Nacho Burgers

We weren’t at the table for 5 minutes and Daniel had his burger almost entirely eaten!
Thomas was giving two thumbs up.

I guess that means the Nacho Burgers were a hit!

I received a copy of Michael Smith’s new cookbook called Family Meals to review. I love to bake and my husband loves to cook so we make a good team!

David picked up the cookbook and immediately started oohing and aahing over all the savoury dishes including an entire section of slow cooker meals.

I, on the other hand, headed right towards the sweets! I am dying to try the flaming banana dessert!

Quickly skimming through the ingredient list I noticed that all the recipes included items that I already have in my pantry. This is a HUGE selling point for me. I don’t want to have to buy a lot of new things to only use once in a recipe. That is expensive and wasteful. I could have made a dozen recipes from what I had, right there on the spot!

Also, there is an index at the back full of pictures with the corresponding page number. This is the best way to tempt me!

To put the cookbook to the test David decided to make us the nacho burgers. Usually, we buy boxed burgers and grill them up. David was tempted to skip the step of making our own burgers for ease sake, but one bite into the burger convinced us that this extra step was not in vain.

David says that the nacho burgers were really tasty and, as far as making burgers go they were not onerous – three very easy on-hand spices, the meat, and onion.

“If I could do it over again I’d get the kids to make the patties. And I’d probably make the patties a bit smaller (I made smaller ones for the boys, and I should’ve made all of them that size). I like the taste of the cumin in the burgers – I’d never had that before and it was good. The toppings combination was also good as well. I’d make them again.“

I do not like anything spicy at all. I was worried that the chili pepper (mixed with melted butter and spread on the hamburger buns) would be too much for me. But, it wasn’t. It was so flavourful!

The kids loved the fact that it had crushed nacho chips in it, too!

Here’s the Recipe for Nacho Burgers:

Makes 6 large or 8 smaller burgers

For the burgers
2 pounds (900g) of ground beef
2 tablespoons (30mL) of ground cumin
2 tablespoons (30mL) of dried oregano
1 teaspoon (15mL) of salt
Lots of freshly ground pepper
1 onion, minced

For the burger buns
1 teaspoon (5mL) of chili powder
2 tablespoons (30mL) of butter, melted
6 or 8 of your favorite burger buns

To garnish the burgers
1 heaping tablespoon (20mL) of your favorite salsa per burger
1?4 cup (60mL) of any shredded cheese per burger
3 or 4 tortilla chips, crushed, per burger

Build a hardwood fire and ultimately a bed of glowing coals. Or prepare and preheat your grill or stovetop griddle to high.

To make the burgers, have a clean plate on the counter and a few sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap nearby. Place the ground beef in a large bowl. Break it up a bit and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle the meat as evenly as you can with the cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and onions.

Using your hands, thoroughly and evenly mix the works together. Form the proceeds into 6 or 8 evenly shaped thin burgers and place them on the plate, with the wax paper in between layers.

To ready the buns for the grill, stir the chili powder into the melted butter and brush the fragrant fat onto the cut sides of the buns. Just before grilling the burgers, toast the buns until lightly browned and delicious.

Grill the burgers until browned, 4 or 5 minutes a side.

Move the finished burgers straight from the grill to their toasted buns so the juices soak into the bread. Top with the salsa, cheese, tortilla chips and bun tops. Serve and share!

About the book:

Family Meals features 100 recipes straight from Michael’s home kitchen – his passion for real, homemade food and his love for simple, healthy cooking comes through in every recipe. On top of amazing meals for Breakfast & Brunch, Simple Salads, Soups, Stews & Casseroles, you’ll also find ideas for Family Meals in Minutes, Cook Ahead, Meatless Mondays, Slow Cookers & Pressure Cookers, Lunchbox & Snacks – and of course every family’s favourite – Sweets & Treats!

Michael has also included easy and helpful top ten tips for Family Cooking (“Begin by Shopping Together), Weekday Meals (“Plan Ahead”), Tidying Up (“Clean as You Go”), Easy Snacks (“Pita Pizza”), and Lunchbox Ideas (“Hand Fruit”) all designed to keep your family kitchen running smoothly.

With beautiful full-colour photography and easy-to-follow instructions for every recipe, it’s simple to try some of Michael’s favourites, such as Weekend Pancakes, Nacho Burgers, Old World Chicken Cacciatore, Special Shrimp Fried Rice, Tortilla Lasagna and Boston Cream Cupcakes. Family Meals is the must-have cookbook for families to enjoy cooking and eating healthy, delicious food together.

Our family will put this book to good use! We highly recommend picking up a copy and trying it for yourself. Your only problem will be deciding what to make first!