This is flavorful and as good as you’ll find at any restaurant…I think even better ! It’s what a gourmet burger should be. The sautéed spinach and cheese are heaven. Eat yours without any toppings or add some Dijon or a slice of lettuce and tomato.

Spinach Burgers

8 servings
310 calories per serving

10 oz. baby spinach
2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 c shredded low fat cheddar cheese
2 T Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
Salt and pepper to taste
8 small Portugese rolls
Pam

Preheat grill. Spray a skillet with Pam and heat. Add garlic and sauté 1 minutes. Add spinach and 1 T Worcestershire and cook until spinach is wilted down. Remove from skillet and chop (I find kitchen shears work great here) the cool to room temperature or cooler. Mix beef, cooked spinach, salt, pepper and 1 T Worcestershire. Make 8 burgers and grill to desired doneness.

So savory and sooooo tasty ! Cooking the onion right in the burgers is a nice touch and there is sooooo much flavor from the grilled onion.

Grilled Onion Burgers

4 servings
320 calories per serving

1 large onion
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 ½ t garlic powder
4 slices low fat Swiss cheese
2 t oil
4 slices thick, hearty bread, toasted
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel onion and cut off 4 ¼ inch thick slices. Shape meat into patties and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder and then press one onion slice into each burger and shape meat around the onion so it is even with the meat. Place burger onion side down on a hot grill and cook 5 minutes. Flip burger and cook another 5 minutes. Top with cheese during the last minute of grilling.

I find chicken to be much more flavorful than turkey – especially when you’re talking burgers or sausage. Cook this great low fat, low cal burger up in no time and have a guilt free burger dinner. Try serving with Zucchini ‘Fries’. To keep this moist, I add a bit of water to the pan as it cooks and give the burger a few spritzes of ICBINB spray right at the end of the cooking process.

Chicken Burger Deluxe

1 serving
305 calories per serving

1 chicken burger
1 100 calorie bun (Arnold Select Thins are great !)
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ t onion powder
1 large slice tomato
1 lettuce leaf
1 slice onion
2 large basil leaves
Pam
ICBINB Spray

Heat a skillet and spray with Pam. Add burger and sprinkle with half the salt, pepper and onion powder. Cook 5-6 minutes then flip and add the rest of the spices. If the pan gets too dry, add a bit of hot water. Cook another 5-6 minutes or until fully cooked. Spritz with a bit of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray then place on a bun. Add basil, lettuce, onion and tomato.

When you’re in the mood for a spicy patty on a bun try a veggie patty instead of meat once in a while. Black bean burgers have always been a favorite of mine – now I have an alternate….garbanzo burgers. At only 56 calories, add a 100 calorie bun and have two

Garbanzo Burgers

4 servings
56 calories per serving

1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans (also called chick peas or cece beans), rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 carrot, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red chile pepper, seeded and minced
2 T chopped cilantro
1 T tahini paste (a sesame seed paste much like peanut butter is a peanut paste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam

Place garbanzos, peppers, carrots, garlic, red chile pepper, cilantro, tahini, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until ingredients are mixed evenly. If the mix is too dry, add a few drops of water. Refrigerate the mix 1.2 hour or more.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with Pam. Make 4 burgers out of the bean mix and place on sheet. Bake 20 minutes, flip and cook another 10 minutes. You can also fry these in a medium skillet sprayed with Pam.

The avocado topping brings back much needed moisture to an often dry turkey burger. Feel free to add tomato and onion slices – they carry a minimum of calories. If you can’t get your hands on a nice ripe avocado, substitute Wholly Guacamole (a super fresh guac available in the refrigerator section of your market).

Turkey Burger with Avocado

2 servings
330 calories per serving

2 turkey burgers (Jennie-O)
2 100 calorie buns (Arnold Select Sandwich Thins – multi grain)
Pam
1/2 c worth of avocado slices (about 6 slices) – or use some Wholly Guacamole (available at most markets)
garlic powder
salt and pepper

Heat a pan on medium high. Remove from heat to spray with Pam. Heat frozen burgers according to package instructions (you can alternately grill or broil the burgers, but cook them slow so they do not dry out). When done, place on a bun and add 3 slices of avocado on the top.

This makes the job of making avocado slices a breeze – tools such as these make perfect slices all the time !

Just adding some spices to ground beef before grilling it can make SUCH a difference. Don’t think that you need cheese and tons of condiments on a burger for flavor. Instead, try adding some lower cal herbs and spices to the meat and see what great burst of flavor you get !

Yummy Burgers

4 servings
314 calories per serving

¼ c beef broth
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 t chili powder
1 t onion powder
½ t red pepper flakes
¼ t salt
¼ t pepper
1 pound lean ground beef
4 burger buns

Combine all the spices with the meat and make 4 patties. Grill burgers 6-8 minutes or until desired doneness. Serve on buns.

Coming to the end of Retread Week – here is another family favorite that is not off bounds just because you are on a 400 calorie meal plan !!

There’s nothing like a burger – when you want one, you want one, and nothing else will do. Instead of heading out for fast food, throw these together. Even the kids will love them !!

Cheeseburgers

4 servings
357 calories per serving

1 lb 96% lean ground beef
4 Kraft FF singles
4 whole wheat buns, toasted
4 lettuce leaves
4 onion slices
4 tomato slices
Ketchup and mustard
Pam

Shape meat into patties and place in hot skillet that has been sprayed with pam. Cook 5 min per side or until desired doneness. Or grill the burgers outside on the grill. Top with cheese right when they are done cooking. Serve on a toasted bun with all the condiments and additions.

These are not are not a replacement for burgers – if you think of it that way, you are going to be disappointed. Take these for what they are – an amazing savory, tasty pressed veggie patty that is only 120 calories. Topped with avocado and salsa, and placed on a bun, it makes a great meal.

Black Bean Burgers

4 servings
380 calories per serving

4 Morningstar black bean burgers
4 Arnold Thins 100 calorie flat buns
1 avocado, sliced (or 3 T Wholly Guacamole per burger)
1 c salsa

Cook black bean burgers according to package instructions. Place on buns and top with 1/4 the sliced avocado and 1/4 c salsa. Although not shown on the package, I often heat the oven to 375 degrees and place the burgers on a baking sheet sprayed with Pam and then cook for 15 minutes – they come out perfect !