Carmelized Onion Recipe

The Great Veggie Burger Cook Off

This weekend is arguably the biggest grilling-out weekend of the year. With the Fourth of July landing on a Monday, we are enjoying a nice, long extended weekend for poolside barbeques, family parties, and long days at the shore.  Whether you plan to chomp on a hot dog at the Phillies game, or enjoy a burger on the boardwalk, chances are you will be enjoying some grilled food this Independence Day.

For healthy eaters and vegetarians alike, these parties have in the past been a challenge to our diets (and our grumbling stomachs).  Luckily for us, there has been a huge increase in the number of healthful, grillable, and vegetarian items now available at the local grocery store.

Additionally, with a little thought and creativity, a grilled meal for a health nut can become more than just a faux meat faux pas. From tomato and basil burgers to Mexican cheeseburgers, these varieties of flavors and ingredient combinations can actually please even the most discriminating of partygoers….guaranteed!

Don’t believe me?

I guess I was skeptical at first when it came to serving veggie burgers to guests at my home.  These weren’t just any old guests and this wasn't any old cookout.  I actually invited friends over as judges for a veggie burger cook off.  I picked out four different veggie burgers from four well-known brands. 

Using a variety of toppings, breads, and condiments, I created four distinct takes on the standard, run-of-the-mill frozen veggie burger.  The discerning judges were asked to taste each veggie burger and rate it in the following categories: grillability, taste, originality, and presentation. 

Grillability was defined by how well the veggie burger cooked on the grill. I believe the best way to grill a veggie burger is to spray both sides of the patty with a canola spray or brush the sides with olive oil prior to placing them on the grill. 

Since all grills seem to heat differently, cooking temperature is at the grill master’s discretion. I have had the most luck on medium-level heat.

Each category (grillability, taste, originality and presentation) was worth a total of five points per burger.  Therefore, each veggie burger had the potential to earn 20 points from each judge. With four judges, the maximum score each concoction could receive was 80 points. 

The judges were not given any information on what the brand or flavor of the burger was prior to tasting.  They were not allowed to add or remove anything from the burger.

Recipe-Carmelized Onion, Cheese and Bacon Quiche « The Budget ...

Here’s a recipe I created just this week from items I had in the fridge and freezer. A package of pie crusts that had been in the freezer since the holidays when I stocked up while they were on sale. Carmelized onions that I’d made from the five pound bag of Vadilla onions I bought a few weeks ago. The sweetness of the onions, the bite of the sharp cheese, plus the smokiness of the bacon combines together for a quick meal that’s easy on the budget too. It serves 4-6 and is ideal with a tossed green salad

1 ready made pie crust

4 eggs

1 cup milk (you can also use half and half too)

1/2 cup carmelized onions

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup chopped bacon bits ( I used jar bacon pieces for this)

Good pinch of salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and roll out the pie crust into a quiche pan or dish. Cook for about ten minutes and then let cool while you assemble the quiche.

Beat the eggs, add the milk, stir together and then add the onions, cheese, bacon and salt and pepper and make sure everything is well blended. Pour on top of the pastry and cook for about 25-30 minutes or until the center of the quiche is set.

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