This unseasonably warm weather has had me thinking spring for weeks! I don’t know about you, but when the temperature starts to tick up, I can’t help but get into the mood for grilling. As luck would have it, this goad to grill gave me an excellent opportunity to experiment with the whole “swapability” notion of substituting a portion of a higher-calorie ingredient, like meat, with a portion of mushrooms instead. I’ve been tinkering with it in the kitchen and find it’s an easy way to get an extra serving of veggies on my plate and an extra tasty meal in my stomach.
After searching for mushroom recipes that could easily be made on the grill, I settled on this tasty little number… burgers, of course! I decided to put together a batch of meaty Mushroom Burger Wraps. The original recipe is made in a skillet, but when the weather is this beautiful, you have to hit the grill. I’m telling you, these bad boys are so tasty, you may not ever make a full beef burger again! Of course, for all you turkey fans out there, this is a delicious swap for you, too.
In addition to swapping mushrooms within the burger wraps, I also marinated some sliced portobellos in a balsamic vinaigrette and threw them on the grill alongside the burgers for a complete lean, mean dinner that had me thinking summery thoughts in the middle of March. Not too shabby!
Mushroom Burger Wraps (serves four)
Ingredients
- 6 ounces white button mushrooms
- 6 ounces cremini mushrooms
- 2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/2 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
- 8 ounces 93% lean ground beef
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons dried basil or 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 4 2-ounce whole-wheat tortillas
- freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. Chop mushrooms into ¼-inch pieces. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons canola oil. Place mushrooms in pan and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain. Return mushrooms to pan and season with freshly ground black pepper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms, ricotta cheese, ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, and basil. Form mixture into 4 burgers.
3. Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons canola oil. Cook burgers for about 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until done. (Or grill burgers.) Serve in tortilla.
Tips: These are delicious with caramelized onions, fresh tomato and cheddar cheese.
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