Burger Time!
What better way to take advantage of the unseasonably warm Texas weather than to do some outside grilling on our newly remodeled patio. We had portobello burgers on wheat buns with roasted red peppers and melted feta cheese on top. As a side I made whole grain mac and cheese. Here are the delicious recipes that I used to make this lovely meal.
Portobello Burgers:
For these burgers I used portobello mushroom caps, a block of feta cheese (not crumbles), and a red bell pepper.
Once the charcoal is nice and hot, coat a red bell pepper in olive oil and place on the grill. The pepper will need to be turned so that it cooks evenly on all sides, about 5 minutes per side. Once it is finished, the outer skin will look burned and will be coming away from the meat of the pepper. Allow the pepper to cool before handling. After the pepper has cooled, you should be able to easily peel off the skin. De-seed the pepper and slice at this time as well.
Brush both sides of a clean portobello mushroom cap with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook on the grill for about 6-8 minutes on each side. When they are done, bring inside and top with red pepper slices. Take the block of feta and cut into slices about 1/3 inch thick. The feta will be easiest to slice if you keep it very cold before slicing. Put a slice on top of each mushroom cap and put under the broiler of the oven. In about 2 minutes it will be melted, caramelized, and delicious. Assemble burger to taste and enjoy.
Macaroni and Cheese
1 bag of macaroni (or noodle of your choice)
1 head of broccoli
3 TBSP butter
3 TBSP flour
2 cups milk
2 cups cheese (good cheddar or gruyere)
Salt and Pepper to taste
for topping:
2 TBSP melted butter
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 350. Cook macaroni to al dente and add the broccoli during the last minute of cooking. Drain and set aside.
Make a roux with the butter and flour in a large sauce pan. Once the roux is nice and brown add the milk and stir on medium heat until it has thickened. Remove from the heat and mix in cheeses, stir until all the cheese is melted and you have a smooth cheesy sauce. Toss in macaroni/broccoli mixture and mix until everything is well coated. Pour into a 13 X 9 baking pan. Sprinkle the panko on top and drizzle the butter over the whole thing. Put into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
