Recipe: Our Family’s Favorite Burgers

Our Family’s Favorite Burgers

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef (or two 20 ounce pkgs of ground turkey)
2 tablespoons dried minced onions
1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional – only if you like it spicier)
1/2 teaspoon paprika

1. Mix all spices together in small bowl, then combine with ground meat in large bowl. Mix with your hands to combine well. (I use plastic food service gloves for this part!).
2. Shape meat into 8-10 patties.*
3. Grill until done, flipping burgers halfway through cooking time.

*If preparing burgers to freeze (why NOT do all the dirty work at once?): Shape into patties, then freeze raw meat on wax paper-lined cookie sheets for 8-12 hours or until just frozen. Package in freezer bags in meal-sized portions for your family. To prepare, thaw in refrigerator overnight or in microwave, then grill.

Notes

• Substitute fresh ground turkey for a lower-fat version. I use two 20 ounce packages of 93/7 Lean Ground Turkey (Aldi sells these regularly for $3.29) in place of the 2 pounds of ground beef listed above.
• If you prefer more flavor in your burgers, use only 1 pound ground beef/turkey with the spices listed in the recipe above. It will pack a bigger punch! My kids prefer it a little milder, so we double the meat for the same amount of spices.
• When ground meat is on sale, take advantage of this recipe! Mix a big batch of burgers, prepare and freeze! It’s nice to have these ready quickly to throw on the grill – we use it as an emergency dinner idea when time is tight, since the burgers thaw quickly in the microwave.