Mushroom Swiss Burgers with Perfectly Cooked Carrots

Last night I made some really tasty burgers for dinner. I usually just buy the packaged breads at the grocery store but the fresh hamburger buns looked really great at Publix this week so I grabbed a package. I've learned that you CAN freeze bread and it comes back out of frozen land tasting just great. Since I'm only making 2 servings at a time, this is a game changer and I am not throwing out moldy bread anymore - WIN! I wrap each individual bun in saran wrap then toss in a gallon freezer bag that way I can take out however many I need without have to unwrap them all and it keeps them safe from air (which causes freezer burn, so I've heard).

So I adapted the burger recipe from Rachael Ray's Worcestershire Burgers with Swiss, Mushrooms & Ranch Dressing. The seasonings and various ingredients in this particular recipe really bring out the flavor in the meat. I would suggest sticking to a chuck meat as the recipe suggests as the leaner meats will not be as juicy for a burger. We used a lean beef and while it was still delicious the texture and juicy elements were not there. So next time we will go with a ground chuck or something of that nature.  Two things to remember when cooking that I've learned is to get all of your ingredients ready to go before starting the cooking process AND make sure you read the entire recipe at least a day ahead of time to make sure you aren't supposed to marinate something overnight, etc! Ask me how I know!!!!

I only used 1/2 lb beef for 2 burgers because I find anything bigger is just too much meat for us. All the other ingredients I cut in half exactly. Here are some other changes I made:

• 2 slices swiss (I couldn't find emmentaler cheese at my local grocery store)
• 8 oz baby portabella mushrooms (I buy these whole and slice them myself... I've found the mushrooms lose something when they are pre-sliced and you are paying for them to be sliced so it's more expensive)
• 1/2 small onion finely chopped (versus shallot)
• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt (versus sour cream)


I've learned over time that cooking mushrooms in a pan is quite a science... I used a cast iron skillet, melted the butter then added the shrooms. I stirred them up until they were somewhat evenly scattered in the pan and let them be so they could brown nicely. I stirred them again only halfway through the cooking time that the recipe indicates. Don't ever season the mushrooms with salt until they have browned as this slows the process of browning down. Sometimes, you may never reach that stage because the salt draws out all the moisture in the mushrooms.

I cooked the burgers tonight in a secondary cast iron skillet over high heat. Make sure you get it hot before you add the oil and definitely before you add the burgers. I'd suggest 4 minutes on the first side, then flip and cook 2 minutes, add the cheese and cook additional 2 minutes and remove from pan. Top with the mushrooms and smear some yummy ranch sauce on the lid of the burger...

Worcestershire Burgers topped with Swiss,
Mushrooms & Scratch Ranch Dressing

Lastly, I made the carrots simultaneously as the mushrooms (which can be tricky so make sure you have everything ready to go before you start cooking). I cooked this side dish from another Rachael Ray recipe which can be found here: Perfectly Cooked Carrots. As the recipe title suggests, we do agree these were perfectly cooked carrots and sooo tasty! I left the smashed garlic clove in as you can break it up as you are stirring the carrots around but feel free to remove it. 

Burgers, Mushrooms & Carrots

I had extra mushrooms even though I cut the original recipe in half so I served them on the side. I also had extra ranch dressing that you can dip your burger in as you are eating! The entire meal was so good and worth the legwork to prep all the ingredients. I would definitely recommend it... Enjoy!