Cheddar Stuffed Lettuce Burgers with Spicy Mayo
The first thing I'm going to say is that you will NOT miss the bun. Honestly. Seriously. Literally. You won't. How do I know this? Because I didn't miss it. And this is coming from a person who would much rather have a piece of crusty bread over a cookie. As in, I like bread. A lot. But in the vein of healthy eating, I decided to lighten up my dinner some by getting rid of it. And I wasn't going to be the girl who ate her burger with a knife and fork, so the lettuce as bread was perfect. I know this isn't exactly a novel idea, but it works for me. And it's a great way to cut out extra carbs, especially in your kids diets! And the best part? I made it in 10 minutes...
The only pre-planning is to take your meat out of the fridge for about 10 minutes before you touch it. This is because you never want to shock cold meat in a screaming hot pan. Start by heating up a pan on med-high heat. Then, form your beef (Since I was nixing the bread, I used beef with a little higher fat count than I typically do: 80/20) into two, flat, 3 oz patties about 3/4 inch thick. Like dough, meat becomes tougher the more you work with it, so no kneading here; just be gentle. In one patty, create a small well in the middle, and add 1 oz of shredded cheddar cheese (use more or less depending on how cheesy you're feelin'). Then lay the other patty on top and seal the edges as securely as you can with your fingers. Place it in the pan and don't touch it for three minutes! If you move it around in the pan, you'll lose the crust on the surface of the burger. While it's cooking, assemble your plate with whatever toppings you like. I was going for simple here, so I mixed 1/4 tsp of paprika with 1T of mayonnaise and spread that on one piece of romaine lettuce, sliced a tomato and onion and placed them on the other piece of lettuce.
After three minutes, flip your burger and cook for another 3 minutes for medium rare, 4 for medium, and 5-6 for well done. I did mine medium rare. (TayTip: NEVER press down on your burger with your spatula because it releases the natural juices from the meat. Natural means flavor!) Set it on top of your lettuce and dig in!
This is an ideal way to still be satisfied while eating low-carb. You can also use ground turkey or bison which are even leaner meats, but like I said, you have to indulge somewhere, right? I use extra sharp cheddar because it doesn't get lost in the mix of juicy meat, crunchy onions, or bursting tomatoes. The spicy mayo is a nice kick and the lettuce is deliciously crisp. Kid friendly, and Taylor approved. I'm not ashamed to say I licked my fingers...and part of the plate. Buon appetito!
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