Quinoa burger topped with gruyere, sweet potato fries, beer caramelized onions & fried egg

Ever come across a burger that blows all the other burgers out of the water? You know, the one that the second you bite into it, your brain just shuts down and your sole focus is trying to fit as much of the burger in your mouth as possible? Well, for me, this is that burger. I saw it when cruising the internet for new recipes to try. Being someone who likes to try new and weird things, I immediately gravitated to it when I saw that there was a fried egg on top. Then I noticed the sweet potato fries, the beer caramelized onions, Gruyere cheese, and a quinoa burger that has cheddar mixed in, and I was hooked. I immediately went out to the store and bought all the components to make this. I even had to make a special trip to a certain over-rated hipster grocery store the day after pay-day just to get my hands on Gruyere cheese since my local grocery story didn't have it. And let me tell you, it was well worth the trip because this burger is the best thing to ever grace my taste buds.

My pictures do not do this burger justice. Trust me, this burger is amazing. I wish I could say that it's a quick throw together meal that takes little to no work but I'd be lying if I did. Hold on though! Bear with me here. It's most definitely worth the work. When I looked over the recipe and realized what goes into making this, I made triple the burger recipe so that I could put them in the freezer to cook up at a later date. Which, I may have already done two days after making the burger for the first time. What?! They are THAT good! Plus, having the burgers already made made the rest of the process go faster. So, trust me, make a huge batch of the burgers, form them into patties, wrap them in plastic wrap, and store them in the freezer for a later date. ;)

recipe adapted from Half Baked Harvest



*makes about 4-5 burgers

quinoa burgers

• 2 cups cooked red quinoa
• 1 cup cannellini beans, mashed
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 of your favorite burger buns
• 4 eggs cooked to your liking

sweet potato fries

• 4 medium sweet potatoes, cut into thin 1/2-inch thick strips
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• 1/4-1/2 cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 tablespoon olive oil

caramelized onions

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup beer

1. In a bowl combine the quinoa, mashed cannellini beans, bread crumbs, egg, garlic, chipotle chile powder, salt and pepper. Mix well to moisten the ingredients and then mix in the shredded cheddar cheese. Mix well again and form into 4 or 5 equal burger patties. Place on a plate and put in the fridge.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
3. Place cut potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle with oil, chipotle chile powder, cayenne, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Gently toss with your hands or two spatulas to evenly coat. Spread on a baking sheet in one layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes, then flip and bake for 15-20 minutes more. You want the sweet potatoes to be crispy, but not burnt. If you want perfectly crisp fries I recommend spreading the sweet potatoes on a greased wire rack and baking them as directed above. But this way is a bit of a pain. Keep the sweet potato fries warm until ready to top on the burgers.
4. While the fries cook caramelize the onions. Heat large skillet. Add 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened.
5. At this point you want to slowly add the beer, let it cook into the onions, add more and let it cook. Do this until the 1 cup of beer is gone or the onions are caramelized to your liking and the beer has evaporated. Remove from the skillet and keep warm.
6. In the same skillet add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Grab the quinoa burgers and cook until golden and crisp, about five minutes per side. During the last minute or so of cooking add the Gruyere cheese, cover the pan and cook 2-3 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
7. To assemble the burgers, place each burger on a bun, top with equal amounts of caramelized onions and sweet potato fries. Add you egg.

Falafel Burger w/ Feta Tzatziki Sauce

I came across this recipe from Reeni over at Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice . I personally LOVE falafels. If I could eat them every day, I would. It's not like I grew up on this stuff either. I bet if I went to my parents house and made them falafels... 1) my father would refuse to eat it, saying that he doesn't eat anything he can't pronounce, and would make a burger instead 2) my niece would laugh and make fun of not only the name but the look of the falafel as well 3) my sister would look for help from my mom in hopes that our mother can save her from eating it 4) lastly, my dear mother would shrug her shoulders and take a bite. (she's always tried every thing I've made) You see we were a meat and potatoes family. (they still are) If it didn't moo, cluck or snort at some point in time it wasn't on the table. So of course every time I go home for a visit and tell my family that I'll make dinner for them, they tend to be a little nervous. After all, I was the one who left home eating Chef Boyardee out of the can and came home making tofu fried rice.

There wasn't one thing that I changed about this recipe but in true Kristin fashion, I cooked my own chickpeas instead of using ones from a can. The recipe is really simple to make and you can make it a day ahead of time and just store the mixture in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the burgers.

feta tzatziki sauce:

• 3/4 c. Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced small
• 1/3 c. feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 small clove of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp lemon juice, fresh squeezed
• 1 tsp dried or fresh dill
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

burgers:

• 2/3 c. red onion, chopped
• 1/3 c. fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2/3 c. seasoned breadcrumbs, divided
• olive oil, for pan-frying

for serving:

• pitas or soft buns
• spinach or romaine lettuce
• sliced tomatoes 

1. In a medium bowl combine all tzatziki ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.
2. To make the burgers add 1/3 cup onion, parsley, lemon, cumin, coriander, salt, chickpeas and garlic to the bowl of a large food processor. Pulse until well combined and chickpeas are mostly smooth, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Add the beans to a bowl and stir in the remaining 1/3 cup red onion and 1/3 cup of the bread crumbs. Put the remaining 1/3 cup bread crumbs into a shallow dish. Make 6 equal-sized 1/2-inch thick patties and dredge both sides in the bread crumbs.
3. Liberally cover the bottom of a large skillet with oil and heat over medium heat. Cook burgers in batches 3 at a time about 4 minutes each side until lightly golden brown. Serve tucked into pitas or on soft buns with feta tzatziki sauce, spinach leaves and tomatoes. Slice burgers in half before serving. 

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Foodie Friday

Chicken Burgers Topped w/ Brie & Cranberries

There used to be this little cafe here in town that served these delicious sandwiches that consisted croissant, turkey, cranberries and brie cheese. Every time I went there I always got this sandwich, there was never any question about it. I was loyal to my sandwich. So what does one do when they can no longer go out and order their favorite sandwich? You make your own of course!

Buffalo Chickpea Burgers

You know me, I LOVE Franks hot sauce. So when I find a recipe where Franks is the star, I quickly give it a try. It is no surprise that I really enjoyed this burger. It was easy and super fast to make and it was a nice alternative to ground beef. Now, if you are in the mood for meat then this isn't the burger for you, you won't be fooled into thinking this is a good old fashioned burger. However, if you are looking for a beefy alternative, then I recommend this.

Ole Burger

A couple of weeks ago the Mr. and I drove out to Vegas to meet up with one of my best friends, Marissa and her parents before their flight left for NY. While we were visiting them we got to walk the strip which in my opinion is pretty from afar but once you are down in the middle of all the chaos on the strip, it is just a mess. Regardless, I had a ton of fun seeing Marissa and her parents. One of my highlights of the trip was going to Madame Tussauds.

Black Bean Burger

My love for bean burgers all started out with Guy Fierei's Veggie Patty. I was never one for the veggie burgers and stayed away from anything that wasn't made with meat. So it was a shock to me when I made my first bean burger and fell in love.

The Halfway Burger

With a recent trip to the commissary to get groceries and almost $200 later I realized that we need to cut back on eating as much meat as we do. I don't plan on going vegetarian, the Mr. wouldn't be too thrilled with that, plus I love my hamburgers but I do want to try to incorporate more meatless dinners in our weekly line up. It might just help that small but expensive shopping trip we took, last just a little bit longer. Which is where I came up with this recipe. It isn't a vegetarian burger but it is a nifty way to stretch a pound of ground beef and make your dollar last a little bit longer. This is also a good burger to help you prepare for the world of vegetarianism if you are making the switch but are not willing to say goodbye to your burger. You can slowly over time add more beans while reducing the meat until it is just beans.

Gyro Burgers w/ Greek Salad

I am always looking for ways to spice up the everyday burger. Not that your typical burger with pickles and onions is a problem but every once in a while I like to change it up. I love gyros, so when I came across this recipe in my 30-Minute Get Real Meals cookbook I knew I had to make it. This is easy to make and it packs a lot of flavor. The yogurt spice mixture in the meat really makes the burger.

You cannot use fat free yogurt. The recipe calls for full fat and I ignored it and bought fat free. When I tried forming the patties they were like mush in my hands. I worked with it some and they came out fine but it was more hassle than I thought it would be. I also added extra yogurt as a dressing for the burger since I did not find the Greek salad to be enough. Besides, when you get a gyro it always has the tzatziki sauce on it.

• 1 1/2 lb ground chicken or lamb
• 2 c. plain full fat yogurt
• handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1 Tbsp. grill seasoning
• olive oil
• Greek salad
  

1. Preheat skillet to medium-high heat.
   
2. In a large bowl combine the ground meat with 1 cup of yogurt, parsley, garlic, spices and seasonings. Form 4 patties and drizzle with olive oil and cook for 3 minutes on each side.
   
3. Assemble burgers on rolls and top with Greek salad and extra yogurt.
   

Caesar Salad with Flank Steak Burgers and Garlic Crostini

This is my second month that I have participated in the Burger Club. Last month was the grilled cheeseburger which was ok but wasn't what I was expecting when I joined the burger club. I was expecting something more like this Caesar burger. Something that is not like a burger you have ever made at home. I for one have never seen this burger before and was excited to get the chance to try my hands at making one. Kim over at Stirring the Pot picked this burger for the month and I am glad that she did. I will admit that I was nervous about anchovies. I confess that I am one of those people that love Caesar salad dressing but get squeamish around those tiny canned fish. So I opted to not mash up the anchovies and I went with buying anchovies paste instead and blended the dressing in my magic bullet to make it smooth. It worked out perfectly for everyone, you had the salty flavor from the anchovies and I didn't have to do the gross dirty work that would probably make me think twice of eating the burger.

On to the burger! It was easy to make. I did not have ground steak at the commissary but my wonderful mother bought me a kitchen aid mixer a couple of years ago for Christmas. So with my meat grinder attachment I had all I needed to make my own ground steak. I mixed the burgers and salad dressing ahead of time so that when it came time for dinner I was ready to rock n roll. Here were a couple of issues I had at the commissary aka grocery store, they did not have any good looking romaine lettuce so I grabbed green leaf lettuce instead and the only sour dough bread they had would of made mini slider burgers but they did have ciabatta bread on sale so I used that instead which I think worked out well. I really tried to stick as close to the recipe as I could but some things just did not work in my favor. Speaking of flavor I think the next time I make this, yup there is going to be a next time, I will make it with ground chicken. You know a burger take on a chicken Caesar salad.


I really liked this burger and so did my husband. I think that if you are on a budget and have a grinder, buying a piece of steak on sale and grinding it yourself will help save money. My husband liked the dressing on it and said next time I should marinate the steak in the dressing before grinding it. I just thought the whole thing was pretty original. I had never seen anything like it nor did it sound like something that would be easily forgotten. If you are a burger lover and you like Caesar salads then this is a must. It's easy, tasty and just plain interesting. You won't be disappointed in this beauty.

I am giving it ★★★1/2 out of 4.



Dressing

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 flat anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained and chopped (I use 1/2 tsp. anchovy paste)
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Patties

• 1-1/2 pounds ground flank steak
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 shallots, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons Zinfandel (feel free to use any red wine or even beef broth)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil, for brushing the grill rack

Bread

• 4 ciabatta rolls
• Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing on the bread
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

Also

• 1-1/2 cups washed, dried, and shredded romaine lettuce
• Shredded, freshly grated or shaved Parmesan cheese to tastePrepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium high.

1. To make the dressing, combine the olive oils, vinegars, and salt in a small jar with a lid and shake until well blended. Mash the anchovy fillets and garlic together on a cutting board until they form a paste; transfer to a bowl. Add the oil and vinegar mixture, lemon juice, and parsley and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
2. To make the patties, combine the steak, parsley, shallots, garlic, Zinfandel, salt, lemon pepper seasoning, and pepper in a large bowl. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, mix well. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and form the portions into patties to fit the bread slices.
3. When the grill is ready, brush the grill rack with olive oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, until done to preference 5-7 minutes on each side for medium. During the last few minutes of cooking, to make the crostini, brush the bread slices to taste with olive oil on both sides. Place the bread slices on the outer edges of the rack, turning once to toast lightly. Remove and rub each side of the toast with 1/2 garlic clove.
4. To assemble the burgers, combine the lettuce and the dressing in a large bowl and toss lightly. On 4 of the bread slices, place an equal portion of the salad, a patty and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Top with the remaining slices and serve.

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Fight Back Friday
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Make It Yours Day

Hawaiian BBQ Burger

My husband is the burger master. When we have it for dinner he is always the one preparing it. Yesterday I decided that I would make the burger. I used my husbands homemade BBQ sauce but if you have a sweet and spicy BBQ sauce that would be perfect but if not any BBQ sauce would work. Now the rule to a delicious juicy burger is to not overcook it. I have not fully mastered this rule yet... with anything I put on the grill. Although yesterday I finally didn't burn anything and nothing stuck to the grill. *Happy Dance* Now if only I can do that the rest of the time.




I make three burgers with a pound of meat but whatever you do will be fine. Just make sure that you have a pineapple ring for each burger. I used canned pineapple but if you have fresh on hand that would be delicious. I have a three burner grill so what I do is once the grill is hot I turn one burner off and bring the other two burners down to medium-low heat. I placed my burgers and pineapple over those burners.

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 tsp. Montreal steak seasoning
• 1 tsp. Mrs. Dash southwest chipotle
• 3 pineapple rings
• 3 buns
  
• BBQ sauce
• 6 slices Cabot Vermont chipotle cheddar cheese

1. Mix the meat with the seasonings. Form into patties and set aside.
2. Cook burgers over medium low heat for 4 minutes with the lid closed, flip burgers. Add cheese on top of burgers and place pineapple on the grill. Grill for another 2 minutes and flip the pineapple. Close grill and cook an additional 2 minutes and take everything off grill.
3. Assemble the burger with BBQ sauce and pineapple ring.

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Tuesdays at the Table
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Tuesday Tastes
Summer Grilling Recipe Swap

Grilled Cheese Burger

Think grilled cheese meets the burger and you have this recipe. I saw this recipe on Debbie Does Dinner Healthy & Low Calorie with the cheese oozing all around the meat and thought... "now that's my kind of burger". My husband, Patrick, is always trying to stuff the cheese inside the burgers and half of the time the cheese melts out and ends up flavoring the grill instead, so when I saw this I had to give it a try. Then I realized it was May's burger for Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice's Burger Club and figured if I am going to make it, I might as well participate.

Now I found that one pound of meat for 6 was stretching it, I usually do 4 servings to a pound unless I have those tiny rolls. I subbed the American cheese for cheddar but I am sure whatever your cheese preference is it would taste good. I liked the flavor and it was a nice burger all around but it is what it is, a patty melt. There was nothing special to set it over the top but it was a nice variation to your everyday burger. Would I make it again, sure... would I rave about it, probably not. So to that I give this burger ★★★ out of 4

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 med onion, half grated and half sliced
  
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 8 slices of bread
• 8 slices of cheddar cheese
• 2 Tbsp. soft margarine/butter

1. In a medium bowl, combine the beef, egg, grated onion, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined.
2. Form into thin patties. Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread.
3. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the burgers about 3 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Drain the grease from the skillet.
4. In the same skillet, place six slices of bread, butter side down. Top each with a slice of cheese, some onions and a burger. Top with remaining slices of cheese, if using, and bread, butter side up.

Veggie Patties

I was never a big fan of those Boca burgers and I'm not a huge fan of tofu imitations. However these burgers are my favorite go-to for a vegetarian dinner. If you like beans than you will love this! It does not have any funky flavor to it or a gummy texture, it is simply just beans and veggies. I saw this a while back on Guy's Big Bite and thought I would give veggie burgers one last shot. I am glad that I did because I love these. I make a big batch of them and then freeze them for later. Now the trick to forming the patty is to have a burger press. You lay down plastic wrap in your burger mold and put the burger mixture in the mold, fold the plastic wrap over the mixture and push down to compact the mixture into the mold. Then just throw your veggie burgers in the refrigerator or freezer. Now in case I did not explain that well enough here is the video so you can see what I am talking about. Now you can top the burger anyway you'd normally top a burger. I had avocado, caramelized onions and peppers on my burger but this is a burger we are talking about, so top it with whatever floats your boat.

• 2 ounces olive oil
• 3 tablespoons diced red onion
• 2 tablespoons diced black olives
• 2 tablespoons diced red bell peppers
• 1 teaspoon diced jalapeno
• 1 1/2 tablespoons diced garlic
• 1 tablespoon diced artichoke
• 4 ounces black beans, drained
• 4 ounces chickpeas, drained
• 4 ounces white beans, drained
• 6 ounces rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
• 2 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 egg

1. In a medium saute pan over medium heat, add 1-ounce olive oil and all raw vegetables except beans. Saute until translucent. Remove and cool.
2. Add veggies to beans and mix thoroughly. Add all dry ingredients along with the egg. Thoroughly mix all ingredients and form into 4 patties, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. In saute pan add 1-ounce olive oil, and cook patties 2 to 3 minutes per side