MINI SIRLOIN BURGERS

Up-to-the-minute ingredients combine to transform burgers into haute cuisine. Restaurant menus are calling these types of burger appetizers “sliders” – just so you know. Patties stay lovely, lean and moist by oven-baking instead of grilling or broiling.

1 pkg (14 g) dried porcini mushrooms
1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
4 cloves garlic (unpeeled)
1-½ lb (750 g) Lean Ground Beef Sirloin*
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped fresh tarragon
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
½ tsp (2 mL) pepper
23 dinner rolls, split in half horizontally
  Arugula leaves
3 oz (75 g) soft goat cheese, crumbled
14 cherry tomatoes, sliced
  1. Combine porcini mushrooms with 1 cup (250 mL) boiling water; let stand for 20 minutes. Drain and rinse; chop finely and set aside.
  2. Heat oil in small skillet over very medium heat. Add unpeeled garlic; cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes or until softened and skins are golden. Remove from skillet; let cool slightly. Squeeze garlic out of skins into large bowl, mashing with back of spoon. Add porcini mushrooms, ground beef, tarragon, salt and pepper to garlic; lightly combine.
  3. Form into twenty-three, ½-inch (1 cm) thick patties. Place on rack on parchment-paper lined baking sheet. Cook in 375°F (190°C) oven until digital thermometer inserted sideways into centre of several patties reads 160°F (71°C), about 25 minutes.
  4. Place arugula on bottom half of each bun; top each with cooked patty, goat cheese, 3 tomato slices and bun top.

* Other options: Lean Ground Round, Chuck or Lean Ground Beef

Recipe Summary

Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Makes: 23 burgers.

Nutritional Information

Per serving (2 burgers):

Calories 305
Protein 18 g
Fat 12 g
Carbohydrate 6 g
Good source of iron (23% DV) and excellent source of zinc (37% DV), 23% DV sodium