Happy Memorial Day! As we grill our way through this holiday, we (un)officially kick-off summer. The air is filled with charcoal, bug spray, sunblock, and fresh-cut grass and frankly, I’m not mad about a single one of those scents.
Americans are mostly grilling beef today. According to Purdue research, Memorial Day is the largest beef consumption day of the year. Surely none of us are surprised by that. So if you’re going to bite in to a burger this holiday, or any other day this summer, we say be as conscientious about it as possible.
This year, we’re making beef our side item and letting our fresh, healthy sides be the star of the cookout. With these Jalapeño Cheddar Burger Bites, everyone gets the juicy meat they don’t think they can host a barbecue without while filling up on more of the fruit and vegetable side dishes they’re usually too full to enjoy.
We made these bite-sized burger kabobs with organic ground beef by Suzy Sirloin, a reliable source of natural beef products. Recently they made available an organic product, raised right int he US without antibiotics or growth hormones. Suzy Sirloin’s cows are fed only certified organic grass and grains, and they are USDA Organic certified. Best of all, the organic beef is juicy and full of that big flavor you expect from a burger.
The burger kabobs are really as simple as any patty you were planning on making anyway. We diced a fresh jalapeño and crumbled a bit of sharp cheddar cheese. Since you can’t pile these on a bun with such delicious toppings, we just grilled the flavor right in.
One pound of Suzy Sirloin’s organic ground beef will make about 14 meatballs. Once rolled, slide two at a time on skewers with tender baby bella mushrooms. Metal or wooden skewers will work.
Jalapeño Cheddar Burger Bite Kabobs
Serves 7, 2 bites each
INGREDIENTS
1 lb. Suzy Sirloin organic ground beef (90/10)
1/4 cup 2% cheddar cheese, grated
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
28 mini bella mushrooms
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Combine the beef, cheese, and jalapeno, then roll in to 14 meatballs.
2. Put two meatballs and two mushrooms on each skewer.
3. Grill about 7-10 minutes total, or until 140-145 degrees F for medium doneness.
Grill these mini burger kabobs on each side for up to five minutes. If you’re checking the burger’s temperature, about 140-145 degrees fahrenheit will get you to medium; over 160 degrees is considered well done.
One skewer, with two burger bites, has 183 calories and 9.2 grams of fat. That’s a steal when you consider a standard 1/4-pound burger has 250 calories and 13 grams of fat. Now you can enjoy all the Roasted Tomatillo and Pineapple Salsa, Avocado Coleslaw, and Sriracha Oven Fries without overdoing it.
Recipe by Brandi Koskie. Photos by Kacy Meinecke. Beef provided by Suzy Sirloin.