Mexi-Burgers

My husband and I recently took my parents out to celebrate my dad's 64th birthday. Dear old dad chose Outback Steakhouse (mmmmm, ribs) and we all enjoyed a scrumptious dinner and celebration, followed by some Wii bowling and boxing at home. Dad KO'ed me in boxing....just like he does when we hike. But my mom kicked his butt in Wii bowling...even if she did hold the Wii-mote with two hands.

During dinner, as my husband barely touched his rib eye (he doesn't eat a lot), he and my dad got into a conversation about what Omar likes to eat. The husband's favorite foods? Burritos, hamburgers, and pizza. Ahhhh, a man after my own heart.

To satisfy two of the husband's three fav foods, and with some inspiration from this blog, I created a Mexi-burger. But of course, I shredded some of those pesky summer squash in the food processor to hide in the meat. We've gotta at least try to be healthy, right?

Mexi-Burgers
Printable recipe

Ingredients
1.25 pounds ground turkey
1 package fajita seasoning (or burrito, taco, etc seasoning)
1 tablespoon crema (or plain yogurt or sour cream)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
a dash of garlic powder
1-2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon citrus pepper
1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded squash (I used two small-medium patty pans)


Directions:
Heat your BBQ grill, or plug in your George Foreman.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Using your hands, smoosh the seasonings into the meat. Be sure to fully incorporate everything, making sure there are no large pockets of squash.


Using your hands, form the meat into evenly sized patties (about 1/2 inch thick). Make sure they are not significantly thicker in the middle, otherwise they won't cook evenly.

I sprinkled extra pepper on top of the formed patties.

Place patties on the grill and cook with the lid on for about 3 minutes. Flip burgers over and cook until done all the way through (about 2 more minutes).

Serve with your favorite toppings and fat free refried beans. We made ours into protein burgers, with lettuce instead of buns.