Circle of Friends Cookbook - 25 Burger Recipes (3 page)

4-oz. container crumbled feta cheese

1/2 c. sliced black olives

2 t. dried oregano

pepper to taste

2 to 3 pita rounds, halved and split

Garnish: romaine lettuce, chopped tomato

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except pitas and garnish. Mix gently and form into 4 to 6 burgers. Lightly coat a grill with non-stick vegetable spray. Cook burgers over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Serve burgers inside pita halves, topped with lettuce and tomato. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Bean & Chile Burgers

16-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

11-oz. can corn, drained

4-oz. can green chiles

1 c. cooked rice

1/2 c. cornmeal

1 t. onion powder

1/4 t. garlic powder

salt to taste

2 T. oil

4 sandwich buns, split

Optional: salsa

Mash beans in a large bowl; add corn, chiles, rice, cornmeal, onion powder and garlic powder. Form mixture into 4 burgers; sprinkle with salt. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add burgers and cook until golden on both sides. Serve on buns, topped with salsa, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Open-Faced Onion-Mushroom Burgers

2 t. olive oil

1 sweet onion, thinly sliced

8-oz. pkg. sliced mushrooms

1 t. salt, divided

2 t. balsamic vinegar

1-1/2 T. paprika

1/2 t. dried thyme

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

1/4 t. pepper

1 lb. ground beef round, formed into 4 burgers

2 English muffins, split and toasted

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion until golden, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook and stir for 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar. Remove onion mixture to a bowl and set aside. Mix remaining salt and seasonings in a shallow bowl; coat burgers with seasoning mixture. On a grill over medium-high heat, grill burgers about 4 minutes on each side. Serve burgers on toasted muffin halves, topped with onion mixture. Makes 4 servings.

Italian Meatball Burgers

1/2 lb. sweet Italian ground pork sausage

1 lb. ground beef sirloin

1 t. dried oregano

1 t. dried basil

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. fennel seed, crushed

1/4 t. garlic powder

6 slices mozzarella cheese

6 Italian rolls, split

Garnish: tomato-basil pasta sauce, warmed

In a bowl, combine sausage, beef and seasonings. Mix well and form into 6 burgers. Lightly coat a grill with non-stick vegetable spray. Grill burgers over medium-high heat for 5 minutes; turn and continue grilling for 2 minutes. Top burgers with cheese; grill an additional 5 minutes. Remove burgers from grill; let stand for several minutes. Toast roll halves on grill, cut-side down. Top burgers with a dollop of pasta sauce; sandwich burgers in rolls to serve. Makes
6 servings.

Yummy Blue Cheese Burgers

2 lbs. ground beef, formed into 6 burgers

Cajun seasoning to taste

1 c. half-and-half

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 t. dried rosemary

1 t. dried basil

4-oz. container crumbled blue cheese

6 kaiser rolls, split, toasted and buttered

Sprinkle burgers with Cajun seasoning. Grill over medium-high heat to desired doneness. While burgers are grilling, combine half-and-half, garlic and herbs in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat; simmer until thickened and reduced by half. Add blue cheese; stir just until melted. Place burgers on toasted rolls; spoon sauce over burgers. Add a dollop of Onion-Mushroom Topping, if desired. Makes 6 servings.

Onion-Mushroom Topping:

1 c. onion, sliced

8-oz. pkg. sliced mushrooms

1 to 2 T. butter

In a skillet over medium heat, sauté onion and mushrooms in butter until tender, about 5 minutes.

Fajita Turkey Burgers

1/4 c. salsa verde

1 T. fresh cilantro, chopped

1 avocado, halved, pitted and divided

1/2 c. onion, finely chopped

1/2 c. red pepper, finely chopped

1/2 c. green pepper, finely chopped

2 to 3 t. olive oil

2 t. fajita seasoning, divided

1/4 t. salt, divided

1 lb. ground turkey

1 c. soft bread crumbs

1 T. tomato paste

1 egg white, beaten

4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted

Optional: shredded Mexican-blend cheese

In a small bowl, combine salsa, cilantro and 2 tablespoons chopped avocado; set aside. In a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onion and peppers in oil for 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon fajita seasoning and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cool; remove onion mixture to a large bowl. Add turkey, bread crumbs, tomato paste, egg white and remaining fajita seasoning and salt. Mix gently; form into
4 thick burgers. Add burgers to skillet; cook 4 minutes on each side, or to desired doneness. Sandwich burgers on toasted buns. Top with salsa mixture, cheese, if desired, and slices of remaining avocado. Makes 4 servings.

Smoky Bacon-Gouda Burgers

6 slices bacon, chopped

1/4 c. onion, finely chopped

2 T. olive oil

1-3/4 c. onion, thinly sliced

1/4 c. steak sauce

1-1/2 lbs. ground beef sirloin

2 t. Worcestershire sauce

1 t. hot pepper sauce

1 T. Montreal steak seasoning

4 slices smoked Gouda cheese

4 kaiser rolls or onion rolls, split and toasted

Optional: additional crisply cooked bacon, sliced tomato, lettuce leaves

In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Drain bacon and set aside in a small bowl; reserve one tablespoon drippings in skillet. Add chopped onion to skillet; cook until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add onion to bacon in bowl. Heat oil in skillet; add sliced onion and sauté, covered, until golden, about 10 minutes. Place sautéed onion in a separate bowl; stir in steak sauce and set aside. In a large bowl, combine beef, remaining sauces, steak seasoning and bacon mixture. Mix lightly and form into 4 burgers. Grill over medium-high heat to desired doneness, 4 to 6 minutes per side, topping with cheese slices when nearly done. Serve burgers on toasted rolls, topped with sautéed onion mixture and additional bacon, tomato and lettuce, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Family-Favorite Spinach Hamburgers

2 lbs. ground beef

10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1/2 to 3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1.35-oz. pkg. onion soup mix

4 to 6 sandwich buns, split

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except buns, mixing well with hands. Form into 4 to 6 burgers. Grill burgers over medium-high heat to desired doneness. Serve on buns. Makes 4 to 6 servings.