and cook for about 8 minutes per side, or until well done. Place a slice of cheese on top of each patty, and cover the grill until the cheese melts. Serve on buns with your favorite toppings.

Starr said...

I've heard that too Jessica, so I never press down on my burgers. I also never use a meat fork to turn beef or chicken, as it pierces the surface and lets the juices out.
And Arlene, thanks for the tips! I've often thought about adding a "binder" of sorts, but didn't want to turn them into a meatloaf burger, you know? I may consider the egg though.
Your Dad's Godzilla burgers sound AWESOME!
Sarah - I've only ever had blue cheese in salad dressing and I didn't like it, I may like it mixed into a burger like you do. I'll have to give that one a try sometime.
Thanks for all your comments and tips ladies! I love hearing from you.

Torie said...

Hi there. I am also a Baptist pastor's wife. Our favorite "fancy" burgers are the Neely's Memphis Beale Street Burgers. We saw them prepared on food network one day & knew we had to try them. They have a "secret sauce", pepper jack cheese, bacon, tomato & cole slaw. Here is the link in case you want to take a peek http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/memphis-beale-street-burger-recipe/index.html