Burger Bag Cheeseburgers

Cheeseburgers are an absolute favorite in this house. My son could eat them everyday. Even when we order Mexican takeout and ask him "hard shell or soft shell taco?" His answer is always the same: "cheeseburber."

I'll never forget when I was preparing this dish one day and I was singing along with Jimmy Buffett to "Cheeseburger in Paradise." My (then almost three year old) son points to his face and in perfect tune sings "Cheeseburbers and a pair of eyeeees." It was one of those mom moments where you laugh so hard you cry and swear your kid could not be cuter. They say the best things, don't they?

Today I'm sharing the easiest (and healthiest!) way to our favorite meal. No need to patty the meat or start the grill. You simply BAKE the burgers.  These juicy patties are delicious enough for a weekend meal but simple enough for a weeknight dinner. 

Once you taste this twist on a classic, you'll never go back. And it's certainly faster than piling everyone into the car and ordering drive thru! 

Burger Bags:

Click here to follow my freezer trick for "Burger Bags." You'll have meat stocked and ready for when the craving hits.

This method preps the meat by freezing in an 8 inch square patty.  Once thawed, you'll prep your 8x8 baking dish, tear open the burger bag and flip meat into it. The fastest and cleanest way to handle raw meat!

Freeze meat like this and once thawed, flip into baking dish

A Better Burger

Burger: 

This recipe features ground turkey in place of hamburger, hence the "better" part.  The flavor is amazing here and it cooks in it's own juice so you don't have to worry about it drying out. But you can use any meat (and can never go wrong with the real stuff--80 or 85% lean ground beef). You'll drain or pat the grease off which will reduce some fat and calories anyways. 

Seasoning: 

Seasoning is the trick to healthier foods. You add in all the flavor without the fat, calories and sugars.  Here, sprinkling in hamburger seasoning transforms the ground turkey into the burger that you're craving.You could also swap in salt and pepper, especially if you choose to use ground beef. 

Cheese: 

Shredded cheese is great alternative to a big slice of cheese.  A sprinkle goes a long ways. You get the same melty goodness and you can adjust quantity. Plus, if someone orders 'no cheese,' no problem. Just sprinkle where you want it.  I typically use cheddar cheese but my mouth is watering thinking about the flavors of cheese you could toss on.  

Bun and toppings:

Customize the bun and toppings and make it even better. For example, use a whole wheat bun and use spinach leaves in the place of lettuce. Pile on veggies and top with your favorite condiment. 

Preparation:

The technique is quite simple-- sprinkle onion and seasoning into dish, press in the meat, poke holes, and bake to perfection.

Once done, you'll sprinkle on cheese and bake for another couple minutes until cheese is melted. 

Have fun with this recipe.  Since they're baked in a dish you can choose how to cut them. We've done everything from big burgers, small sliders or our most creative-- long skinny burgers that fit on hot dog buns. Such a fun way for kids to eat a burger!

If I'm looking for a way to use up some some meat, I'll make this recipe and store dish in fridge.  Cut portions throughout week as needed. With that fantastic cheeseburger flavor, you can even put it on a salad, too!

Burgers make a delicious, balanced meal. The meat provides vital nutrients like protein, zinc, and B-vitamins ( B6, B12) and more. Add crisp veggies and a hearty bun, and you've got everything you need. And thanks to the burger bag method you have less prep, less mess, better nutrition and great taste.    

Burger Bag Cheeseburger

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey
1/4 cup diced onion
hamburger seasoning
3/4 cup shredded cheese
buns

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Evenly spread onion on the bottom of 8x8 baking dish.  Sprinkle with hamburger seasoning.
3. Open Burger Bag or gently press fresh meat onto onions and seasoning as evenly as possible 
4. Poke holes in meat with straw or fork and sprinkle on more hamburger seasoning.
5. Bake for approximately 18-20 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and pat/drain off grease. Sprinkle with cheese.
7. Bake for two to three more minutes,  until cheese has melted
8. Slice into patties and serve

Serve with desired toppings (Heaven on Earth with an onion slice) and ENJOY

xo, 
Brit