Man Mondays: Anaheim Blue Cheese Burgers

I like to be real in my posts.  Most bloggers will say something like this: "You've got to try this! This is the best burger I've ever had in my life and will change your entire world!! OMG!!" Then, the next week, they say the same thing about a different burger.  Either they are constantly amazed at everything in life (I HAVE met people like that, but I usually don't associate with them), or they are lying to you in every post.  I'm not like that.  Like I said, I like to be real.  Now with that disclaimer out of the way, let's get to the post.

I won't bombard you with a barrage of "!!!!".  However, I will tell you that this burger was good enough for me to have 3 times last week.  It also gave me 3 tries to perfect it and present to you.  I work so hard for you guys *Zach tears up a little at the showers of gratitude he is currently receiving from you* Thanks.

Last winterish season, Sarah and I went to Red Robin.  I was overcome with curiosity at the prospect of putting blue cheese on a burger.  I tried it and was amazed.  Really.  So I thought, "Why not try making one myself?" (With a few adjustments of course.)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 egg white (not calorie conscious? Just use the whole egg)
• 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 2 tablespoons light mayo
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper (I hate the "pinch," just use however much you like)
• 3 anaheim peppers, cut into thick strips (poblanos would probably work too)
• Other hamburger ingredients of your choice... whatever the heck you like on your burger
• Zach's Super Secret Special Awesome seasoning that he could probably get rich off of, but instead is revealing to you:
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Directions:

1. Cut the anaheim peppers along their sharper edge. In other words, try to get a flat piece. Sprinkle salt and pepper to your liking on the peppers. Grill 'em! Get a good char on the skin side.
2. While the peppers are grilling, mix the egg white into your ground beef. Divide the beef into fourths and form your patties. Add a liberal amount of the Super Secret Special Awesome seasoning to ONE side of your patties. (The first time I did this, I put seasoning on both sides and it was pretty strong.)
3. Grill 'em (seasoning side up). It's super easy to overcook it! Just get a nice high-temp cook on one side, flip it over for another 1-2 minutes on the other side and you're good.  Don't give in to the temptation to keep cooking! If you do, you will regret the dry burger that results. NOTE: If you use extra lean ground beef, cook the patties in a frying pan with a lid, not the grill.  This helps keep what little fat (taste) you have in the beef and creates juicy, delicous patties - even if it's extra-lean beef. Trust me, it turns out just as good as the fatty stuff, I promise.
4. Mix the mayo, cayenne pepper and blue cheese crumbles together and apply a small spoonful to each bun.
5. By this time, your peppers should be done.  Peel the skin off of the charred side (sucks when that crap gets in your teeth), discard skin, and add the naked *gasp* peppers to your bun.
6. Assemble your burger, adding any other ingredient(s) you like, and enjoy!

NOTE: The calories I posted below do not include hamburger buns. Buns vary so much in calories that I figured I would let you figure it out based on your bun preference...just add the calories listed to the calories of your buns. Additionally, I used extra lean ground beef, *Zach sheepishly adds:* because I'm tired of being a fatty.
Servings: 4 quarter-pound burgers.
Calories: 255 per serving

-Zach

P.S. Only one more day to enter our giveaway! Be sure to get your entries in.

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