Texan Burger on Texas Toast

What MAKES this burger not your average burger, is the vehicle the Texas toast provides. I never have Texas toast but I was obsessed with this idea and it took a few weeks to come to fruition. Texas Toast bakes up surprisingly soft and easy to bite through for a burger! My toppings could probably get more amped up a bit, but dinner was fast approaching. The burger gets BBQ sauce in it, and on it, with some meat rub, onion, and some great flavors. I topped the bread-shaped patties with colby jack cheese and a bbq sauce/ketchup smear.

The Three Bite Rule - Texan Burger

Ingredients:

4 slices of cheesy Texas Toast
1/4 pound ground beef/chicken/pork
1/4 white onion, diced finely
1/3 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp yellow mustard
2 tbs dry rub
2 slices colby jack cheese

Directions:

Mix the meat with onion, bbq sauce, liquid smoke, worcestershire sauce, and mustard.
The Three Bite Rule - Texan Burger
(we did his & hers patties of beef=his & ground chicken=hers)
The Three Bite Rule - Texan Burger
Form into thin oblong patties, keeping in mind the size of the Texas toast.
Dust the outside with the rub.
Bake the Texas toast according to the package (likely 8-12 minutes).
Grill until cooked through, being careful not to overcook.
Top with cheese & sprinkle some more rub onto the burger.
The Three Bite Rule - Texan Burger
Mix together 1 part bbq sauce & 1 part ketchup.
Assemble the burger with chopped lettuce, pickles, burger, and BBQ/ketchup sauce.
Enjoy!

I was a bit fearful that the bread would be too crusty and thus hard to eat since it is also so thick! It wasn’t at all! Yee-haw! I loved the smokey flavors and how juicy the burgers came out being. I’m telling you, liquid smoke goes so nicely here. Get some.  It’ll take your chili to the next level.
The Three Bite Rule - Texan Burger

Yum. We loved this. I have the other half of the Texas toast package so we’ll see where that goes. It seems like just the perfect snack…just saying.

Cobb Salad Burger

Ohh yes I did. You’re welcome. This burger was de-lightful. I’m on a roll with burger ideas and know they tend to fizzle out a bit once I get into fall/winter mode, but this one was so fun. The burger toppings are inspired by a cobb salad. Hard boiled eggs, bacon, sweet lettuce, blue cheese dressing, etc make eggs-cellent toppings! It’d also be great on a cobb salad bed rather than a bun, if that’s your thing.

The Three Bite Rule - Cobb Salad Burger

You could do this year round in a pan/griddle and it is a great cooking-for-one dinner idea or prime when you’re in the “what’s for dinner” scrounging through the fridge.

The Three Bite Rule - Cobb Salad Burger

Ingredients:

Burgers (mine was a chicken burger)
rolls
2 strips of bacon per burger
lettuce
cucumber, sliced thinly
2 hard boiled eggs
blue cheese dressing

Directions:

Hard boil the eggs and let them cool then pan fry the bacon until crisp.
Grill the burgers.
Top with lettuce, cukes, egg slices, bacon, and blue cheese dressing.
Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Cobb Salad Burger
This was a fun one. I used potato rolls that just seemed to make this burger. Yum.

Breakfast Burger Bagel

My ratios were a touch off, but his breakfast burger was so fun. What’s more breakfast than bacon, an everything bagel, cheddar cheese, and a sunny side egg?! The bagel is pretty huge making an already small-ish burger look tiny but this one is a winner.

The Three Bite Rule - Breakfast Bagel Burger
I mixed up some maple mustard for a touch of sweetness and a little mustardy tang. That and the egg yolk are the only condiments needed!

The Three Bite Rule - Breakfast Bagel Burger
I made breakfast burgers on english muffins with bacon jam that were really incredible. Breakfast for dinner is the best!

Steakhouse Burger

Does the swiss cheese and arugula make this American burger acceptable for Bastille Day? Ohh well, not quite on-theme but I once went to Bastille Day at the French Library in Boston and the crepe toppings included M&Ms so this is wayyy more appropriate for this French holiday (or my fav Parisian Burger). This burger has the buttery sautéed mushrooms that remind me of a steakhouse side dish. They are little sponges to soak up the butter and give an earthy flavor. Some melted swiss + herb aoli + arugula round this out perfectly. This is soooo good as a burger, but could easily be a piece of chicken or steak on the grill then topped with the mushrooms & swiss.

The Three Bite Rule - Steakhouse Burger

Ingredients:

2 burger patties seasoned with salt & pepper (mine was ground chicken & Mr. J’s was ground beef)
2 buns
1 cup of baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
2 tbs butter
2-3 tbs mayo
fresh herbs of your choosing: I used: oregano; basil; chives; & rosemary
2 slices of swiss
arugula or spinach

Directions:

Heat the grill or a grill pan and begin cooking the burgers to your preferred done-ness.
Warm a skillet to medium-low heat. Add the butter to melt.
Sauté the mushrooms for about 3 minutes, stirring regularly.
The Three Bite Rule - Steakhouse Burger
Mix together the mayo & herbs. I have a bunch of thriving herbs so I grabbed some of a bunch of them. You could easily just use whatever 2 you might have on hand. I had a 1:1 ratio of the mayo so it was suuuuper herby.
The Three Bite Rule - Steakhouse Burger
Lightly grill the buns at the end and top the burgers with the mushrooms then the cheese.
Assemble each burger with bun > arugula > burger > mushrooms > swiss > herb aoli on the top bun.

The Three Bite Rule - Steakhouse Burger
It was Mr. J’s idea, our grillmaster, to hold the mushrooms on with the cheese. They were so good on this burger. I love mushrooms but not everyone is such a fan. I think because these are baby portobellos with a bit more flavor and after they’ve bathed in butter, anyone would like them!

Picnic Burger

I began making Mr. J a special Birthday Burger back along the same time the blog started. I’ve made a lot of fun burgers so I have to be sure I save an idea or two when his bday rolls around mid June. This year’s picnic burger was very fun and all about the toppings.

Picnic Burger - The Three Bite Rule

In 2015 it is a Picnic Burger with potato sticks and coleslaw.
In 2014 it was a German Burger with horseradish, caramelized onions, pickles and a pretzel roll.
In 2013 it was a Vermont Burger with maple mayo, cheddar, bacon, and spinach.
In 2012 it was a Bacon Wrapped Burger enough said.
In 2011 it was a Stuffed Burger stuffed with bacon & cheddar or bacon & blue cheese.

Picnic Burger

potato sticks
cole slaw
colby jack cheese
special sauce: 1 part mayo, 1 part ketchup, a touch of dijon mustard, a touch of sesame oil (optional)

Picnic Burger - The Three Bite Rule

I had no idea if it was going to be hard to find potato sticks, or if they’re not just a snack from the 1990s. Turns out, they were just in the snack aisle and I could buy just a single can. It is so funny to me that they come in a can. You pull the plastic ribbon around the top and pop the aluminum top off. Really, opening them is half the fun, but they had so much more potato flavor than chips do. They conveniently stuck to the cheese to stay on the burger while the cole slaw provided a crunch and a creaminess.

Need other burger topping ideas? Find ’em all here!

Smokehouse Burgers

I found pretzel rolls at my regular grocery store and was super excited. Maybe more excited than I should have been! The last time I wanted pretzel rolls I had to pop into Whole Paycheck and they weren’t that great. I knew these would be perfect for a burger (and they were). I’m grinning and twiddling my fingers to scheme up the use for the 2 I stashed in the freezer for future use muah-ha-ha-ha.

Smokehouse Burgers

Pretzel rolls
burger
havarti cheese
caramelized onions
smokey aoli (mayo & liquid smoke)
stoneground mustard

The Three Bite Rule - Smokehouse Burgers
I love pretzel rolls. The grocery store had long ones too and I hope both sizes are here to stay. The liquid smoke is a staple in my chili and I figured a dribble would be good in a spread on this burger. It lasts forever and the mayo only needed a little to become something special. I didn’t season the burger meat, but a dusting of some bbq rub might have been tasty.

Slider Burger Toppings

To kickoff the New Year, Mr. J and I came up with a last minute menu of sliders & frappes. Who would have thought January would be the time I’d post some new burger toppings?! It was a freezing night so we cooked the sliders inside and it was so fun.

We both cook but don’t always cook together. Mr. J did the burger cooking and I helped prep the toppings. I was really happy to settle in with a fire, sliders, and yoga pants…especially at the start of 39-weeks preggers at that point. Seriously, I can’t believe that I’m still pregnant…40 weeks + 6 days. Holy Moly. Anyyyytime now little one – come on out!

Just a little googling for inspiration and we came up with toppings for 3 different sliders.

Chicken Burger Slider with Boursin cheese spread and caramelized onions: 
The Three Bite Rule - Burger Sliders
This one was our fancy-ish one. I loved the spreadable cheese on here and it was definitely handy for Mr. J to do the burgers and for me to let the onions caramelize on their own time. I often am rushing them, or get distracted and they crisp too much. The onions were perfectly sweet with the herbed spread.

Chicken Burger Slider with bacon, cheddar cheese, sour cream & chives: 
The Three Bite Rule - Burger Sliders
This one was the all-American one. We cooked the bacon first, then cooked the burgers in the same pan in some bacon fat. Yes. Delicious. The tang of the sour cream was good with the cheddar and smokey bacon.

Italian Slider with Marinara & mozzarella: 
The Three Bite Rule - Burger Sliders
This one had a schmear of marinara on the roll and then the burger was topped with a slice of fresh mozzarella. My basil had wilted but that would have been good too. I liked the all encompassing cheese on here.

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Burgers

I had this idea for a Thanksgiving inspired burger but it didn’t seem right for Mr. J’s annual birthday burger, since that’s for June. Now that the air is cooler it seemed perfect! A turkey burger, sharp cheddar, cranberry spread, and one special ingredient boarders the line of grilling season and holiday flavors.

Thanksgiving Burger - The Three Bite Rule

Ingredients: (for 2 burgers)

1/2 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup stuffing mix
salt & pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme or dried sage
sliced cheddar
cranberry sauce or raspberry jam
2 burger buns

Directions:

Preheat a grill or grill pan.
Prepare stuffing according to the package.
Mix ground turkey, stuffing, salt, pepper, and thyme.
Thanksgiving Burger - The Three Bite Rule
Form into patties and grill. Spray the grill with non-stick spray since turkey has a lower fat than ground beef, ground pork, etc.
Thanksgiving Burger - The Three Bite Rule
Serve the burgers with cheddar, and cranberry spread.
Thanksgiving Burger - The Three Bite Rule
I didn’t end up getting cranberry sauce because I had some lingonberry jam which has a tartness like cranberries. I mixed it with a touch of mayo for a spread. I also was thinking that chopping up some craisins into the burger would give that flavor too.

The stuffing really wasn’t too much. I thought it might make the the burger heavy but I think the amount was spot-on. Serve with some sweet potato fries for all the flavors you love later in the fall while it is still burger season!

These flavors would be good as turkey meatloaf before Thanksgiving without having to cook a whole turkey.
Or this Thanksgiving Sandwich is fun

thanksgiving_sandwich_close_590_390
or a panini with turkey, brie, and cranberry
turk_cran_brie_ooze_590_390

Spice Up Your Life

The Spice Girls may have formed 20 years ago, not to make you feel old, but today I’m talking about spices. I got some spice mixes from Healthy Solutions to try and I loved them. You can love them too by entering my giveaway below! I tried the Encrusted Haddock and the Ultimate Burger. Both were so good.

I tried the Encrusted Haddock mix too. I used this on a tilapia filet I had and it was wonderful.
The Three Bite Rule - Spice Mixes
I put the fish in a little packet with a little panko and Mr. J grilled it on a his/hers night.
The Three Bite Rule - Spice Mixes
The Encrusted Haddock mix had some garlic and onion flavors with a sweet touch. I served it over a couscous, tomato, and chopped arugula with a touch of mustard.

The Three Bite Rule - Spice Mixes

For the Ultimate Burger I mixed some into my chicken burger and into Mr. J’s beef burger. It absolutely amped up an everyday burger into something really special.
The Three Bite Rule - Spice Mixes
I loved the onion, garlic, and pepper flavors. Every burger needs a kicker to come alive. Grill it up and you won’t want your ground meat to be naked again.
seasoning_burg_590_390

Now, enter to win your choice of 3 mixes shipped right to you! Enter before Wednesday!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Full 3 Bite Rule Disclosure: Healthy Solutions Spice Blends were completely complimentary but my thoughts, opinions, and words are entirely my own.

BLT Burger

This burger became something more special than I thought it was going to be. It’s nice how dinners can still surprise me.

The Three Bite Rule - BLT Burger

Ingredients:

1/4 pound ground beef/chicken/turkey
2-3 tbs sundried tomato pesto
2 tbs minced garlic
2 slices of bacon per burger
sliced cheddar
sliced tomato
lettuce
brioche rolls

Directions:

Mix together the ground meat, sundried tomato pesto, garlic, salt & pepper. (I had ground chicken, Mr. J had ground beef)
The Three Bite Rule - BLT Burger
Form into patties and grill until cooked to your liking.
Meanwhile, pan fry the bacon until crisp.
Optional: mix up some garlic aoli with mayo, garlic powder, minced garlic, salt & pepper
Assemble the burgers with sliced cheddar, bacon, tomato & lettuce.
The Three Bite Rule - BLT Burger
I loved this one! The sundried tomato pesto MADE this burger. It wouldn’t have been as delicious without it. I had in the fridge and can’t remember what I had used it for. The expiration date said it was good-to-go so in it went!
The Three Bite Rule - BLT Burger

Suggested adaptations: 

BLT Burger – burger patty + chicken breast marinated with tomato pesto = chicken BLT
BLT Burger + chopped bacon into the burger + tomato pesto as a spread on the roll = tweak on the BLT burger