Monster Burgers
Equipment
- Grater or food processor
- Sharp knife
- chopping board
- Measuring Spoons
- Large frying pan preferably with a lid
- Cocktail sticks to hold the olive 'eyes'
Ingredients
Burgers
- 100 g grated veg we used pumpkin*
- 50 g breadcrumbs about 1 slice of bread
- 2 tbsp. mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp. tomato puree
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 small onion or 4 spring onions finely chopped
- 500 g minced meat 5 - 12% fat
- 1 tbsp. oil
To Serve
- 4 - 6 bread buns depending on how many burgers you make
- 4 - 6 slices of cheese
- 4 - 6 long sliced gherkins
- 4 - 6 lettuce leaves optional
- 8 - 12 olives
- Tomato ketchup
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients. To make breadcrumbs, either grate the slice of bread on a grater, or pop in a food processor.
- Add the first five ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Stir in the onions then mash in the meat with a fork until all ingredients are combined.
- Form 4 - 6 balls, then flatten into burgers.
- If cooking in a frying pan, add the oil and once hot, placing the burgers in the pan, starting with the outside and work inwards. You may need to cook them in batches if using a small pan.
- Turn the heat to medium, and cook for 5 mins. Turn each burger over, cover with a lid or foil, and cook for another 5 mins. If your burgers are quite chunky, they may need a bit longer. The inside of the burgers should be cooked thoroughly with no pink juices.
- To cook in the oven, pre heat to 220c, add the burgers to an oiled tray and bake for 10 - 15 mins, depending on their size.
To Serve
- Cut points out of one side of the cheese to make ‘teeth’. Place the lettuce if using, on the bottom of the buns, add the burger then cheese. Place the gherkin so it is sticking out of the side of the bun like a tongue and add ketchup. Add the top bun, then using cocktail sticks, secure the olives to the top of the buns to represent the monster eyes.
Notes
*If using pumpkin, you can cut into wedges or use the cutouts and scraped flesh after carving and roast instead on an oiled baking tray for 20 - 30 mins until tender at 180c. You can then just scrape the flesh from the skin and mash this in at step 2. Excess roasted pumpkin can be stored in the fridge for a few days or frozen in an airtight bag or container.
These burgers will keep for a couple of days stored in an airtight container/bag in a fridge (without the bun), or can be frozen after cooking (separate with greaseproof paper). Defrost before reheating, ensuring that they are piping hot.
You can also make the mixture into meatballs (you should be able to make 18 - 20). Cook in the same way, turning regularly.
If you have set aside pumpkin seeds, you can eat these too:
To cook them, pick out any large bits of pumpkin flesh from the seeds. Stir in 1 tsp. oil, either 1 - 2 tsp. smoked paprika, or curry powder, and salt.
Cook in a dry frying pan, stirring until they start to puff up and pop. Cover and stir frequently until toasted. You can also bake at 180c for 10 - 15 mins, stirring half way through, or pop in an air fryer at 180c for 10 mins, stirring half way through. Watch carefully as they burn easily.