English Pub Burgers with Thyme Onions

Today's recipe reminds me of a burger you would order at an English pub.  It's perfect for grilling up and watching a NASCAR race or for a family outing or picnic. 

It's the Port wine cheese and horseradish sauce that really makes this special.  But the burgers are incredibly juicy.

English Pub Burger with Thyme Onions
served with a frosty mug o' brew

There is only a 1/4 pound of meat in each burger.  The fresh lettuce, tomato and onion do not add a lot of extra calories, but it makes for a filling sandwich.  That cheese sauce, well, it's lighter, too --  the cheese blend that I used as a base is whipped.

This particular brand of pub cheese also offers a cheddar and horseradish blend, so you can substitute that for the port wine whipped cheese and horseradish if you want to save a step.  If you cannot find this brand, there are plenty of good varieties in your local store.  Check it out and experiment. 

These burgers are simple to prepare because even the onions are cooked in tin foil packets on the grill along side of the burgers.  The sauce is prepared in the microwave. If you are making these entirely on the grill, you can melt the sauce in a pan on the side burner.

Without any more fuss, here you go:

Makes 4 Burgers

For the burger:

1 pound ground chuck
1/2 envelope dry onion soup mix*
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chopped chives
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Thyme Onions:

Cooking spray
4 even slices sweet onion
2 tablespoons canola oil or canola and olive oil blend
1 tablespoon dried thyme

For the Pub Sauce:

3 tablespoons Cheddar and Port Wine Pub Cheese® spread (suggest President® brand)
1/2 tablespoon prepared Horseradish
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard

Other/optional: 

Cooking spray for grill
2 tablespoons dill relish, divided
2 tablespoons reduced fat garlic and herb or regular mayonnaise
Sliced beefsteak tomatoes
Lettuce
Whole wheat hamburger buns, sliced

Spray grill with cooking spray. 

Preheat grill to 400 degrees.

Combine all ingredients for burger together and form into four even patties.

Tear two tin foil squares big enough hold two onion slices each.  Spray tin foil with cooking spray (one side only).  Mix oil and thyme together.   Baste both sides of the onions with the oil mixture until all four slices are basted. 

Place onions on tin foil.  Seal foil packets well, making sure there is no open "seam" on the top or the bottom for the oil to leak out and flair up.  

Add packet containing the onions to hot grill. Cook for five minutes.  Flip carefully with a spatula. Continue to cook at least five minutes more until the onions are done to your liking.

Grill burgers for approximately 10 minutes  for medium, flipping only once.  Adjust cooking time accordingly for desired temperature and remember, grill temperatures do vary.

Stir together the whipped cheese, horseradish and mustard.  Cover and heat on high in microwave for about 30 seconds, more or less as needed.  Remove from microwave and stir.

Serve on whole wheat buns. 

That onion slice is so big, you can barely see the tomato!  ;.)

To assemble, spread a little mayonnaise on the bottom layer of the bun.  Top with lettuce, tomato and a grilled onion slice.  Top the onion with a burger.  Top burger with cheese sauce and a dollop of the relish.

I served these with baked, frozen Sweet Potato Puffs by Alexia.

*I suggest you empty the onion soup mix into a bowl and stir to combine before measuring it out so you don't get all dried onion or soup mix in our pour.  Use half for the burgers.  Store the remainder in a covered container for another use.

No product was supplied to blogger and not an endorsement.

Wine Country on a Budget - And MK's Napa Burger

MK's Napa Burger
with Crispy Thyme Onions

As I mentioned in a previous post, Dan and I were recently in California wine country. 

http://welcometojustforcooking.blogspot.com/2011/10/wine-country-inspired-part-i.html

Tonight's recipe (pictured above), was also inspired by our trip. Being that we are on a tight budget, we wanted to explore as much as we could on our free days without breaking the bank.  I wanted to share a few tips with you before I post my recipe. 

This isn't exactly going to be "Forty Dollars a Day."  It will probably remind you more of Fran Drescher's parents on Rosie back in the the 90's talking about the "early bird specials."  ;.)

Hey, I do live in Florida.  When in Rome, or Leesburg...

 Dan and his friend at Cline

We had to make a quick visit to Cline winery, which is one of our favorites.  My husband, Dan, is also a great home cook.  He keeps a personal cooking notebook including his collection of recipes.  On the cover is a picture of Dan posing with this guy.  Every time we visit out there now, we just have to try to duplicate the picture. 

We are easily amused.

Unfortunately, Monday is "bus tour" day at the Cline winery, so we weren't able to really do any tasting.  We purchased our favorite bottle and quickly moved on.

After Cline, we visited our very, very favorite, Eric Ross Winey.  I am going to save writing about that one when I do my last "wine country inspired" post;  along with pictures from the mountains headed back to Napa that will take your breath away! 

From there we had a huge lunch at Cafe Citti in Kenwood. We had their famous clam pizza, which I have been dreaming about since I last had it in 2008.   It was better than I remembered!

Then, it was back to Napa!

If you are up for walking (which is the best way to taste wine), Downtown Napa has been totally re-vamped in the last few years.  One of the best deals is the "Taste Downtown Napa" wine card.  For $20 a person, you can visit eleven downtown wineries and wine shops.  Wines range in prices, and some are hard to find California wines (limited production) -- there is something for every palate and wallet. 

It will take you a couple of days to visit all of them - even we can't taste that much in a given day!   We actually started the walking tour on Sunday and finished it upon return from Sonoma on Monday. 

Each venue has it's own deal with the card, from full flights to a glass paired with a bit of chocolate. 

My favorites on the walking wine tour were  --

Mason (great tasting room experience and great wines).  The manager actually delivered the wine we purchased back to our hotel so we would not have to carry it.  Of course, we were staying at a downtown Napa location, so don't expect this service if you are staying up valley.  I have to write this obvious disclaimer because you know how goofy people are these days.  Someone planning on staying in Calistoga will read this and expect the same level of service.  ***Sigh***

With the card, The Napa General Store offered an upgrade of a half price premium tasting for $7.50 per person.  It's worth it, so take the deal if it's offered to you.  Great wines there!

And then there is Uncorked.  If you are visiting Uncorked on a weekend, be sure to ask for Tom.  Tom has a big personality.  He knows everything about the wines and is just engaging to listen to.   The wine club offer is one of the best I've seen.

Barrel Tasting
Uncorked, Napa, CA

Uncorked features Ahnfeldt Wines.  From the website; "Consulting Winemaker Paul Hobbs, assistant wine maker Julian Gonzalez, and Crossbarn operations director Jason Valenti will now be producing the Ahnfeldt and Carducci lines of premium wines."

For dinner we wanted something not too heavy.  We stopped by The Bounty Hunter .  This is also a stop on the wine card.  You get a free small glass of wine for just stopping in.  After all, the Bounty Hunter began as a way for people to get their hands on great wines.  


Now, it's so much more.  When you stop by, you are sure to stay to eat.  They do have the best BBQ in Napa.

Look at the big plate of food that we split for ten bucks;  BBQ Beef, pork and ribs, served with coleslaw.  Three sauces are served on the side.  Delish!

Monday night special at The Bounty Hunter

Not included on the wine card but a "must see" for wine lovers and movie buffs, you have got to stop in and visit GustavoThrace winery.  Gustavo was depicted in the hit comedy movie "Bottleshock."   

After tasting his wines, one thing is clear; Gustavo was born to be a winemaker!

Photo of Gustavo with actor Freddy Rodriguez
GustavoThrace Tasting Room, Napa, CA

Gustavo's business partner, Thrace, is a total sweetie and a talented winemaker in her own right.  When I asked Thrace, "So how does your tasting work?" She replied, "I pour it into a glass and you drink it."  

The tasting is free.  

FYI, Thrace Bromberger also has a her own brand of wine called Toolbox, which she crafts along with two other female winemakers, Katie Hamilton Schaffer and Nancy Otton.

Proceeds from Toolbox wines go to Habitat for Humanity.

The recipe I am posting tonight would pair well with Thrace's Toolbox Napa Valley Merlot or Beringer's Founder's Estate Merlot (one of my other personal favorites). Both wines are very reasonably priced.  And masterful Beringer Winemaker Laurie Hook is also a great example of the growing number of women who are conquering the wine making industry in California.  Love it! 

We are women, hear us roar!  Sorry.  I am an old feminist at heart.

Oh, yeah, I did promise you a recipe tonight.  In case you forgot, it looks like this:

With no further adieu, here is tonight's recipe; my own wine country inspired burger.  Now, you can use store-bought fig preserves, or you can make your own.  This recipe calls for store-bought. 

Whatever you decide, wine country on a budget never tasted so good!

For the Burger:

One pound of ground Meatloaf Mix (Veal, Pork and Beef or Pork and Beef)
1 tablespoon Grill Seasoning for Steak
1/2 cup crumbled Goat Cheese
1/4 cup Fig Preserves
2 sliced Ciabatta Rolls

For the Onions:
1 small sweet onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons dried Thyme

Other:  Cooking Spray; lettuce, sliced tomato

Add grill seasoning and goat cheese to meatloaf mixture.  Form into two even patties.

Spray non-stick skillet with cooking spray.  Cook burgers on one side for about five minutes.  Flip and continue to cook for another three-to-four minutes until burger reaches desired temperature.

Brush each burger with 1/2 of the fig preserves.

Meanwhile, saute onions in olive oil and melted butter.  Add in dried thyme.  Cook until onions are slightly crispy on the ends.

Serve on Ciabatta rolls with lettuce and tomato.  Top with onions.

PS -  The burger that's in the header on this page is my Cheddar-Chive Dijon Chicken Burger.   http://welcometojustforcooking.blogspot.com/2011/03/cheddar-chive-dijon-chicken-burgers.html

If you like burgers, simply type key word "burgers" in the search box at the top of the blog.

I'll be back with one more "wine country inspired" recipe this weekend!

Note:  Not a paid endorsement for the establishments or wineries contained within this post, and no product was supplied to blogger for use in this blog.

Easy Brat Burgers with German Mustard Potato Salad

Easy Brat Burgers
with German Mustard Potato Salad

I have been eyeing this product in the supermarket for some time now; 1/4 pound brat burgers.  You can also take a pound of fresh brats, take the casing off and form them into burgers.  If you are going to make your own, be mindful of what brand you buy to be sure the brat meat is course enough to make a patty.  You might also want to pan fry these.

I like these because they require no seasoning on the burger.  

Here's all I did to make a quick meal.  You are going to love this one on a busy fall weeknight!  I served it with a Sour Cream and Mustard Potato Salad (recipe also included).

Ingredients for the Burger:
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 Red Onion, sliced thin
1/2 Sweet Onion, sliced thin
1 Teaspoon dried Thyme
1 pound Brat Burgers
4 seeded Hamburger Buns

For the Sauce:**

1/2 cup Thousand Island Dressing
1 tablespoon ground bottled Horseradish
2 tablespoons Dill Relish*

*I know that Thousand Island already has relish in it.  You want the extra in the sauce for this burger. 

For the Potato Salad:

One pound Creamer Potatoes (small red), sliced into quarters (smaller ones) or eighths (larger ones)
1/4 cup German Style Stone Ground Mustard
2 stalks Celery, sliced
1/8 cup diced Onion
1/4 cup Sour Cream
1/4 teaspoon Celery Salt
1/4 teaspoon Paprika

Other - 
Sea Salt for boiling water
Fresh chopped chives for potato salad (optional)

For the burger:

Add olive oil to non stick pan.  Add onions and thyme.  Caramelize the onions, about 20-25 minutes.

Cook burger over 400 degree grill for about 5 minutes each side. 

Meanwhile, mix the ingredients for the sauce.

Serve burger topped with onion and sauce. 

For the Potato Salad:

Cook potatoes in salted oiling water until fork tender but not mushy.  Drain.

While potatoes are warm, add the mustard.  Let this sit at room temp until cooled.

Add remaining ingredients and chill until you are ready to serve.  You can mix in chopped chives before serving if using.

**Don't gave Thousand Island dressing on hand?  You can make it by using ketchup, yellow mustard, mayonnaise and dill or sweet relish (your preference on the relish).  The amount of each condiment that you use is to personal taste.  You can add the extra relish on top of the sauce for a nicer presentation (pictured).

Philly Cheese Steak Burgers

Dan loves Philly Cheese Steaks.  Who doesn't?  I wanted an excuse to use the first home-grown bell pepper of the season to be picked. I came up with this easy and delicious burger recipe inspired by the famous sandwich with a touch of English pub thrown in for good measure.

Using light Swiss Cheese and lean ground chuck helps to keep this recipe within my "Just for Cooking" healthy recipe guidelines.  Use whole wheat burger buns for an even healthier meal!

Philly Cheese Steak Burger

For the Burger:

1 1/4 pound lean Ground Chuck
2 tablespoons Grill Seasoning for Steak
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
Splash of Merlot Wine
4 slices Light Swiss Cheese

Other:
4 Hamburger Buns
Cooking Spray for Grill

Topping:

1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Butter
1 small Green Bell Pepper, sliced
1 large Sweet Onion, sliced
1 cup sliced white Mushrooms
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Coarse Sea Salt, to taste

Sauce:

1 tablespoon prepared Horseradish
3 tablespoons Canola Oil Mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Sour Cream
2 tablespoons freshly Chopped Chives

Spray grill with cooking spray.   Preheat grill to 400 degrees.

Mix all burger ingredients well - except for cheese - in large mixing bowl and form into four even patties. 

Place patties on grill and cook to 165 degrees, turning once (about 5-7 minutes each side).  Melt cheese over burger. 

Note:  I like to use a meat thermometer and I pull the burger just shy of this temp and place them under a tin foil tent.  The carryover cooking brings them to the perfect temp.  Grills vary so adjust cooking time accordingly.

On the side burner of the grill, add oil and butter to a cast iron skillet.  Add bell pepper and onion and cook for five minutes. 

Add mushrooms and pepper and cook for an additional five minutes.  Add salt to taste.

For the sauce, mix together all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use.  This step can be done in advance.

 Top with burger with sauce and then add the peppers, onions and mushrooms. 

Cheesy Chicken-Veggie Burgers

Want the kids (or your big kid) to eat more vegetables?  Try these yummy, cheesy chicken burgers laced with goodness from the garden. 



Cheesy Chicken-Veggie Burger
Topped withWhiskey Steak Sauce Onions
Served on a fresh Onion Roll



I’ve posted chicken burger recipes in the past;

http://welcometojustforcooking.blogspot.com/2011/03/blue-cheese-chicken-chive-burgers-with.html

http://welcometojustforcooking.blogspot.com/2011/03/cheddar-chive-dijon-chicken-burgers.html

Of all of the different types of chicken burgers I make, Dan said this one is his favorite.  He ate two burgers last night. 

Note:  I like to serve these with onions sautéed with Paula Deen’s Whiskey Steak Sauce.  We top it off with a little more of the steak sauce for good measure.  For kids you might want to put out all the usual suspects; ketchup, mustard, and pickles.  Or come up with your own list of toppings. 

You can make these burgers inside on a pan.  If you want to make them on the grill (I recommend this so that you get the smoked flavor), line your grill with heavy duty tin foil sprayed with cooking spray for the grill.  These burgers are cheesy, and they are also very delicate.

Cheesy Chicken-Veggie Burger
1 lb. Ground Chicken

1 cup grated Zucchini

½ cup grated Carrot

2 tablespoons grated Sweet Onion

1 tablespoon Grill Seasoning for Chicken

2-3 dashes Worcestershire Sauce

4 oz. 2% Milk Velveeta® Cheese, cut into bite sized chunks

Other:  Cooking Spray for Grill

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Form into four even-sized patties, making sure that there are chunks of cheese in each.

Line grill with tin foil sprayed with cooking spray.  Preheat Grill to 400°.  Grill over a medium heat, turning once, until internal temperature reaches 175°, or until juices run clear. 

Important Note:   Because grills vary and you are lining the grill with tin foil, go for the temperature, not the time.  On my grill, these took about 25 minutes. 

Need a side dish suggestion?  Try serving these with Grill-fried Green Tomatoes. 

Simply add sliced green tomatoes to a tin foil pan.  Drizzle with Canola oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.   Cook these along side the burgers for about 20 minutes over low heat, turning once. 

Once these are done, transfer to a clean cooking sheet sprayed with cooking spray and top with Lemon Panko Breadcrumbs and a drizzle of Canola oil.  Broil for about five minutes until crumb topping is Brown. 

I served these with a simple horseradish sauce made with bottled Horseradish, Canola Oil Mayo and Sour Cream.  Fresh chives are optional.

Southwestern Pork and Bean Burgers

Southwestern Pork and Bean Burgers



I had ground pork in the freezer, a can of pinto beans and a can of mild enchilada sauce in the pantry.  I wanted to do something different.  This burger rocks!

Makes 4 Burgers

Bean Seasoning Mixture:

1 – 10 z can Mild Enchilada Sauce

1 Jalapeño Pepper, seeded and chopped

1 – 16 ounce can Pinto Beans

1 – 12 ounce light Beer

1 tablespoon Chili Powder

1 tablespoon course Sea Salt

1 tablespoon ground Cumin

2 tablespoons Masa dissolved in 2 tablespoons of cold water

For the Burgers:

1 lb. Ground Pork

½ cup Kraft brand Mexican Style Four Cheese (With a Touch of Philadelphia)*

1 cup hand-crushed Tortilla Strips or Chips (tri-color)

¼ teaspoon fresh Culantro, chopped

¼ teaspoon fresh Chives, chopped

4 – 8 inch Whole Wheat Tortillas

Other:  Cooking Spray for Grill

Suggested Toppings:

Sliced Avocado

Sliced Tomato

Chopped Green Leaf Lettuce

Bottled Salsa Verde

Sour Cream

*Not a paid endorsement

In medium non-stick sauce pan, mix all ingredients for the Bean Seasoning Mixture EXCEPT for Masa and water. 

Bring to boil.  Cover.  Reduce to summer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add Masa and water and stir in well.  Mash beans using a potato masher. 

Note:  You can find Masa in the ethnic food aisle of your supermarket.  If you cannot find Masa, you can crumble up one corn tortilla and add that to the bean mixture while it’s still in liquid form to thicken it up.

Stir.   Bring to boil again.  Cover and reduce to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Cool completely.  You should now have the consistency of refried beans;  yield approximately one cup.

I like to make the bean seasoning in advance and keep it in plastic container in the refrigerator until ready to use.  You can make it a day or two earlier to save time.

Note:  If you taste the bean mixture prior to mixing it with the pork, it will taste salty to you.  It’s not created a side dish.  It’s a seasoning bean mixture, so that extra sea salt enhances the flavor of the burgers.

To make the burgers, mix ground pork, cheese, chopped herbs and one cup of the seasoning bean mixture together (mix it well).  Form into four equal size patties.

Preheat grill to 400°.

I recommend that you place a tin foil spayed with cooking spray on your grill.  Brown burgers on both sides on the foil, about three minutes, before transferring them to the grates.  Otherwise, these burgers will stick. 

Grill burgers approximately 15 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165°, turning once, until juices run clear.  Grills vary, so adjust cooking time accordingly. 

Top tortilla with lettuce and tomato slices.  Add burger.  Top with sliced avocado and Salsa Verde.  

I like to serve these burgers with grilled sweet potato wedges.

I brush the potatoes with olive oil and then coat them in cinnamon sugar and grill them up in tin foil packs. 

Cheddar-Chive & Dijon Chicken Burgers

Mama Pirri is in the hospital recovering from an operation.  ;.(   We appreciate all the good thoughts and prayers.  Keep them coming!

This week has been nuts, and it's only Tuesday.  Like most people with crazy lives, I have a few quick dishes in my repertoire.  This dinner will take you no time at all.  Keep these ingredients on hand for a quick meal any night of the week. 

This burger is so creamy and rich, you'll think you're cheating on your diet!  It's actually good for you! 

DON'T FORGET:  You can click on any of my food pics to enlarge them!  Yum!  You will want to try that out on tonight's blog, for sure!

Cheddar-Chive & Dijon Chicken Burgers

A savory chicken burger, hot off the grill!



2 lbs. Ground Chicken

2 Tablespoons Grill Seasoning for Chicken

1 Cup Shredded Fat Free Cheddar Cheese*

½ Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Chives

1 Tablespoon plus one Teaspoon Dijon Mustard

1 Teaspoon dried Thyme

8 large White Mushrooms, finely diced

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.  Divide into six 1/3 lb. patties.  Grill over open flame about ten minutes each side, turning once, until internal temperature reaches 160° and juices run clear.

Serve on Whole Wheat or Whole Grain Bun with Green Leaf Lettuce, Dijon-Caper Mayo and Worcestershire Red Onions.

*For a cheesy-er burger, add chunks of cheese instead!

Dijon-Caper Mayo

4 Tablespoons Canola Oil Mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

1 Tablespoon Capers

Mix all ingredients.  Chill before serving.  Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to a week.

Worcestershire Red Onions

3 small or one extra large Red Onion, sliced wafer thin

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Butter

3 Dashes Worcestershire Sauce

Add olive oil and butter  to medium skillet.  Caramelize onions over low heat.  Add Worcestershire sauce.  Stir and serve.



Suggestion: 
Serve with my Light Blue Cheese Bacon Ranch Potato Salad!

Yes, for a picture-perfect burger I should have put that single olive on a toothpick on top.  I know this!  I couldn't bring myself to put a toothpick through that perfect Kaiser roll!  Is that perfection, or what???

Sometimes, it's best not to mess with food perfection!

I'll be posting the Blue Cheese Ranch Potato Salad Recipe in a soon-to be blog called "Summertime Salads."  Stay tuned for that post!

Check out Mama Pirri's recipes and leave her good wishes! 

http://welcometojustforcooking.blogspot.com/2011/01/all-that-and-can-of-beans.html

http://welcometojustforcooking.blogspot.com/2011/01/mama-pirris-sausage-and-peppers.html