Today is our daughter-in-law Kellie’s birthday. So again there will be a party at our house tomorrow night. Our son, Michael decided to have hamburgers and hot dogs. That is a challenge for me because I usually make something like Gorgonzola pasta with a creamy mushroom sauce, salad and bread with oil. I also like to make people feel special and that I made this food just for them (because I did). So……tomorrow night we are having three different kinds of hamburgers. We are having Kellie’s favorite, meat with some sauce in it, a Mediterranean burger with spinach, roasted red pepper and aioli sauce and a black and blue burger. I am so excited! I made all the burgers up just now so all the flavors can marry.
Mediterranean Burgers with Aioli Sauce: This is one of my favorites. We have nicknamed them Christmas Burgers because of their color.
2 lbs. Hamburger
1 roasted red pepper chopped
1 red onion sliced
2 cups fresh spinach chopped
4 garlic cloves minced
1 cup feta cheese crumbles
¼ cup bread crumbs
1 egg slightly beaten
1 teaspoon garlic salt
A little bit of black pepper
Roast red pepper on the grill or in the oven on broil turning a few times.
Put hamburger in a large bowl. Chop red pepper and add to hamburger. Chop fresh spinach and add to hamburger mixture. Add all other ingredients and mix well with hands. Make 6 large burgers or 8 small. Put on grill and cook 5 minutes on each side. Depending on the size of burger you may want to cook longer.
Cut 1 red onion into thick slices; pour a little olive oil over onions and salt and pepper. Grill until soft.
Grill burgers and onion at the same time.
Aioli Sauce:
¼ plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup Dukes Mayonnaise
4 garlic cloves minced
½ cup feta cheese
Salt and pepper to taste. Mix all ingredients in food processor. Chill for 1 hour before using. When cooked, put burgers on a bun and layer with red onion and aioli sauce. Yum!!!
Then the Black and Blue Burger:
2 pounds 80/20 ground beef
1 pound 93/7 ground beef
2 cups blue cheese crumbled
1/4 cup Italian style bread crumbs
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
pepper to taste
Mix all items together and make 9 patties. Grill for about 5 to 7 minutes per side on a grill that is hot. Once patties are on grill reduce heat to medium. Right before removing the hamburgers you can top with blue cheese crumbles if you’d like or just go with the blue cheese that is already in the burger. Serve on a bun with lettuce and tomato. Grilled red onions if you would like.
The Beef Burger:
2 pounds of 80/20 ground beef
1 pound of 93/7 ground beef
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons of a good steak sauce
1 tablespoon of worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
Cheddar cheese or Munster cheese to top burger with
Mix the first 7 items well in a large bowl. I usually use my hands. Make 9 burgers and grill 5 to 7 minutes per side. Serve on a bun with lettuce and tomato.
I will have appetizers and sides with Kellie’s favorite Strawberry Cake so it should be a great party. I can imagine that you are wondering why I don’t just make it simple? I have to say, I just can’t! I love to make it FUN and different. It is my passion!
Happy 25th Kellie!
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