PHEW what a week! Happy Friday to you and thanks for stopping in again for another food filled post. I was unsure as to what to have for dinner on Wednesday night as I was getting ready for work in the morning – when I remembered that I had some lean ground beef in the freezer. Every time I would open the freezer it would make a little chirp to me that it was too cold and wanted to be cooked. I could only take that for so long so finally I took it out to thaw and here we are today.
I was kind of in the mood for a cheeseburger but was unsure because we had no whole wheat buns to go with it and really any toppings outside of mustard and ketchup but I convinced myself…. GO FOR IT!
What a reward…. take a look at this. I topped a few with cheese and left a few without for a leftover treat that you will see next week. I may have even impressed Mrs. Zesty to a whole new level.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs Lean ground beef
- 2 Cloves garlic ( chopped)
- 1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbsp. Dried/frozen basil
- Cheddar/marble cheese
- 1 Tsp. Chili powder
- 1 Tsp. Dried Thyme
- 1 Tsp. Salt
- 1 Tsp. Black pepper
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- In a large bowl, add ground beef and all the dry ingredients and mix well together.
- Form patties and place on roasting rack.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until no longer pink inside the meat ( you can peek if you need to)
- Remove from oven and top with cheese; place back in the oven until melted.
- ENJOY!
Have you ever tried this frozen basil before. It is amazing. So fresh and so convenient especially in the off season.
Zesty Tip: When baking ground beef, I like to use the roasting pan with slats in it to allow the grease to follow away from the meat. This ensures you are getting the leanest most healthy form of that particular meat.
This little treat goes well with a side of salad or just on it’s own between your favorite whole grain bun. Heck I just eat them by itself. Sometimes you can’t just beat a homemade cheeseburger. What is your little trick you put in your ground beef/turkey/chicken before cooking it to add that flavor you love?
Around the Blogsphere
Well as I have been wandering around the blogsphere this week…. I have bumped into a couple of wicked recipes that are must try’s in my books. Take a look over here and let me know what you think.
- A recipe for stove-top granola by the Hungry Yogini. This will knock your socks off for sure and I cannot wait to try it.
- A somewhat genius idea for salad dressings can be found over at Choosing Raw. This I have to sink my gums into.
- And last but not least… I found two things I love wrapped into one over at Joy’s site – Can you believe an Avocado Pound Cake? YUM!
That is all I have for this week. I hope everyone has a decent fun filled friday and a great weekend. Today is the last day you can tell all your friends about the Blog Makeover giveaway so “Let it out” and I will be announcing the poor soul that has to work with me for a makeover on MONDAY!
Take care
zesty
Related posts:
- Zesty’s Ultimate Cheeseburger
- What A Roasted Garlic Lemon Chicken
- Beans, Basil and Balsamic!
- 9 Minute Garlic Zucchini
- Flank and Coffee
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Whether it is about recipes, food techniques, food tips, or meal suggestions in a rush - this is your one stop food shop. When I was sitting at home - I always wanted to write a blog and help people in everyday life come up with innovative and different approaches to food. So here it is - released for all to see - I hope you enjoy!
yum! These burgers look awesome. I LOVE marbled cheese – it’s so pretty
Happy Friday Zesty!
The garlic and basil are a great addition to the burger.
Have a great weekend Cory!
yum! my kind of burgers!
Oh dude. You’re killing me. I love cheeseburgers. I also love frozen basil, it’s a lifesaver.
Two things: never heard of frozen basil – genius! And I’ve never baked burgers before – never even thought of that – my cast iron grill pan smokes my kitchen up so bad when I grill indoors – great idea!
And I look forward to talking to you on Monday when you pick my blog for the makeover!
Happy Friday!
I never thought to bake burgers before! Great idea to keep them a bit healthier by using a roasting pan!
I don’t even eat beef and those burgers are making my mouth water… YUM!!! I do love chicken/turkey/veggie burgers. I like to add greek yogurt to the burgers before cooking – makes them super moist!
Can you give me the name of who makes the Basil and/or where it can be purchased?
@Skip – I purchased it from Loblaws which is a Canadian Grocery store. But frozen basil should be available pretty much everywhere. Where are you located?
zesty
Thanks so much for getting back to me. I live in Cincinnati Ohio.
We love making and eating burgers here, especially cheeseburgers. We usually grill ours. I love that cheese too. Wish I could take a bite right now.
I think you just made my husband’s day. I saw this and said “I just saw a recipe that makes me want a cheeseburger.” He of course responded with “awesome, I’m happy to help you eat them whenever you want!
I never want hamburgers – but basil and garlic? Flavor additions that make it sound delicious – enough that I’m sad I’ve already eaten dinner tonight. Yum.
Looks so delicious. I love making my own burger patties and experimenting with what to put inside. Garlic and basil is a great combination!
Oh wow, look at that cheese! These look mouthwatering.
Jenn
The cheese makes this thing look amazing. My husband loves anything that resembles hamburger helper (i guess he ate a lot of that growing up..so did I..) and this seems like it would have that taste! YUM!
-Sylvia