I have to admit, one of my all-time favorite dinners is a juicy burger and crispy fries. I guess that makes me a true-blue American! It’s summer, grilling season, and I’m sure many of us will eat a few burgers over the next few months. So let’s talk how to do burgers well!
I had been hiking all morning with my husband, and come dinner time, I was exhausted. I was tempted to suggest going out to eat—that’s what we had done the last time we went hiking all day. But I decided against it this time, because I had planned ahead and had all the items needed for a burger meal at home. Burgers, buns, toppings, potatoes and watermelon.
Now admittedly, a burger and fries meal is not going to be the lightest meal in my collection. Even though it’s not the poster child of health, it can certainly be done smart. Here’s a comparison of the home-made burger and fries to a restaurant version.
The biggest difference is portion size—so yes, it is possible to go out and eat a smaller portion. Most likely though, we are going to eat more at the restaurant than we would at home. Although it is more effort, it’s a pretty easy meal. And the truth is the home-made burger was just as good!
A word about the fries--This is one of my favorite ways to serve potatoes. Boiling the potatoes ahead of time makes the baking process so much faster, and this can be done any time. Once you are preparing dinner, broil them for a few minutes and they get nice and crispy. And they are pretty healthy! Also they re-heat very well--just stick them back under the broiler for a few more minutes.
Calorie Saving Tips:
Make your own patties—most frozen patties are 5-6 ounces, so if you make your own, you can use 3-4 oz of ground beef and save 80+ calories.
Use a sandwich thin bun, or skip the bun all together and save 100-200 calories.
Skip the cheese and save 50 calories.
Skip the mayo and save 80-100 calories (mustard has 0 calories)
The Meal:
5 oz Hamburger Patty
½ oz cheese
Brioche Bun
Lettuce, tomato, pickles, mustard, ketchup, mayo
1 cup baked fries with 1 Tbsp ketchup
2 wedges of watermelon
Recipes Used in this meal:
Hearty Hamburgers
Serving size: 4
Ingredients
4 frozen Ground Sirloin burgers
4 tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
4 Buns
2 oz Cheddar Cheese (sliced)
Lettuce, tomato, pickle (sliced)
Condiments as desired
Directions
Light grill, set to High, and close lid to allow to heat (about 5 minutes).
Season frozen burger patties, and place on grill. Thawing is not necessary
Grill burgers until internal temperature of 160.
Slice lettuce, tomato, cheese and other desired toppings.
Prepare bun with desired condiments.
Place cheese on top of hot burger, and place on bun. Serve immediately.
Crispy Baked Fries
Serving size: 4
Ingredients
5 potatoes
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
½ tsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp Seasoned Salt
¼ tsp Garlic Powder
Directions:
Wash and scrub potatoes. Peel if desired.
Slice into thin strips, and place in medium sauce pan.
Cover with water and boil till tender (about 6-7 minutes).
Drain water and dump potatoes into a large bag.
Add 1 Tbsp olive oil, and seasonings. Shake until well coated.
Place on foil-lined baking sheet, and broil in oven until browned and crispy (about 6-7 minutes).
Nutrition Facts Label for Entire Meal:
Nutrition Facts Label for Hamburger:
Nutrition Facts Label for Baked Fries:
