I used the following ingredients for the stuffed hamburgers:

2 lbs ground beef (I used 80/20)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt, to taste
4 tbsp of shredded cheese (or 4 pieces of cheese to fit the size of the hamburger–I used cheddar)
5 slice of bacon, diced and cooked (or in pieces)

Mix the garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce into the ground beef.  Divide the ground beef into four equal parts.  Take each of the four parts and divide it in half (it will give you eight total pieces).  Form each piece into a patty 1/2″ thick.  Sprinkle 1 Tbsp of cheese and a quarter of the bacon onto one patty.  Top it with another patty and squeeze the two patties together to form a complete seal.  Repeat this for the remaining patty pairs (you will have four stuffed hamburgers).  Sprinkle the top of each patty liberally with salt (this will help form the crust)**.  Over medium high heat sear each patty (salt side down) for 3 to 4 minutes.  Sprinkle salt on the other side and flip each burger.  Sear for another 3 to 4 minutes or until the desired doneness is achieved.

**Another method would be to sprinkle the salt in the pan before searing the burgers.  Re-salt the pan before searing the other size.  I did not use any additional oil because the salt helps keep the hamburger from sticking to the pan.

Net Carb Count*:
Stuffed Burgers: 5 net carbs (for the entire recipe—add additional carbs for the toppings)

*Note carb counts are estimated based on the products I used. Check nutrition labels for accurate carb counts.

Comments: This burger was so delicious and juicy!  The bacon and cheese helped keep the burger from getting dry and the salt helped create a tasty crust on the outside of the burger. One important rule to remember when making a burger is DO NOT squash the burger while it is searing.  It is best to just leave the burger alone and not touch it until it is ready to flip.  I repeat….LEAVE THE BURGER ALONE!  You’ll thank me later when you have a moist burger because all of the juices weren’t squeezed out by your spatula/hamburger turner!   Feel free to stuff your burgers with your favorite cheese/topping combination.  The possibilities are endless!!  Also, make sure you create a tight seal when you join the two patties together.   Mine came apart a little, but I didn’t lose the filling so it was still delicious.  If you are into grilling, these beauties can be made on the grill also.  I have no grilling advice for you though as I am…..grilling challenged.

Enjoy!

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Tonight’s cooking adventure was “Potato” Skins.  I was inspired by I Breathe…I’m Hungry’s Loaded “Faux-tato” Skins recipe (https://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/2012/02/loaded-faux-tato-skins.html). 

I used the following ingredients for my version:

1 medium celery root
1 medium daikon radish
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp heavy cream
1 egg
Bacon pieces and cheddar cheese, to taste

The first step is to make the celery root/radish mash.  Prepare the celery root (Steps for preparing the celery root) and radish by peeling and chopping both into 1″ pieces.   Place the veggie pieces into a pot of salted water and boil until fork tender.  Once cooked, drain the water and return the veggies back to the warm pot to remove excess moisture.  Place the celery root and radish into a food processor and blend until mostly smooth.  Add the parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and heavy cream and blend until completely smooth.

Preheat oven to 375 F.  The next step is to make the “potato” skin base.  Add one egg to the celery root/radish mash and stir to incorporate.  Using a small cookie scooper, place one scoop full into a greased mini muffin tin.  Using the back of the scooper, making a well in the middle of the mash and making sure the mash fills the muffin cup.  Bake for 20-30 minutes or until they are golden brown and mostly firm.  I was able to get 24 “skins”.

Once the “skins” have finished cooking remove them from the muffin tins and place them on a greased cookie sheet.  Fill each “skin” with bacon pieces and top each with cheddar cheese.  Place the “skins” back in the oven until the cheese melts.

Net Carb Count*:
16 net carbs (for the entire recipe)

*Note carb counts are estimated based on the products I used. Check nutrition labels for accurate carb counts.

Comments: When I made the celery root mash I was really impressed with the texture, but I wanted to mellow out some of the celery root flavor.  The combination of the daikon radish and the celery root really made a delicious mash recipe.  I thought the thickness of the mash would help make perfect “potato” skins.  They turned out great!  The “skins” were crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.  The bacon and cheese were the perfect toppings.  Of course you could top them with sour cream or any other toppings you prefer.  I dipped my “skins” in homemade ranch dressing.  Yummy!

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