Sundried Tomato Burgers

Summer may be over, but burgers are never out of season.  Juicy and filling, they a make perfect cold weather supper when paired with the right sides.  I view them as sort of a “blank slate” because they are a versatile vehicle for so many different variations, flavors, ingredients, etc.  My go-to burger is an herb turkey burger made with herbs and ground turkey (shocking, huh?).  It’s easy to make and tastes great with a variety of side dishes to accompany it.

But I’ll admit, sometimes the cook just gets tired of the same-old, same-old and needs to change it up!  Turkey burgers are tasty, but after making them all summer long, I was ready for a change of pace this weekend and a new flavor palate to work with.  Italian?  Asian?  Good ol’ midwestern Wisconsin style burgers?  My wheels were turning.

After picking up some grass-fed ground beef at Whole Foods on Saturday, I came home still clueless as to what I could stuff those burgers with or top them with for a flavor variation.  With a peek in the pantry and a quick scan of the fridge, I had it: Italian sundried tomato burgers with herbs, onions, garlic, and–of course–Parmesan cheese.

For a side dish, what better than a big platter of roasted autumn vegetables fresh from the farmer’s market?  In the summer months, a big bowl of potato salad or cole slaw would be just the ticket for a side dish, but right now with beets, beautiful potatoes, carrots, and squash pouring into markets, they seem to sneak into my dinners 3 or 4 nights per week.  (Last night, for example, I made a stew with parsnips and carrots…I’ll try to remember to post the recipe later this week.)

Burgers, root veggies, and a nice bright green salad.  A great autumn dinner.  Who said supper had to be some fancy, gourmet meal that takes hours to make?  That’s fun to do once in a while, but sometimes the classics–the old standbys your mom used to make–are the perfect answer to the “what’s for dinner” question.  Enjoy!

(Note: this post is part of Slightly Indulgent Mondays.)

 

Italian Sundried Tomato Burgers

1 lb. grass-fed ground beef

8 sundried tomatoes (dry-packed), reconstituted in hot water*, then finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 medium garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

4 tbs. grated parmesan cheese, divided

Combine beef, tomatoes, herbs, onion, garlic, and salt in large bowl and combine with your hands until all ingredients are evenly distributed.  Divide mixture into four patties of equal size.

Cook on hot grill pan or in skillet for 5 minutes per side.  Remove from heat.  Top each burger with 1 tbs. parmesan cheese, then cover pan with lid to melt cheese.  Serve with whole grain buns.

*Note: to reconstitute sundried tomatoes, cover with a cup or so of boiling water and allow to sit for 15-20 minutes.  Drain and proceed with recipe.

 

Roasted Autumn Vegetables

4 small-medium beets, peeled and cubed into 1 inch pieces

2 large carrots, peeld and cut into 1 inch chunks

1 to 1 1/2 pounds small golden or red potatoes, halved

Olive oil

Salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 400-degrees.  Toss beets with a bit of olive oil and salt.  Arrange on half of baking sheet and roast 10 minutes.  While they roast, combine remaining veggies with more oil and salt.  After the beets have roasted for 10 minutes, arrange them on the other half of the baking sheet in even layer and roast another 25-30 minutes until browned and tender.

 

(UPDATE 10/9: This post is part of Food Renegade’s Fight Back Fridays.)

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