Rethinking America's Favorite Burger, at Home.

These juicy burgers are a real family treat. Dig into a full flavored bacon burger without

the guilt on your wallet or your waistline.

This recipe was inspired by the Classic Bacon Burger from the Big Mouth Burger collection offered on the Chili’s menu. This burger cost $8.39 per order with fries and contains 1140 calories! The fries add another 380 calories. My version is approximately 660 calories and cost around $16 to buy enough for five people.

Recipe: serves 5

• 5, ¼ lb extra lean hamburger meat patties
• 4 oz Monterey jack cheese cut in slices
• 5, whole grain hamburger buns
• 10 slices of turkey bacon
• 1 California avocado
• 1 tomato
• ½ white onion
• 1 head of lettuce
• 5 tbs. spicy Dijon mustard
• 7 tbs. ground cumin
• 5 tbs. ground black pepper
• 5 tbs. garlic salt
• 5 tbs. garlic powder
• 2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

Step 1: mix all of the dry spices together in a small bowl. Generously sprinkle the dry spice mixture over the hamburger meat and mush together with hands. Divide into 5 even patties.

Step 2: place the burger patties on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until the inside is no longer pink.

Step 3: remove turkey bacon from package and prepare the same as pork bacon. Fry until no longer pink and is crispy.

Step 4: slice the avocado, tomato, lettuce, onion, and cheese into slices.

Step 5: when the burgers are cooked, turn off the oven and immediately place the sliced cheese on top of the hot burger patties. Place the tray back into the oven and allow cheese to melt.

Step 6: mix together the olive oil and any remaining seasonings into a bowl. Spread evenly on the insides of the bun and place in the oven for 8 minutes on broil setting.

Step 7: create your masterpiece. Pile your burger high with spicy Dijon mustard, onion, bacon, avocado, and all of your other burger favorites. Use remaining lettuce and tomato to make a side salad, and add slices of apple for a more complete meal.

Easy Peasy Chocolate Dessert. Come and Get it!

This recipe is comparable to a delectable chocolate cream pie. It's a homemade, low calorie, absolute treat that can be assembled in less than an hour and is so easy a child can help. 


I found this recipe in a Richard Simmons' diet dessert cookbook called "Sweetie Pie" that I bought at a thrift store. It is hilariously put together, but definitely worth a second look. 


My slightly modified recipe is as follows:

• 1 chocolate gram cracker pie crust. I used an Oreo crust.

• 14 oz worth of dark chocolate bars broken into pieces. 60% dark Ghirardelli was the best quality for the most reasonable price.

• 1 packet of unflavored gelatin. I could not find any unflavored Jell-O, so let me know if you do. I used a brand called 

• 1/4 c water. Sink water is the cheapest option :]

• 4 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder. I use my Nestle all of the time, I encourage an investment in this product.

• 2 Tbs sugar. Don't splurge on anything fancy.

• 12 oz condensed fat free milk. I used Equate, and it was enhanced with the same vitamins as the name brands. 

• 16 oz container of frozen fat free whipped topping. Cool Whip is not expensive. 

With all of the ingredients including chocolate, this recipe came to about $11 but is only around 200 calories per slice. Compare to Marie Callender's chocolate cream pie which is 600 calories a slice! 


Directions:


The first step is to bring the water to a low boil and then remove from heat. Stir in the gelatin until it is dissolved. Do not let it sit for too long or else it will stick to the bottom of the pot!


Pour the condensed milk into another pot and bring to a boil, later stirring in the sugar, cocoa powder, gelatin, and chocolate bar pieces. Stirring with a wisk will create the best results later on. :]


Next pour the chocolate mixture into a bowl and and place it in the refrigerator to set, about every 15 mins. for the next 45 mins. Remove the cool whip topping from the freezer and let it start to defrost.


After the chocolate mixture has hardened to about pudding consistency, gently fold in the whipped topping. Give the new mixture a few good stirs with a wisk removing all lumps from the whipped topping.


Transfer the chocolate mixture into the chocolate gram cracker crust and set in the refrigerator over night. The original recipe calls for only 2 hours but I rested it for about 4 and it was still pretty soft. 


Decorate with whipped cream and strawberries for a special occasion and to impress your guest.


My five year old soux chef Zachary stated that the pie was "freaking da bomb!"