Milwaukee’s outrageous Bloody Mary with a mini cheeseburger is definitely not boring. Sobelman’s Pub & Grill photo.
Instead of serving up the same old recipe, jazz up your burgers this grilling season! Here are a few tips.
To add flavor and variety to your grilled burgers, why not try expanding your choice of buns? There are sesame seed buns, onion-flavored buns, honey wheat buns and 7-grain sandwich buns just to name a few. There are also low-carb buns for those who are watching their weight or bread loaves, like baguettes, as well.
Try different kinds of burgers. You can choose turkey burgers, pork burgers, chicken burgers, veggie burgers, soy burgers, bean and grain burgers, fish burgers and more!
To make the beef eaters in the crowd happy, try serving new recipes.
Many people love venison burgers as an alternative to beef burgers. Buffalo and Bison burgers are also good substitutes for beef burgers.
You can add chopped ingredients to ground beef to make your burgers more interesting. Experiment with chopped onions, tomatoes, peppers, dill pickles, mushrooms, bacon, cheese, potatoes or even walnuts.
Serving alternative condiments and toppings on your burgers. Substitute Thousand Island Dressing for mayonnaise or salsa for ketchup to add a new taste to boring burgers. You can also add steak sauce, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tartar sauce, Ranch dressing, Italian dressing or Blue Cheese dressing to your condiment selection. The list is practically endless.
Instead of serving the usual sliced tomatoes, onions and cheese, give foods like pineapple rings, sliced cucumbers, green peppers, radishes and mushrooms a try. Sauerkraut, bacon strips, grated carrots and horseradish are just a few other delicious toppings.
Before you head out to the grill, browse the farmers’ market or grocery store to get inspiration from fresh produce. Experiment with new ingredients that can make the ordinary into the extraordinary. When it comes to creating your own, don’t be afraid to mix it up and combine a variety of ingredients that appeal to you.
Mediterranean Burgers
Ingredients
- 6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (or lamb, turkey)
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 4 kaiser or other sandwich rolls
- 1 large tomato, sliced
- 1/4 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 8 romaine lettuce leaves
Directions
In a mixing bowl, combine feta cheese, oregano, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and the lemon zest. Add ground meat and mix gently. Form into four 1-inch thick patties.
In a blender, puree olives, dill, parsley, lemon juice, sugar and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, to make a smooth paste.
Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-hot (you can hold your hand 1 to 2 inches above the cooking grate for only 3 to 4 seconds).
Grill burgers, turning once, until browned on both sides and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes total.
Split rolls and toast cut sides on the grill. Brush toasted sides with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and spread each with about 1 teaspoon of the olive spread.
Top with burgers, tomato, cucumber, red onion and romaine lettuce.
Grilled Sourdough Cheddar Burger
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, divided
- Cooking spray
- 2 cups coarsely chopped onion
- 1 pound ground round
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 (3/4-ounce) slices sharp cheddar cheese
- 8 (1 1/2-ounce) slices sourdough bread
Directions
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for 4 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Reduce heat; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
Preheat the broiler. You can also grill the burgers on an outdoor grill.
Combine beef, pepper and salt in a medium bowl. Divide the beef mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/4-inch-thick oval patty. Place the patties on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 4 minutes on each side or until done.
Place 1 cheese slice over each of 4 bread slices; top each slice with 1 burger and 3 tablespoons onion mixture. Cover with the remaining bread slices.
Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in a skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat; add 2 sandwiches to the pan. Cook for 4 minutes on each side until browned and cheese melts. Repeat the procedure with 1/2 tablespoon butter and the remaining sandwiches.
Italian Meatball Burgers
Ingredients
- 6 kaiser or ciabatta sandwich rolls
- 8 ounces sweet or spicy turkey or pork Italian sausage
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 pound ground sirloin or ground turkey
- Cooking spray
- 6 slices deli provolone cheese (mozzarella is also ok)
- 6 large basil leaves
- 6 tablespoons marinara sauce
Directions
Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Split rolls.
Remove casing from the sausage. Combine sausage, chopped basil and next 5 ingredients (through ground sirloin) in a medium bowl. Divide beef mixture into 6 equal portions with moist hands, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick burger patty. Press thumb in the center of each burger, leaving a nickel-sized indentation.
Place burgers on a grill rack coated with cooking spray or oil; grill 6 minutes. Turn burgers over; grill 2 minutes. Place a slice of cheese on each burgers and grill 6 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°F. Remove from the grill; let stand 5 minutes.
Lightly grill the rolls.
Place 1 basil leaf on the bottom half of each roll; top each with 1 burger, 1 tablespoon marinara sauce and the roll top.
Roasted Piquillo Pepper Lamb Burger
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped roasted piquillo or other red peppers
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 wide, crusty bread loaf, such as a bâtard
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Basil pesto
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, combine lamb, rosemary, roasted peppers, salt and pepper. Form into 6 burgers about 3/4 inch thick. Put on a plate, cover, and refrigerate 2 hours.
Cut 12 slices, each about 1/2 in. thick, from the bread loaf and save the rest for another use. Lightly brush slices all over with the olive oil.
With a silicone brush or oiled paper towels, lightly oil a charcoal grill over a solid bed of hot coals or a gas grill heated to high. Lightly toast bread the on grill, turning once, and transfer to a platter.
Lay burgers on the grill; close lid on a gas grill. Cook burgers, turning once, until they’re done the way you like, about 6 minutes for medium-rare. Set each burger on a slice of grilled bread. Top with some pesto and then the remaining bread.
BBQ Chicken Burgers
Serves 4
ingredients
For the burgers
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 garlic clove, minced to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco (hot) sauce
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/2 small onion, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 4 burger or other sandwich rolls
For the coleslaw
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 cups finely shredded cabbage
- 1 large carrot, shredded coarse
- 1 small red onion, sliced thin
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Make burgers:
In a small bowl stir together Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, garlic paste and Tabasco until sauce is smooth. In a large bowl stir together chicken, onion, bread crumbs, and 2 tablespoons of the sauce until combined and form into four 3/4-inch-thick patties. Burgers may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead, covered and refrigerated.
Reserve remaining sauce for brushing on the burgers while grilling. Refrigerate the sauce, covered, until needed
Make coleslaw:
In a large bowl whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, honey and mustard. Add remaining coleslaw ingredients and salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine. Coleslaw may be made 4 hours ahead, covered and refrigerated
Prepare grill. Toast rolls and set aside on a serving platter.
Grill burgers on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches above glowing coals or on a gas grill heated to high, brushing frequently with barbecue sauce, 6 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Serve burgers on the toasted buns topped with the coleslaw.
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Italian immigrants entered the Great Plains first as missionaries (Fra Marco da Nizza, 1495-1558 and Eusebio Francisco Kino, 1645-1711 were two) and later as adventurers ( Count Leonetto Cipriani, 1816-1888 and Italian American Charles Siringo, 1855-1928, for example). Since Italy was not a unified country until the Risorgimento (1860-70), early travelers were either in the service of Spain or France or were individual agents. In the mid-1800s the combination of economic and political conditions encouraged some Italians, like the officers and enlisted men in General George Armstrong Custer’s Seventh Cavalry Regiment, to find adventure on the Plains. After 1869 the transcontinental rail line brought Italian journalists and tourists to the Great Plains; their letters and published travel memoirs provided information about the people, geography and potential jobs for countrymen back home.
Giovanni Martini U.S. Army
Carlo De Rudio U.S. Army
History tells us that on June 25th and 26th, 1876 the U.S. 7th Cavalry had a date with destiny at the Little Big Horn River. On the 25th of June both Carlo De Rudio and Giovanni Martini were among the roughly 500 U.S. Troopers under Colonel Custer’s direct command. In all, the 7th had between six and twelve troopers of Italian birth in June of 1876.
Interestingly, the majority of Custer’s troopers of Italian descent served in the same unit. Part of the American military experience going all the way back to Thomas Jefferson’s Presidency was that Italians were considered highly skilled in the arts, especially the musical arts. As a result, it was common to find men of Italian descent in the military with duties that included being in the unit’s military band. This was true under Custer’s command with the majority of the members of the regimental band being of Italian descent. In fact the band director’s last name was Lombardi and he was identified as having been born in Naples, Italy.
Italian emigration began increased in the late 1880s, when political and economic upheaval coincided with natural disasters. A rapid rise in Italy’s population increased pressure on the land, which in many areas had been farmed to the point of exhaustion; years of poor rainfall contributed to famines and poverty; and in 1887 a devastating outbreak of malaria left 21,000 dead. Leaving one’s village in search of work in other parts of Europe was not uncommon in Italy. Between 1886 and 1890, however, there was a significant increase in emigration from Italy and by 1890 immigration to America surpassed movement to other parts of Europe.
All across the Great Plains, Italians worked together to help newly arrived immigrants find jobs and places to live. Small boarding houses provided familiar food, language and a comforting family atmosphere. Churches and schools were quickly established, as were mutual aid societies, such as the Dante Alighieri Society and the Christopher Columbus Society. The societies also served as sites for labor union meetings in mining regions.
“Little Italy” neighborhoods developed in urban areas such as Omaha, Edmonton and Sheridan. Italian-English newspapers were published in Omaha and Edmonton. Many Italians who decided to remain in the Plains, gradually worked up from their initial menial jobs to own shops, farms or businesses and, then, became active in local politics. In both Canada and the United States, immigration legislation in the 1920s and early 1930s, combined with Benito Mussolini’s efforts to reduce emigration, dramatically reduced the flow of Italian immigrants, although the movement was never eliminated entirely. By the late twentieth century, Italian immigrants were no longer laborers looking for manual work or skilled workers arriving with families, but were university students and professionals searching for educational and career opportunities that were difficult to find in Italy.
According to the 1910 census data, in the states of the Great Plains, Colorado had the largest total population of Italians (14,375). In Montana 2,568 made the Plains their home. In Nebraska 66 percent of the state’s 3,799 Italian immigrants lived in the city of Omaha and another 14 percent in Lincoln, with the remainder scattered throughout the state. Seventy-five percent of the 3,517 Italian immigrants in Kansas lived in that state’s southeastern coal-mining district. In Oklahoma, 72 percent of the state’s total Italian immigrant population (2,564) lived in the Great Plains and in Wyoming 1,086 of the statewide total (1,962) were in the Plains. In South Dakota the 1,158 Italians lived mainly on land along the rail lines and in North Dakota 1,262 Italian immigrants were recorded in 1910 census.
View of Downtown Denver 1879
Denver’s “Little Italy” had its roots in the Highlands neighborhood of North Denver. Italian miners, railroad workers and farmers helped to develop Colorado in the late 19th century and northern Italians were well represented in the state.
In the late 1800s and the first half of the 1900s, the area in Denver between Broadway and Zuni Streets and 46th and 32nd Avenues was known as “Little Italy”. It was an area of Italian grocery stores and bakeries, community bread ovens, churches and schools – an area where a new wave of immigrants from all over Italy moved to and where they were comfortable and socially secure in a new country.
The area along the South Platte River, sandwiched between the growing downtown and the hills to the west, was known as “The Bottoms”. Here many of the first Italian immigrants settled. There was also farmland along the South Platte, where they could grow cash crops of vegetables that were then sold in small, neighborhood shops and from push carts and horse-drawn wagons thoughout the neighborhoods of Denver. Later it became an area of railroad yards, industries and warehouses.
These two areas – “Little Italy” and “The Bottoms” – have undergone drastic change since those days of the first Italian immigrants. Today “Little Italy” is still a residential area interspersed with small businesses. But the demographics are most different, as the neighborhood is re-populated with a new wave of residents – young (20-30 year olds) singles and couples often with young children. “The Bottoms” is no longer an area of truck farms and warehouses, instead parks and high rise apartment buildings have been built there.
The Italian immigrants who settled in Utah faced a different environment. Their numbers were relatively small, yet they settled in four major areas and contributed to the life and labor that characterizes Utah history. These immigrants, almost all of them confined to mining and railroad centers, brought with them language, religion, beliefs, customs and products of cultural distinctiveness. The first noticeable number of foreign-born Italians in Utah appeared in 1870 and totaled seventy-four. These early immigrants, Protestant Vaudois of the Waldensian persuasion from northwest Italy, were the result of Mormon missionary activity in Italy from 1849 to 1861. Almost all settled in the fertile areas of Ogden, where they began to farm.
The first Italian laborers, predominantly from the North, began arriving in Utah in the late 1890s in response to the opening of the Carbon County coalfields. The development and expansion of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad into Utah in the 1880s was a catalyst to the state’s coal mining industry. Four major camps emerged: Clear Creek (1882), Winter Quarters (1882), Castle Gate (1888), and Sunnyside (1900) Many of these early laborers were lured to Utah by agents representing coal companies.
Upon their arrival in the Carbon County coalfields, the Italian immigrants settled in two of the four main camps, Castle Gate or Sunnyside. The coal companies (Pleasant Valley Coal and Utah Fuel) furnished a few of the workers with company-owned houses on company-owned property and compelled the laborers to trade at the company-owned stores. Trading at company stores was inevitable, since miners were issued scrip instead of currency. The company town became a prominent feature of western mining life and the immigrants who lived in them were subjected to difficult living conditions. For example, the rent charged by Utah Fuel Company depended on the number of rooms in a house. In one boxcar on company property a cloth curtain was used to divide it into two quarters. When company inspectors approached, a family member would take down the partition, so as not to be charged for two rooms instead of one.
In describing the camp at Sunnyside, a resident has written: “many put up tents in the southern part of the canyon and this section became known as “Rag Town” by local town residents. Company-owned houses were hastily erected framed structures, not plastered inside, but in 1915 the company began a program of building better homes and modernizing the camp.
Italian family in Utah
The mining and railroad opportunities in Salt Lake County also attracted Italian immigrants at the turn of the century. As early as 1880 there were thirty-five Italian laborers living in the mining camp in Bingham, mostly Piedmontese. Bingham was a bustling community of many diverse nationalities, described as “a town of 22 saloons and 600 sporting girls.” Like Carbon County, Bingham was susceptible to labor strife. The Utah Copper Company in 1903 became the major employer in Bingham Canyon.
By 1900, 102 of the 170 Italians who resided in the county lived in Salt Lake. Immigrants were employed by the Union Pacific and the Denver & Rio Grande Western railroads; but Italians also owned saloons, grocery stores and tailor shops. The lack of a mining town atmosphere with its potentially explosive character, differentiated Salt Lake City from other Italian immigrant localities. In Salt Lake, Italians took part in celebrations and parades that promoted good will between the Italian and non-Italian communities.
Life in Utah was a new experience, but Italian immigrants were able to maintain continuity with the past, while at the same time adjust to the new environment. Alexander DeConde, a resident, aptly described the situation as “it was mezzo amara, mezzo dolce (“half bitter, half sweet”).”
Carl L. Stranges immigrated to the United States, from Italy, in the 1880s at twenty years of age. After his arrival in the United States, he moved to Grand Junction, Colorado and resided there until shortly before his death in 1942. Carl Stranges opened his grocery store in the southwestern portion of the downtown area, often referred to as “Little Italy”, due to the concentration of Italian residents and Italian-owned businesses in the area. Three other grocery stores and an icehouse were located within a two-block area of the Stranges store. Carl Stranges owned and managed the grocery until shortly before his death in 1942. He willed the store to his niece and her husband who continued to operate the store until 1963. Since that time, a variety of businesses under several ownerships have used the building.
Italian Food On the Great Plains
Antipasti of Grilled Octopus, basil pesto, tomato jam and Sicilian olive oil at Luca D’Italia.
Slices of 12-hour braised beef on a crusty baguette topped with melted taleggio cheese, caramelized onions, arugula and a red-wine sauce.
Italian Sausage Soup with Pasta
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 oz Italian sausage, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1- 32 oz can chicken broth
- 1- 15 1/2 oz can kidney beans (rinse and drain them)
- 1- 14 1/2 oz can undrained diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon finely crushed rosemary leaves
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
- 1 6 oz bag baby spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup bowtie pasta, uncooked
- Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the Italian sausage and cook for about three minutes, stirring often.
Add in the onion andcook for another three minutes or until the onions become tender and the sausage browns.
Add the chicken broth to the saucepan ,as well as, the tomatoes and the red kidney beans.
Stir the soup while you add the oregano, thyme and rosemary. Bring to a boil.
Once it boils, reduce to low heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Finally, stir in the pasta and the spinach and turn the heat back up to medium-high. Let it boil.
Once it boils, reduce to low heat again, and simmer for another 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender. If you used fresh tortellini, you don’t have to let the soup simmer as long.
Serve this hearty winter soup with some garlic bread and garnish the soup with cheese.
Braised Short Ribs
Serve with Mashed Potatoes.
Ingredients:
6 bone-in short ribs (about 6 pounds)
Seasoning for short ribs:
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Kosher Salt
- 1/2 bunch fresh thyme picked clean
- 1/2 bunch fresh rosemary picked clean and chopped
- Flour to lightly coat the short ribs
- Olive oil (to brown the short ribs)
Coarsely chop all the following vegetables and garlic in the food processor
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped large
- 2 ribs celery
- 2 peeled carrots cut in chunks
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Braising liquid
- 1 1/2 cups chopped plum tomatoes
- 2 cups Merlot
- 2 cups beef stock (homemade or low sodium purchased)
- 2 bay leaves
- Water to replenish evaporation during the cooking process
Fresh chopped Italian parsley for garnish
Directions:
Dry the short ribs of any excess moisture with a paper towel. Season each short rib generously with salt, fresh cracked black pepper, rosemary and thyme. Coat a roasting pan (that will fit all the meat and processed vegetables) with olive oil and bring to a high heat on the stove.
Lightly coat the seasoned short ribs with flour, add them to the pan and brown very well on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Do not stuff the pan with short ribs or they won’t brown. Better to browm them in separate batches, if necessary.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
When the short ribs are browned on all sides, remove them from the pan. Leave the fat in the pan to saute the vegetables, add a drizzle of olive oil, reheat and add the chopped vegetables.
Season vegetables with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Cook the vegetables until they begin to caramelize. There will be a natural glaze of browned vegetable and meat juices on the bottom of the pan.
De-glaze
Add the Merlot and chopped tomatoes, along with the bay leaf and bring to a simmer scraping the bottom to assure all the caramelized juices are returned into the braising liquid.
Add 2 cups of beef stock.
Cover the roasting pan and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Check periodically while cooking and add water, if needed, to keep the liquid level just under the top of the short ribs.
Halfway during cooking turn the short ribs over to allow foe even cooking and tenderness.
During the last 20 minutes remove the cover, so the short ribs can caramelize. Garnish with fresh chopped Italian Parsley
Buffalo Cacciatore with Polenta
Serves 6 to 10
Ingredients:
- 3 lb. buffalo roast cut into 1 inch slices
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 cups white wine
- 4 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped, plus juice
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Mix all dry spices together and rub on the meat.
Over medium high heat, heat oil in a Dutch Oven and brown the meat. You may need to do this in two batches.
Place browned meat in a dish and set aside.
Add onion and garlic to the pan and saute for 4 minutes.
Deglaze the pan with wine; then add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a boil.
Return meat to the pan, cover and place in the preheated oven. Braise for 1 1/2 hours. Check for tenderness and continue braising until tender.
Prepare polenta as directed on package.
Spoon polenta on serving platter and top with Buffalo Cacciatore.
Chocolate-Almond Cookies (Strazzate)
34 cookies
Ingredients:
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- Water
- 1 ¾ cups finely ground, plus 2 tablespoons roughly chopped almonds
- 1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup Strega or Galliano liqueur
- 1/3 cup coffee, at room temperature
Directions:
Heat oven to 325°F. Coat 2 parchment-lined baking sheets with cooking spray and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together baking powder and 1 tablespoon lukewarm water until dissolved, about 20 seconds.
Combine ground and chopped almonds, flour, sugar, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, oil and salt in a large bowl.
With a wooden spoon, vigorously stir in the baking powder mixture, liqueur and coffee to form a wet dough.
Divide the dough into 1-oz. portions. Using your hands, roll dough portions into balls and transfer to prepared baking sheets, spaced about 1-inch apart.
Bake until set, about 30 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and let cool to firm before serving.
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The aroma fills the neighborhood and that distinctive sizzling sound can mean only one thing – it’s grilling season. But while you’re enjoying those burgers, be mindful to keep your meals healthy for your heart. A burger doesn’t always have to be fattening or even made of beef.
Here are seven heart-smart choices along with tips for better-tasting burgers.
Grass-Fed Beef: Less fatty than corn-fed beef and the meat of pasture-raised cattle produces a lean hamburger with a clean, mineral flavor. You can add a bit of fat, such as olive oil, to your blend for more flavor. Choose ground round or sirloin–they’re lower in fat.
Bison is one of the leanest meats and very high in protein. But it is the amount of protein you get in bison meat, without the saturated fat, that makes this a great alternative to regular beef. Bison is a great source of nutrients: zinc, niacin, iron, vitamin B6 and selenium. Because bison meat is leaner than beef, it can easily become tough, if you overcook it. Adding a marinade can help keep the meat moist. Try marinades with ingredients such as balsamic vinegar, olive oil and fresh rosemary or soy sauce, garlic and ginger.
Chicken and Turkey: More supermarket space is now devoted to ground turkey and chicken. The trick is finding the lower-fat versions to make burgers. Some ground turkey breast can be 99% fat free. In addition, ground poultry breast can have fewer calories than a typical ground-beef burger. When buying chicken or turkey for patties, ask the butcher to grind boneless, skinless breast meat. Some prepackaged ground turkey and chicken may contain dark meat or skin, which can increase the amount of fat.
Soy: Made with soy protein, these patties are great-tasting meat substitutes. Although no meat is in soy burgers, they can still have a beefy flavor. Soy burgers are lower in saturated fat, calories and cholesterol than beef patties–plus they often provide fiber. Because the texture isn’t the same as regular burgers, try dressing them up with flavorful condiments.
Veggie: Often a mix of brown rice and other grains, vegetable patties won’t necessarily taste the same as grilled meat. However, a veggie burger on a whole wheat bun with a slice of tomato and cheese is a nutritional powerhouse. Some veggie patties can be a mere 90 calories, meaning they’ll satisfy appetites without expanding waistlines. Unlike some other on-the-bun options, veggie burgers can also supply fiber. Opt for mustard, which adds additional flavor without many calories.
Portobello Mushroom: This thick, hearty mushroom is about 4 to 6 inches in diameter, conveniently sized for a bun. It has a firm texture that feels similar to a beef burger. However, portobello mushrooms won’t have the same char-grilled flavor as meat. Zero fat and incredibly few calories–only seven calories per ounce–make this mushroom a great choice. Marinate mushrooms in a low-fat Caesar or Italian salad dressing for a few hours to add flavor. Grill for about five minutes on each side.
Venison: Deer meat can be a lean option for grilling season as well. Because the meat is low in fat, it may taste drier than a beef patty. Some people also experience a “gamey” flavor from this meat. With about half the fat of a beef burger, venison offers about the same amount of protein. Because venison may seem a bit drier than ground beef, mix in some tomato or barbecue sauce to moisten the patties.
Additional tips for making just about any burger more heart healthy.
1. Use caution with toppers. If you’re trying to reduce fat and calories, stick with veggie additions like tomato, lettuce, mushrooms and peppers on your burger. Use low-fat cheeses and spreads such as mustard, ketchup and barbecue sauce. If you want bacon on your burger opt for turkey bacon.
2. Choose whole grains. By using a bun made with whole grain, you can easily fulfill one of your three daily servings of whole grains.
3. Trim patty size. Think thin and small to keep calories down.
4. Mix meats. If you crave the taste of ground beef in your burgers but want a healthier option, mix half ground sirloin beef and half turkey breast.
Forming A Burger
Don’t pack the meat too much: overworking it can cause the burger to become overly dense and tough. Gather the meat into a loose ball and set it on a work surface. Curl the palms of your hands around the sides of the patty and work it back and forth in a rotating motion so that the sides of the patty flatten slightly. Then gently press down on the top of the patty with the flat of your hand.
An ice cream scoop is a great tool for perfectly sizing the burgers into healthy portions.
Thick burger patties tend to puff up in the middle while they cook. Making a depression in the top of the patty using the back of a measuring spoon or your thumb, helps a burger hold its shape.
Keep the meat cold (it helps to wet your hands with cold water) and handle it as little as possible when shaping patties. Over-handling “bruises” the meat and compressing the meat too much will lead to dense, dry burgers. Make the burgers a few hours ahead of time and chill them on a plate covered with plastic wrap. This firms up the burger and helps it hold together during grilling. Leave them in the refrigerator until the last minute or place them on a sheet pan over another sheet pan filled with ice.
Grilling A Burger
1. Build a medium-hot charcoal fire (the coals are ready when they’re fully ashed over but are still hot enough that you can’t hold your hand an inch above them for more than 2 seconds).
2. For Gas Grill: Heat your grill to high heat, about 450°F or until you can hold your hand an inch over the grate for only two seconds.
3. Lightly brush the burgers on both sides with oil just before grilling. This helps prevent sticking and adds an extra layer of flavor. You’ll also need to practice good grill hygiene by heating, scraping and oiling the grill’s grate prior to grilling.
4. Do not press on a burger with a spatula while it’s grilling, All this does is squeeze out the juices onto the fire.
5. After about two minutes on the grill, give the patty a quarter-turn to get grill marks. After that, aim to flip the burger only one time. When the edges begin to brown or you see a few little pearls of blood bleeding through the top, the meat’s ready to turn over.
6. Do not overcrowd the grill. Follow the Steve Raichlen’s “30 percent” rule—leave 30 percent of your grill free of food. That way, if you get flare-ups, you have a place to move the burgers if they start to burn.
7. Make sure your burger’s cooked. While rare burgers may be tasty to some, you don’t want your burger to make you sick.
8. Let the burgers rest, off the grill grate, for a couple of minutes before serving. This allows the meat to “relax,” giving you a juicier burger.
The Basic Burger
Yield: 8 burgers
- 3 pounds ground beef of choice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- Olive oil
- 8 hamburger rolls, split, toasted
- Cheese and condiments
- Classic Burger Sauce or Spicy Ketchup or Blue Cheese Onion Topping , recipes below
Directions:
1. Combine beef, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Gently blend with a fork. Use moistened hands to form 8 3/4-inch-thick patties (about 6 ounces each). Brush the burgers well on both sides with olive oil.
2. Heat grill and grease the grilling grates. Grill burgers over moderate heat (about 5 inches from heat source) on one side for 4 minutes. Carefully turn and cook on other side for about 4 minutes for medium-rare burgers. Serve on warm buns, topped as desired.
Classic Burger Sauce
Makes About 1/4 Cup
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons lowfat mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet pickle relish
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions:
Mix all ingredients and chill.
Spicy Ketchup
Ingredients:
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
Directions:
Mix ketchup with prepared horseradish and 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or more to taste. Serve chilled.
Burger Blue Cheese Onion Topping
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
Directions:
To make the onions: Heat butter in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion until soft, about 8 minutes. Add vinegar, thyme, salt and pepper and cook until onions are slightly caramelized, about 7 minutes more. Remove from the pan and reserve.
Top each burger with 1 oz. of blue cheese and continue to cook until just melted, about 2 minutes. Divide cheese-topped burgers between toasted buns, top with onions and serve.
The Caprese Burger
- 1 recipe Basic Burger, above
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cups packed basil leaves (about 4 oz.), plus 8 large leaves for serving
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 8 slices
- 2 large tomatoes, sliced
- 8 hamburger rolls, split, toasted
- Pesto Mayo, optional, recipe below
Directions:
Prepare burgers as recipe directs and refrigerate patties until ready to cook.
Place pine nuts and garlic in a food processor. Add oil; pulse to chop. Add 4 cups basil leaves, Parmesan and salt. Process until finely chopped, stopping and scraping sides of bowl once or twice. (Makes 3/4 cup pesto.)
Grill or broil burgers as recipe directs. Top with mozzarella during the last minute of cooking time.
Spread buns with pesto. Place burgers on buns and serve topped with a slice of tomato and a large basil leaf, assorted toppings and Pesto Mayo, if desired.
Pesto Mayo
Ingredients:
- 1 cup lowfat mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon prepared pesto
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Directions:
Mix mayonnaise with prepared pesto and lemon zest. Chill before serving.
Parmesan Bison Burgers with Balsamic Ketchup
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound lean ground bison
- 1 ounce grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about 1/4 cup)
- Cooking spray
- 4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns, toasted
- 1 cup baby arugula
- 4 thin slices red onion
- 4 tablespoons Balsamic Ketchup, see recipe below
Directions:
1. Preheat grill to high heat.
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Divide bison mixture into 4 equal portions, gently shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Press a nickel-sized indentation in the center of each patty.
3. Place patties on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
4. Place bottom bun halves on plates. Top each with 1/4 cup arugula, 1 onion slice and 1 patty. Spread 1 tablespoon balsamic ketchup on top half of each bun; place on top of burgers.
Balsamic Ketchup
Refrigerate extra ketchup in an airtight container for up to a week or freeze in small batches.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 2 pounds small tomatoes, quartered
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325° F.
2. Combine oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and tomatoes in a large bowl; toss gently to coat. Arrange tomatoes, skin side down, on a wire rack set inside a jelly-roll pan. Bake for 3 hours. Cool slightly; peel. Discard peels.
3. Combine tomatoes, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, basil and remaining ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.
Chicken Caesar Burgers
Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut up
- 12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut up
- 1 medium onion, cut up
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
- 2 anchovy fillets, drained and patted dry (optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 romaine lettuce leaves
- 3 medium roma tomatoes, sliced thin
- 6 ciabatta rolls, split and toasted
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)
- 1/4 cup homemade or bottled reduced fat Caesar salad dressing
Directions:
In a food processor combine chicken breast halves, chicken thighs, onion, grated Parmesan cheese, parsley and, if desired, anchovies. Cover and process with several on/off turns until coarsely ground and slightly sticky. Shape into six 4-inch patties. Cover and chill for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Brush both sides of each patty with oil; season to taste with salt and pepper. For a charcoal or gas grill, grease grill rack of a covered grill. Grill patties directly over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until 165 degrees F, turning once halfway through grilling.
To serve, place a lettuce leaf and tomato slices on the bottom of each roll. Top each with a chicken patty. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese. Spread roll tops with salad dressing. Place roll tops, dressing side down, on burgers.
Note: The internal color of a burger is not a reliable doneness indicator. A chicken or turkey patty cooked to 165 degrees F is safe, regardless of color. To measure the doneness of a patty, insert an instant-read thermometer through the side of the patty to a depth of 2 to 3 inches.
Grilled Portobello Burgers
4 Servings
Ingredients:
- 4 large portobello mushrooms (4 to 4-1/2 inches), stems removed
- 6 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette, divided
- 4 slices red onion
- 1 cup roasted sweet red peppers, drained
- 4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
- 4 kaiser rolls, split
- 1/4 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
Directions:
Brush mushrooms with 4 tablespoons vinaigrette. Grill mushrooms and onion, covered, over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until tender. Top mushrooms with red peppers, onion and cheese.
Grill, covered, 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Grill rolls, uncovered, for 1-2 minutes or until toasted.
Spread roll bottoms with mayonnaise and drizzle with remaining vinaigrette. Top with mushrooms; replace roll tops.
Glazed Salmon Burgers
Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds fresh or frozen skinless, boneless salmon fillets
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (2)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons chili sauce (hot or sweet)
- 1 tablespoon canola oil, plus extra for grilling
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 4 cups shredded cabbage with carrot (coleslaw mix)
- 6 sesame seed hamburger buns, split and toasted
- 1 cup thinly sliced seedless cucumber
Directions:
Pat salmon dry with paper towels. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Place salmon, half at a time, in a food processor. Cover and process until finely chopped.
In a large bowl combine egg, green onions, salt and black pepper. Add chopped salmon; mix gently until combined. Using damp hands, shape mixture into six 1/2-inch-thick patties. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine mayonnaise and 3 tablespoons chili sauce. Cover and chill until needed.
For slaw: in a large bowl whisk together 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil. Add shredded cabbage toss to coat.
Lightly brush both sides of salmon patties with additional canola oil.
For a charcoal or gas grill, place patties on the greased rack of a covered grill directly over medium heat. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes or until done (160 degrees F).
To serve, spread cut sides of buns with mayonnaise mixture. Fill with salmon burgers, slaw and cucumber slices.
Bulgur Veggie Burgers
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup chopped onion, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus additional for brushing
- 1/2 cup bulgur
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3/4 cup walnuts (2 1/2 ounces)
- 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup packed parsley sprigs
- 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 teaspoon grated lime zest
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 4 slices multi-grain bread, toasted
Directions:
Cook 1/4 cup onion with 1/4 teaspoon salt in 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add bulgur and water and cook, covered, over low heat until water is absorbed, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and stir in beans and soy sauce.
Pulse bulgur mixture, walnuts, garlic, parsley, turmeric, cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and remaining onion in a food processor until finely chopped.
Form rounded 1/2 cups of mixture into 4 (3 1/2-inch-diameter) patties. Chill at least 10 minutes. Uncooked patties can be chilled, covered, up to 4 hours.
While patties chill, stir together mayonnaise, zest and lime juice.
Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium heat for gas). Put a perforated grill sheet on grill and preheat 10 minutes.(Or use heavy duty foil and poke holes in it with a large fork at regular intervals.)
Brush patties all over with olive oil.
Oil grill sheet or spray foil with cooking spray, then grill burgers on grill sheet or foil, covered, carefully turning once, until golden brown, about 8 minutes total.
Serve burgers open-faced on toast with lime mayonnaise.
Heavy Duty Foil Sheet
Grill Pan
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