still sick

yep. it's true. we're still sick.

yesterday, we were both craving big juicy hamburgers. so, instead of running out to Apollo Burger (aka Crown Burger or Burger's Supreme... if you're from Utah, you KNOW how tempting those are!) I made homemade hamburgers. YUM! They were so good. And instead of french fries, I used a couple of leftover baked potatoes and sliced and grilled them on the George Foreman. They were actually really good. So, a much healthier alternative than fast food. AND I made a few extra hamburger patties to put in the freezer for another craving hamburgers day!

Meredith's Healthier than Fast Food Burgers (makes 3 to 4 patties)
1 lb extra lean ground beef (93/7)
1/4 cup oatmeal
onion powder
garlic powder
1-2 tsp brown gravy mix
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
season salt
Really mix all ingredients together well. I use my hands and squeeze them all together until you can't really distinguish the ground beef "strands". I know, that sounds gross! If you like onions, you can use chopped onions instead of onion powder. Fresh garlic is really good, too! Form the mixture into large thin (1/2" to 1" thick) patties. Then you can pan fry them, grill them, George Foreman them (drains off the fat), or freeze them for a rainy day!

I serve them on grilled whole wheat buns. I inverted the buns so that the inside of the buns were facing out and the outsides were together. I sprayed the George Foreman grill with cooking spray and placed the buns on the grill, closed it lightly and let it grill for about 30 seconds. It smashes the buns a bit, but we actually like them like that.

Grilled Baked Potato Slices
Wash & bake as many potatoes as you like. I do one medium potato per person. Slice 1/4" to 1/2" thick. I leave the peel on (extra fiber!). Spray with cooking spray or oil of your choice. Lightly sprinkle with season salt & onion powder. Throw them on the George Foreman grill until the tops are lightly browned. This could easily be achieved in the oven, too.


Not only was the dinner healthier but it was SO MUCH CHEAPER! We figured out that it cost us $1/person to have a healthier hamburger dinner. I love my George Foreman grill. We just have the little tiny one and I really wish that I had a bigger one. I think we may do grilled chicken sandwiches tomorrow since we have extra buns to use. But that would require that we go out and get chicken. And quite frankly, my head hurts too badly to go out. So, we'll probably eat quesadillas or nachos! :) Try the hamburgers and don't be skeptical about the oatmeal. It's a good filler, a good way to get some extra fiber, it may actually help counteract some (okay, a teeny tiny bit) of the cholesterol, and it makes the hamburgers more moist!