Thought it was time for some end-of-summer burgers. I make these all the time because they really are easy and a great way to have a cheese burger without losing half the cheese to the grill. And the sweet potato cajun fries are the perfect sweet, spicy combo.  Grill some plums or peaches and dinner is done. Enjoy.

On the board tonight:

1. Jalapeno-Cheddar Stuffed Burgers
2. Kaiser Rolls
3. Cajun Sweet Potato Fries
4. Raw Vegetable Tray
5. Plums

Jalapeno-Cheddar Stuffed Burgers

Ingredients for each burger:

• 4 oz ground beef
• salt, pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed garlic (opt)
• 1 oz sharp cheddar, sliced thin
• 2 or more slices of pickled jalapenos

Mix salt, pepper and garlic into the ground beef. Form two, 2-oz patties. Place jalapenos on one burger, cheese on the other.

Place the two sides together and seal the edges completely. Gently flatten the burger, but be careful because you don’t want the cheese busting out of the center.

The key to grilling or frying these is low and slow. Medium heat seals them and allows the cheese to melt without drying the burger out. I flipped at the 5 minute mark, but depending on the heat, 3-4 minutes may be enough to flip. They’re thin, so the beef cooks quickly, but you want to make sure the cheese melts. I would say minimum 4 minutes per side.

If cheese starts to leak out, flip and flip again as needed. DON’T press down on these burgers while you grill, you’ll have a cheesy mess.

Now the warning. Did I say WARNING? Yes I did. You’ll need to rest these burgers to let the cheese cool a bit. Otherwise you could be biting into a scalding cheese center. You’ve been WARNED.

That’s the basics, now let your imagination run wild. Maybe I should have titled this, How To Stuff A Wild Burger.

Cajun Sweet Potato Fries

• 3 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed and peeled
• 1 to 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
• ¼ tsp cumin (opt)

large bowl or baking dish and baking sheet

Cut potatoes into quarters lengthwise, then cut each quarter into 2 or 3 lengthwise slices. In bowl, toss with remaining ingredients and place in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes, turn and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown outside and tender inside.

Plums

If you grilled the burgers you can also grill the plums. Slice in half, remove the pits and grill over low heat

Shopping List:

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 4 oz shredded cheddar or jalapeno jack
• sliced jalapenos (I use pickled)
• 4 green onions
• 1 tomato
• 3 large sweet potatoes
• 4 large Kaiser rolls
• Favorite raw vegetables
• Vegetable dip
• 4 to 8 plums

Also: cumin, Cajun spice, sugar, salt, pepper, olive oil, crushed garlic

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