As I’m sure you already know if you have read any of my previous posts, I am the number one fan of ground beef. I actually much prefer it to steak, and as a breakfast meat, in my mind there is no comparison. And now, after having purchased a quarter of a Highland cow and had a good portion of it ground, I am even more convinced that ground beast is indeed a food from the Gods. (And yes I meant to write “beast”, because that was a common mispronunciation when my kids were young, and I still often lapse into “kiddie language world”.)

Anyway, I decided I wanted to serve a tasty barbequed burger to my friends who would be helping us celebrate our new trailer on our shakedown cruise. When I am trailer camping, I still like to serve great food, but I really don’t want to spend my entire day in the kitchen. (Our trailer kitchen is very nice, but never-the-less, one of the reasons I go camping is to get away from my usual routine, and treat myself to some quality outside time!) So I planned the menu around quick and easy recipes like this one.

This recipe is based on a recipe I found on the Food Network Kitchen site. Their recipe called for ground turkey, but I thought using ground beef (since I had 24 pounds in my freezer) would be perfect too. So I changed a couple of ingredients, and the following recipe is the result.

And I am telling you, all the ingredients work perfectly together to make just a delicious, succulent burger. And using grilled English muffins instead of regular hamburger buns is genius. English muffins toast beautifully on the grill and are not as filling as those puffy things you usually associate with a hamburger. I will never again buy a package of squishy buns. My heart now belongs to English muffins, or homemade rolls of course!

So do yourself a favor and mix up a batch of this ground beef mixture, form it into patties, and throw the burgers on the grill. Your family won’t even suspect that they are eating vegetables when they bite into one of these burgers. But they will notice that the burgers taste just wonderful. But do it soon. Fall is fast upon us. And even though you can still BBQ in the winter, burgers always taste better when you eat them al fresco! Plus it saves cleanup under your kitchen table. After all, any burger worth its gooey additives is going to be messy. So when you eat outside, the juices running off your elbows aren’t a problem. Plus your hose is probably nearby. (So much easier than throwing your kids in the shower after they have eaten!) Happy end of summer.

(Sorry about no picture, but we were all hungry and the burgers disappeared before I could get my camera out of its case.)

• 1 lg. portobello mushroom cap, stem and gills removed, finely chopped
• 1 small finely chopped shallot
• 1 T. chopped fresh parsley
• 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing on the grill
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. Monterey Steak Seasoning
• 1 tsp. seasoned salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• thin slices manchego or sharp cheddar cheese
• English muffins, split
• mayonnaise
• Dijon mustard
• sliced avocado

Mix the mushroom, shallot, parsley, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, Montreal Steak Seasoning, seasoned salt, and pepper together. Add the ground beef and mix together with your hands until just combined. Divide the mixture into 4-5 balls, then lightly press into 1-inch-thick patties. Place on a plate, cover, and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat your grill to medium heat. Brush the grate with olive oil. Grill the patties, undisturbed, until marked on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes. Give the patties a quarter turn and cook until marked again, 2-3 more minutes. Flip the patties, top with cheese, and grill until cooked to your liking. Remove from grill to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to stay warm.

Toast the English muffins on the grill, then spread one half with mayonnaise, the other half with mustard. Add a hamburger patty, a couple slices of avocado and take a bite. Heaven I’m telling you, heaven! Or if you like a more traditional burger, add any of your favorite condiments. It’s all good!