I really enjoy Trader Joe’s buffalo burger patties when preparing grilled burgers. This is a great way to take a traditional cheese burger up a notch, not only in flavor, but also health and buffalo tends to be pretty lean.
Although these are patties are only 80% lean, I like cooking them on a copper grill mat which allows a significant portion of the fat to be rendered without making a mess of your grill or carcinogenic flare-ups.
These patties are quite delicious and they are also both hormone and antibiotic free if those concerns are part of your healthy eating criteria.
- 3 ounces Trader Joe’s 80% Lean Buffalo Burger
- 1 slice Follow Your Heart Dairy-Free Mozzarella Style Cheese
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon onion power
- Plus whatever condiments e.g., mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup… and dressings (e.g., lettuce, onion, tomato, avocado….)
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Season each patty with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to your taste.
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Bring grill up to a medium temperature (300F +/- 50F)
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Cook patty for 3-5 minutes per side or until done (internal temperature of 165F)
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Assemble burger to your taste. Serve alone or with traditional side dishes such as potato or macaroni salad or perhaps a crisp dill pickle.
Wine & Beer Pairing:
This summertime treat goes great with beer. Here are some recommendations. If you lean towards something light and fresh, consider a Hefeweizen or Pale Ale. If you like a little fuller bodied beer, then perhaps a Lager, Belgium Ale or an IPA. And if you want something darker and fuller yet, consider a Porter or Black Lager.
Cost:
This can be a very reasonable meal costing $2.50-$3.50 per plate plus your side dishes. At that cost, this is competitive with going out for fast food burgers and much cheaper than a burger is a restaurant.
Time and Effort:
This can be a very efficient meal as it takes very little effort and minimal clean-up.
Alex Approved:
This recipe is quite satisfactory for Alex as long as it is dressed to his specifications (i.e., no lettuce, tomato and so on).
Leftovers:
Burgers do not make the best leftovers, especially if already dressed and in the bun. On the other hand, they are not all that bad either and make for a pretty delicious lunch, at work or school, even cold.
Health:
This is a surprisingly healthy meal, especially when you consider it is a cheeseburger. I am listing the full fat content in the nutritional facts but it is my opinion that that the fat content after cooking is 30-50% less. This dish consumes 30% of a sodium sensitive diet allotment and if you don’t consider what portion of the saturate fat that is rendered through the cooking process, this burger consumes the full recommended allotment for a cholesterol sensitive diet and half the actual cholesterol. Bottom line, if you really have to have a gourmet burger, but need to watch your sodium, saturated fat and cholesterol, this might just be the ticket.