Garden Burgers Recipe

I actually came upon this amazing recipe while visiting some family in London. My aunt asked me if I'd like burgers for dinner and as I watched her gather all these fresh ingredients from her garden and her well-stocked pantry - I realized these aren't your typical burgers. I've named this "dish" Garden Burgers - and they are so delicious - plus they can be eaten with or without the bun!

I've been making Garden Burgers for years now, and I'd like to share the recipe with you! Please bare with me, as I don't actually know the exact measurements for the recipe, so I'll be as detailed about the process as possible.

Garden Burgers

1 lb of ground beef (I like 80/20 - but you can go "healthier" if you wish)
1 large white onion chopped
1-3 cloves of garlic minced
1-2 egg (raw) scrambled
1/2-1 cup of breadcrumbs
1 bunch of fresh parsley chopped
2 tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Essentially, you take the ground beef and put it in a large bowl. In a separate dish, scramble the raw egg and olive oil, and then add it to the ground beef. Then, add everything else, and slowly mix together with your hands so the ingredients are a pretty even consistency in the meat. Try not to handle the meat too much. I am pretty liberal when adding parsley, onion, and the other ingredients, because I want every bite to include each taste.

Now that your meat is mixed with all the ingredients, make it into patties (1-2 inches thick - a little larger then your normal burger).

I prefer to pan fry theses burgers... as they sometimes can fall apart and you don't want to lose a bite of these to your grill.

Next, preheat a nonstick frying pan. Place patties in the pan and cook for 2 to 5 minutes. Flip patties and cook for another minute. Then add a slice of your favorite cheese to the tops of patties if desired. Cover pan and allow burgers to cook for a final 2 minutes or until their done to your liking. Remove the Garden Burgers from the pan and let them cool off for a minute. Then, put it in a bun (if you so desire) add some ketchup and mustard and enjoy.

I hope you'll try this recipe - it's a fun way to dress up your typical burger.

Let me know if you have any questions. Next time I make them I'll take some photographs!

This message was edited May 13, 2010 10:18 AM