Hunger Attack, Resolved

If you were witness to my sudden hunger attack last week, I apologize now.  You were all subject to my clearly not thought through decision to take a night class and fail to pack dinner, which was definitely not your fault.  Although, if I had thought that decision through in the first place, this blog wouldn't even be here.  So I guess you have to look at the upside.

Anyway, in order to apologize, I will now update you with pictures of the meal I had decided to make.  I had been meaning to post this for awhile anyway, as it's one of my favorite: Seasoned Turkey Cheeseburgers with Caramelized Onions.

When I made these burgers last Monday night, they were definitely an example of haphazard college cooking.  I used shredded cheddar cheese instead of something that would hold together better, two slices of Wonder bread for the bun, and a pan cover that didn't actually fit the pan because it was dirty.  That's what happens when you have roommates.

Also, I will say right now that I am REALLY SORRY, but I can't remember what I put in my turkey burger patties to make them so tasty!  I made a bunch at the beginning of the semester and froze them, so this baby had just been thawed from the freezer (there are four more left- eek!).  I know that they have onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in them, but for the life of me, I can't remember anything else.  If I find it, I'll post it.  Kapeesh?

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What you'll need:

• Ground turkey (or a turkey burger patty)
• Half of a small to medium onion
• Cheese (whatever you have handy)
• Salt
• Olive oil
• Bread/bun
• Seasonings that I currently cannot remember.  Sorry.

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How to make it:

1.  First, you want to get your turkey burger patty together.  Mine was already good to go because I had frozen it in January, but if you're starting from scratch, take some of your ground turkey and season it with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Form it into a round patty and set it aside.


2.  Chop your onion.  I did it the Pioneer Woman way, so I documented it for ya.  But be warned: I actually didn't want to dice my onion like this; I wanted it in strips.  So this is just for your enjoyment- don't follow the last step!

Once your onion is cut in half, cut several slits in it-

but don't make them go all the way to the top.

Then, all you have to do is slice in the opposite direction... presto!  Perfect dice!

3.  Now, caramelize those babies in a pan with olive oil (or butter… we’re already using dairy with the cheese!).

Just cook them over medium-low heat until they look like...

...this!  When they're nice and brown, remove them to a separate plate.

4.  Now it’s time to cook your burger. Add a little cooking spray and slap your burger right in the same pan. After about 4 or 5 minutes, flip it over.

Yum, golden brown! I’m definitely not the burger master… but when a girl’s hungry, she’s gotta make due.

5.  Once your burger is pretty much done (check the center!), put some onions right on top and layer the cheese over it.

When you’re using cheddar cheese like me, it gets a little messy. Especially if you diced your onions weird, too.

6.  Cover the pan in order to get the cheese to melt for a minute or two. When it’s done…

Oh, baby. It’ll look like this.

Slide it onto your bread (you can put on any extra onions that wouldn’t fit, too!)

And take one final picture before you dig into that delicious hunk of a sandwich, there.

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Recipe Review:

Usually, when I make this burger I don’t add any cheese. And I like to use a thinner bun. However, I had to make due with what I had and I knew that I didn’t have any condiments or hamburger buns at my apartment. That’s the beauty of the “undergrad gourmet” way of cooking – you always get a little twist thrown in!

This burger was definitely an A, especially because of my ravenous hunger. I do want to try those Pioneer Woman sandwiches though – but I’d better get ready to get on the treadmill the next day. You all can come, too. Not on one treadmill, though. That might be difficult.

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Because I’m currently trying to empty my freezer with all of my pre-cooked food from the semester, we’ll be looking at fewer recipes and more other food topics in the weeks to come. What do you want to chat about?