It’s grilling time here in Northern California. While this normally means making up a batch of burgers or dogs to appease the always-starving hordes of small people running around our house, every once in a while it’s also time to get seriously creative and try something new and completely different.

This recipe is inspired completely by my wife.  We were discussing her preference for thinner burgers vs. the thick ones that my boys and I generally prefer when she stated matter-of-factly “If they’re stuffed I like them thick!  you should have tried the feta stuffed lamb burgers I had the other day. “

I couldn’t argue that feta stuffed lamb sounded amazing.  In fact, since I had a freezer full of ground lamb that had been diverted from another recipe I wasn’t equipped to handle right now, it sounded absolutely perfect.  Feta is always on hand and low and behold, I even had some buns tucked in a corner.

Armed with the most fantastic method from Savory Sweet Life on how to form the perfect patty (which is also the ultimate method for making a stuffed patty) and a circle cutter just slightly larger than the buns I was using, I set out.

This method of forming patties is remarkably simple and yields absolutely perfect, uniform patties every time.  My circle cutter is pretty tall, so we ended up with 4 very substantial patties.  If I’d used a lid as suggested in the original article I probably would have ended up with 6 or 8 but big is good when feeding pre-teens and I was happy with the results.

I decided that I needed something besides the standard lettuce, onion and tomato topping and opted for thin slices or cucumber and radish.  The boys still went for lettuce which is fine by me, but for my tastes these toppings were perfect.

Note, there were no condiments used here. These burgers were more than juicy enough to stand without them.  If you really must have some kind of sauce, try tzatziki or some yogurt with a squeeze of lemon juice and dill or mint.  You definitely don’t want to overpower the burgers themselves.

What’s your favorite grilling recipe?  Are you a burger and potato salad type or do you go for chicken, pork or ribs?  Have you ever made a stuffed burger? We’d love to know!

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Popularity: 8% [?]

What’s a great day in front of the TV without a great snack?  Whether it’s movie night, game day or just an evening of watching TV with the kids (every Saturday they get to pick the shows), a snack is called for and in my opinion it’s hard to beat a good homemade bean dip.

Aside from being a lot healthier than sour cream based dips, bean dip tends to hold up better to serious snacking, especially when there are two pre-teen boys or a group of men involved.  it’s more filling, far more savory and suited as a condiment for a slew of different applications, including burritos.

This is a simple recipe that tastes best if allowed to sit for a few hours before serving.  The flavors never seem to come together unless it has a chance to rest.  When ready to serve just sprinkle with some cheese, bake for a few minutes and enjoy!  You’ll be glad you did.

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Popularity: 4% [?]

Are you looking for something simple, satisfying and perfect for polite company or a living room full of game fans?  If so, I have just the recipe for you today.  It’s a mouthful of flavor in a small package.  The perfect finger food for a party of any kind.  In a word, it’s delectable.

I was thinking about the mushroom and Swiss burger at my favorite diner when I came up with this. It became something I just couldn’t shake.  I had to do something about the craving for mushrooms and cheese before it drove me mad (or to the Diner for a $9.00 burger plate I’d never be able to finish!)

The end result satisfied my cravings perfectly.  It also turned out to be an exceptional dish in its own right. It’s meaty, savory and perfect nosh food.  It’s good hot, great at room temperature and not too bad chilled.  the flavors are bold but the package is small, so there is no need to eat too much, just nibble to your heart’s content and enjoy the flavors.

One warning…  These are addictive, so you might want to make sure you have double the ingredients on hand, just in case…

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Popularity: 4% [?]

Texas has its own rules when it comes to cuisine. I’ve seen foods here that I’d never heard of prior to meeting and marrying a Texan, then moving to her state as well. (O.K. She’s an Expat, we’re just stationed here, her license plates are Alaskan.)

This little gem is a tribute to football games, warm Texan nights and the fact that foods, especially snack foods, change by region.

Ladies and gentle-people, I give you the venerable Frito Pie!

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Popularity: 2% [?]