Firecracker Cheddar Burgers

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 5 oz. reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded
• 10 multigrain buns

Makes 10 Servings

1. Whisk together mustard, onion, garlic, egg yolks, and cayenne in a large bowl. Add beef and stir until combined. Form mixture into 10 patties, about 1/4 inch thick.
2. Lightly oil a grill or grill pan and heat to medium-high. Cook burgers 4-5 minutes per side for medium-rare, sprinkling cheese evenly over burgers for the last 2 minutes of cooking. Serve burgers on lightly grilled buns.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts with the bun & 5 pts without the bun

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook. It was the big game between my beloved New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos and I wanted to celebrate with a gourmet tailgating like dinner. South Beach Diet has the most delicious burgers because they are so meaty and full of flavor. Once again, these burgers did not disappoint me. The caadded a touch of heat hence the name 'firecracker.' You can cut the recipe in half and the burgers will still taste just as delicious. Even though the recipe calls for putting the cheese on the top of the burgers the last 2 minutes of cooking, I highly recommend mixing the shredded cheddar cheese in with the burgers to nmake them more moist and add more flavor. If you're looking for condiments to serve with these burgers, I highly recommend the following: Habenero Aioli, Cilantro Walnut Pesto and South Beach Ketchup. BTW, my beloved Patriots cleaned the Broncos clocks 45-10!

Monterey Jack Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb ground skinless turkey breast (or ground pork or sirloin)
• 2 shallots finely chopped
• 1 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp ketchup (or tomato paste)
• 1 tsp minced fresh garlic
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
• 4 strips turkey  bacon (optional)
• 4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
• 1 tomato, cut into 4 slices

Makes 4 servings

1. In a large bowl, combine the meat, shallots, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, and pepper. Blend in the cheese, then form into 4 burgers.
2. Heat an indoor reidged grill sprayed with non-stickcooking spray. Cook the burgers until cooled through, 6-8 minutes on each side. When you turn the burgers, add the bacon to the grill; cook until crisp, 3-4 minutes on each side. Serve the burgers in the buns, with the bacon and tomato slices.

WW POINTS PER SERVING: 6 per Burger

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. The Weight Watcher burgers are just as delicious as the South Beach burgers. You can substitute ground pork or ground sirloin instead of ground turkey. You can also substitute tomato paste for the ketchup. Save the ketchup for the burger condiments. Mixing the cheese into the meat adds moisture as well as flavor. I guarantee you will never eat at a fast food joint after having these kind of healthy burgers.