325 Calorie Cheeseburger (including Cheese and Bun)!

During quarantine, I started a cookbook for my kids because there was nothing to do and I feel like we all did it. That led to coming down with a nasty case of The Fats. My doctor did some blood work and confirmed that I was, indeed, fat and unhealthy...

I tried dieting but the majority of "diet" meals don't scratch the itch that fat foods do. So, I've started a new quest. Making food that is healthy but tastes like you're eating fatty comfort foods, you know, good versions of what got you into this mess in the first place (if you're like me).

This burger does it!

4/5 stars on my replacement scale - The flavor is there but the juiciness that comes from a massive, freshly ground from a local butcher, 80/20 burger with a midwestern helping of cheese is impossible to match in a healthy way (which is why my doctor is mad in the first place). I will say that these are surprisingly filling though. Usually, I'd eat two regular burgers which would be around 1300 calories. I'll eat two of these, feel just as full, but it's half the calories.

2 cups of black beans, a container of mushrooms, egg, and a pound of 97% lean ground beef is all you need for the 125 calorie 1/4lb patty. Makes 8 patties.

1 lb - 97% lean ground beef

2 cups of cooked black beans (one can of beans will work do the job but then you get the extra salt from the processed beans) (8 oz cooked)

8 ounces mushrooms

1-2 - egg whites

Buns

Sharp Cheddar - within reason, the sharper the better. The sharpness allows the cheddar flavor to come through so that you don't have to use two slices.

or

American/whatever your preference is of cheese

Weber Chicago Steak Seasoning

Food scale

Lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, etc. as preferred.

First, cook your beans if you're using dried beans. Cooking them a little extra doesn't hurt anything but undercooking them makes your burger crunchy and weird.

Then mash them. I prefer to do it by hand so that some chunks are left. turning them into paste makes your burgers flat, chewy, and removes much of the mouth texture you're probably looking to replace. Do the same with your mushrooms. You want some chunks, about the size of the back side of a AA battery seems to feel right.

Toss all of your ingredients together and mix thoroughly. I find that one egg white usually isn't enough to hold everything together but two feels like too much. Play around and find what you like.

Do not forget to add a healthy amount of seasoning. There's almost no fat in this burger so it's easy to slide into the realm of cheap, bulk, pre-made patties over-cooked on a propane grill. The seasoning keeps it tasting like a burger from a decent burger joint.

These burgers cook fast!

I like charcoal grills so that's what I use. Along with that, I like to toss in some hardwood chunks for extra flavoring. You can buy them at any store that sells charcoal or grilling supplies. I use whatever chunks of wood that I have from woodworking projects to add extra flavor (I'm still working through the offcuts of my flooring project).

Clean your grill top and oil it. These have a habit of sticking to the grate otherwise.

Personally, I aim for just slightly under medium in terms of doneness. The mushrooms help give the burger some moistness. But, if you overcook them, they are like the charcoal briquettes that you started your grill with. A little undercooked tastes better than a little overcooked. I don't remember the exact timings but it was something like 2-3 minutes per side on direct heat.

Then, enjoy your low-cal burger that doesn't taste like cardboard!