Burger with Oven Fries

It's hard to beat a good burger. Start with good meat. If you want to be naughty go with Whole Foods Ground Chuck. It's 20% fat and makes one delicious but unhealthy burger. Burgers have to have fat in them to be good - not dry and hard. I have taken lean ground beef and added olive oil to it so at least I have a healthier fat. You can also go with half ground chuck and half ground round.

I like to season the meat with garlic salt, kosher salt, pepper and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. I fold the meat in half to put the seasoning inside and form the patties. Don't mix or squish the meat because that will break up the fat and make it less tender. I use 1/3 a pound of meat per patty.

Of course it needs to be cooked on the grill about 8 minutes per side on a fairly hot (400 degree) grill. But don't freeze your fanny off in this weather!

I topped mine with gorgonzola and sauteed mushrooms. (Remember not to salt your mushrooms until after they are browned but remember to salt them. I hate getting a restaurant burger where they didn't salt the mushrooms!) Jack likes cheddar and Caterina likes a naked burger. A good roll is key too. I used a French bread roll from Trader Joe's and it was delicious!

These are oven fries made using my Pampered Chef stoneware baking sheet. Slice a russet (baking) potato thinly and place them on the baking sheet that is lightly greased with olive oil. Spray the tops with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Keep an eye on them! It varies based on the thinness of the potato and your oven. Salt & pepper after they come out of the oven.

Enjoy!