Help me turn a burger into a nice meal for two!

(Brian) #1

I’ve had a hankerin’ for a good hamburger. For a while now, my appetite seems to go back to wanting a good burger. Well, no problem, really. I can make a good burger and I have everything I need for that part of it. I have a sous vide and I have numerous recipes that will make some really tender ones.

The problem is, what to have with it. The typical stuff that goes with in the previous way of eating was stuff like french fries or baked beans, neither of which are so easy to make keto friendly. Hmm.

I can make a keto bun. There are numerous recipes out there for those. Then again, I wouldn’t have to have a bun at all if I didn’t want to go that route, or if the burger were a star that didn’t mind being necked. :wink: :wink:

I’m usually pretty good at coming up with stuff like this but I keep drawing a blank. Anybody have any suggestions?

Thanks!

(Renee Slaughter) #2

While transitioning and missing fries,I I did baked zucchini fries. There are several recipies on YouTube. Super easy

#3

Burgers love toppings. I like bacon and cheese and avocado and mushrooms but some people like egg too. Maybe a lil onion. On a bed of spinach. You could even make like a creamy sauce with heavy cream and cheese, why not!

You could make a side salad with fatty dressing. You could get some yummy veg like asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli and steam, roast, or braised it in salt water or Bone broth and then saute in bacon grease or butter or oil.

I’ve heard roasted radishes are the keto potatoes. I bought a bunch but haven’t made them yet.

(Brian) #4

Definitely want some toppings.

Hmmm… zucchini fries. That one’s kinda talkin’ to me. :slight_smile:

#5

I dig a big burger with mushrooms and pepperjack cheese. No bun, just fork. I also tend to have a side of veggies or a salad with it. Sometimes, if I have a good amount of carbs left, we do keto onion rings.

(Brian) #6

I’m totally in with the mushrooms but my better half wouldn’t eat them. Toppings would be pretty close to a salad the way she likes 'em so that’s good.

I wasn’t sure what kind of cheese. Was even debating about whether I wanted to put the cheese inside of the burgers rather than on top. But pepper jack would add a nice flavor.

:slight_smile:

(Jay AM) #7

Burger patty topped with jarlsberg (or other strong tasty cheese like sharp cheddar), guacamole, tomato slice, onion slice, with another burger patty on top. You could stop there and enjoy your burger sandwich. Or, you could add melted butter mixed with smoked paprika. Basically, turn your burgers into the main and side dishes.

(Sophie) #8

If I use my gas grill for hamburgers I usually melt some smoked gouda on them. If I use my Foreman grill inside I just slice up onions and bell peppers and cook those along side the burgers. When I make the gas grilled/smoked gouda burgers I normally have Country Cole Slaw (I reverse engineered this slaw from a popular local BBQ joint) to go with …

Country Cole Slaw
1/2 large head of cabbage, rough chopped (3/4-1" pieces)
2 med. ripe tomatoes, rough chopped
3-4 tbs mayo
1tbs celery seed
celery salt to taste

Mix well, but be sparing of the mayo depending on how juicy your tomatoes are. You don’t want it sloppy. Refrigerate for a few hours, until ready to serve.

ETA: This slaw in the one thing that I usually take to all those covered dish deals that everybody wants you to go to that you can’t eat anything at because it’s all carbs. I know I’ll have at least one thing I can eat 'cos I’m selfish that way.

CountrySlaw
CountrySlaw.jpg589×600 100 KB

12 Days of Christmas
(GINA ) #9

I like a hamburger ‘salad’ with 1000 Island dressing. I make it at home with SF ketchup and relish. With grilled onions is even better.

(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #10

I like a deconstruction.
No bun.
Burger patty
side of bacon
brick of cheese
sauteed onions
Fried egg
whatever you’d put on top, just put on the side, and serve the burger like a steak.

#11

Mmm brick of cheesemild-brick

(Brian) #12

Mmm, mmm!!! So many good thoughts! Thanks very much for replying to my post. :slight_smile:

I think it’s gonna be pretty simple. It’ll be a large burger, I’m leaning towards “stuffed” and only briefly seared off before eating. I picked up some zucchini and have in mind to make some “zucchini fries” even though we both know they’re not even like real french fries. (My wife’s face kinda lit up last night when I mentioned that as a “maybe” for a side.) We do have some “fixin’s” that would go on a burger… lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, that kind of stuff so we could either go “side salad” style, or “build your own” style and be just fine. Slaw is definitely a possibility but I don’t know if I’ll need it this time. It’s easy to overdo and make too much.

Now to work out the timing so that it all happens at just the right time…

:slight_smile:

(Brian) #13

Sophie, that is an interesting slaw recipe. I don’t think I’ve had one that used tomatoes before. Depending upon the tomato, that could add some “acid” to the dish rather than using lemon juice or vinegar, which is pretty common. Gonna have to try that one of these days. (I have a few tomatoes but not quite enough at the moment.)

Thanks for the suggestion! :slight_smile:

(KCKO, KCFO) #14

I like roasted brussels sprouts with bacon bits as a side to my naked burgers these days. I also like to top the burger with blu cheese and buffalo hot sauce.

Roasted cauliflower would also be a good side for a burger too.

I have always like cole slaw with burgers anyway, so nice to see a recipe for a new one in here, good topic.

(Brian) #15

Oh, yeah, we like 'em, too. Of late, they usually get cooked and then a little browned butter drizzled over them. Mmmm, mmm. :slight_smile: Good eats. :slight_smile:

(Sophie) #16

Winter tomatoes are ok but the summer 'maters are outstanding! I’ve also noticed that I never have any of it left over, damn carb burners. :smirk:

(Brian) #17

Yes, tomatoes were a challenge. They’re not in season around here and the best I could find were some cherry tomatoes from North Carolina. Hoping they’ll have at least a little tomato flavor. I’m anxiously awaiting tomatoes from the garden but it will probably be July.

Zucchini not being in season either gave me sticker shock. The dang things are like weeds, can’t give 'em away, in the summer time. But now, you’d think they’re made of gold. But I wanted to try out the recipe so I sprang for a couple of small ones anyway.

I’m really hoping I can put some garden stuff in the freezer this year and maybe even get a little greenhouse going. Good food is expensive… but we gotta try anyway. :slight_smile:

(Sophie) #18

I’ve made it with cherry tomatoes. I usually only buy that type in the winter anyway. The rest just taste…red. :confounded:

I place said zucchini in a bag, drop it on an unsuspecting neighbors doorstep and RUN LIKE HELL! I call it a Zucchini Bomb. :blush:

(Marie Dantoni) #19

Try using 2 portobello mushroom caps as the bun. Melt some swiss over it and serve with slaw.

(Brian) #20

LOL!!! That’s one way to get some exercise! :smiley: