Some people are organized. For some people, when it’s May, they’re developing and shooting their Fourth of July barbecue recipes and table settings, putting together their patriotic house tours, and getting it all published early enough in June for you to read their stuff and build your shopping list.
Me? I’m a thousand weeks pregnant, people. Getting out of bed feels like maxing out the day’s goals. Getting dressed in things that aren’t yoga pants? That’s bonus points. And hosting family and friends and being able to make and serve them up some beautiful tasty food in the process? My trophy goes on the second shelf, please.
It’s so easy to be hard on yourself. And it would be so easy to complain about how behind I am for cooking and posting one of the recipes I’ve had planned for our Fourth of July get-togethers the week after the Fourth of July. But you know what? There’s a whole lot of summer left out there. There’s a whole lot more quality time you all could be spending with your loved ones and your grill. I’m pretty sure these burgers will be making more appearances on the meal plan at my house, and I’m sure you don’t need a holiday to put them on yours.
And I’m pretty sure my Fourth of July guests liked the lobster nachos and fish tacos I prepared just fine.
We make and share a lot of burger recipes around here, so I was a little hesitant to offer up yet another burger recipe. However, these sweet summery burgers were too good to not share with you all. For one thing, ground lamb is sweet bliss. For another, it’s not your typical ground lamb and feta “Greek burger” combination. I wanted something with a totally different flavor profile for these tasty beauties.
So what you’ve got here is a whole heaping load of savory sweetness – ground lamb with Italian spices, blue cheese, caramelized onions, broiled crispy potato rolls, and some sweet fresh tomato and arugula to finish it off! Just yum.
If you’re convinced that ground lamb burgers need a Greek influence, these burgers do pair well with Greek style roasted potatoes and a cold bottle of Mythos, but for our purposes, we kept to the sweet with sweet potato fries. And I’m betting any kind of light and bright summery beer would go great with these.
Seriously, you guys. Don’t be hard on yourselves. It’s okay to have lofty goals, but it’s also okay to have days where you award yourself a virtual trophy just for getting out of bed.
Lamb Burgers with Blue Cheese + Caramelized Onions
Serves 4.
What You’ll Need:
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 1 heaping tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt, divided in 1/2
- 1 tsp white pepper, divided in 1/2
- 1 pound lean ground lamb
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 4 tbsp. crumbled blue cheese
- 1 fresh tomato, thickly sliced
- arugula
- 4 potato-bread sandwich buns
How to Make Them:
1. Start by caramelizing the onions. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion, sugar, 1/2 tsp white pepper, and 1/2 tsp salt, and stir to combine. Let cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to low, and cook until the onions are tender and browned, an additional 5-7 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
2. Heat your grill to 300-325F and preheat your broiler.
3. In a large bowl, combine the ground lamb, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp white pepper, and Italian seasoning. Divide the mixture into four portions and shape by hand into large 1/2-inch thick patties. Prepare to grill.
4. Cook the patties on the grill 3-4 minutes per side, or to your desired degree of doneness. For lamb to be done, the USDA recommends an internal temperature of 160F.
5. Place the buns on a cooking sheet, cut side up. Broil 2 minutes, or until the buns are lightly toasted.
6. Place the patties on the bottom half of the buns. Top with blue cheese immediately to let it melt into the patty slightly, followed by caramelized onions, tomato slices, and arugula. Cover with the top half of the buns and enjoy!
That’s two burger offerings from us so far – which one is your favorite?
