Category Archives: burgers and sandwiches

Jul 25 1 comments
burgers and sandwiches

Bacon Blue Cheese Burgers

Tonight Dan and I returned from a few day trip to Morehead City, North Carolina.  You may be familiar with Morehead from such post as this, this, this, or this.  It was a great weekend filled with diving, eating, family, and friends.  Also, we saw a giant shark and I got stung by a jellyfish in a reenactment of that scene in The Sphere.  I’m pretty exhausted so instead of giving you the full run down and ending with a comment about how delicious burgers are when you mix in bacon and blue cheese, I’m going to give you a photo montage of the recipe, and some highlights from the trip.  It was fun.

On the first day Dan and I spent a lot of time watching low tide, and then we discovered that we could manipulate the movements of the minnows and the hermit crabs and the real crabs with our shadows.  We were wildly entertained.

Our first day of diving was on a boat called the Indra.  We saw a giant shark, got caught in a bait ball, and made a free ascent, which was not exactly what we were going for.  Still, we had fun.  And then we got pizza.

This place is so beautiful, how could you *not* be happy here?

The second day, we went on two dives.  The first was on the Ario, the vessel everyone used to think was the Hutton.  The Hutton is actually what everyone calls the Papoose.  They think.  Did I mention we dive on shipwrecks?  Either way, we saw two more huge sharks (pictured below) that while smaller than the shark we saw on the Indra, were still impressive.

Giant, right?

Check out the teeth!

We also saw some starfish, they were wonderful.  And isn’t Dan dreamy?  This was before I got stung by a jellyfish.  That was on our second dive of the day, which was on a tugboat called the Titan.  That was a great dive because the boat is intact and fun to swim through.  Also, there were juvenile sharks on the bow that were kind of hilarious.

That night we made these burgers, which were delicious, and tried hard not to talk politics.  Later we went to Dairy Queen to get blizzards.  This post is not sponsored by Dairy Queen.

The next day it was super rough so we cancelled the diving portion of the day and instead took a family trip to Shackleford Banks.  There was anchor line volleyball, synchronized swimming, and back flips.  I got sunburnt.

This is what it looks like when a white dog tries to stalk a hamburger.  Unsuccessfully.

That night we made grouper (recipe to come) and went out for ice cream.  Because it is vacation.  Now we’re home, back to real life (sad), and our very comfortable bed (happy).  Thanks for putting up with this photo montage instead of a real post.  I’m off to catch up on Warehouse 13.

Bacon Blue Cheese Burgers

1 lb hamburger meat

1/2 cup blue cheese (crumbled)

6 slices of bacon (cooked and crumbled)

3 tbsp steak sauce

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Mix together hamburger meat, cheese, (cooked and crumbled) bacon, steak sauce, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper in a large bowl.

Heat your grill.  For handfuls of meat into balls, and then use your hands to squish them into patties.  Cook on the grill 5-7 minutes, flip, and cook an additional 5-7.

Oct 14 1 comments
burgers and sandwiches

Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich


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Dan and I are the first of our group of friends to get married, which has put us in a unique position.  As I’ve mentioned here before, we’re well… homebodies.  We go out occasionally, but we really prefer to entertain at home- both our guests and ourselves.  And when we do go out, we go out with other couples, do the dinner at a restaurant thing.  It’s been a while since we partied with Solo cups.

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The thing is, most of our friends and a lot of our siblings and cousins (alright, my siblings and cousins- Dan’s are all settled down and mature) are still living the carefree and single lifestyle.  A lifestyle that we only mostly remember.  So when we party with them, we either get drunk under the table or we’re incredible uncomfortable (and awkward).  It’s the consequence of being at different places in life, I guess.

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Last weekend we were invited to our friend Dave’s country birthday party (that started at 4pm), and I did a stupid thing.  I assumed, because the party started before dinner and was to last until well into the evening, that there would be food.  Because it’s been so long since I’ve been to a party where they didn’t have food that I forgot.  I forgot there was such a thing as a party with multiple kegs but not a dorito in sight.  Free beer, but BYOD.

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About an hour after we got there my stomach was growling so violently that I could envision skewering one of the many corgis running around.  So Dan and I made a trip out to one of his college haunts, a place called Bubba’s.  On the drive to Cockeysville Dan regaled me with tales of eating at Bubba’s two, three times a day.  It was so good. So I had reasonably high expectations and was delighted when we got there and the menu featured a sandwich called the “Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich.”

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Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but the ONE ingredient that you would think the “southern fried chicken sandwich” would have would be FRIED CHICKEN.  No.  That would be one of those assumptions that would make you and I into donkeys.  Because this sandwich included deli meat, cheese, and bacon.  And by deli meat I mean what looked like packaged chicken from the grocery store that had been tossed on the griddle.  Not breaded.  Not fried chicken pulled off the delicious, moist bone.

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It was one of the most disappointing sandwiches I’ve had… ever.  But that’s what I get for ordering something titled “southern” outside the south.  I always do that, and I’m always disappointed.  You see, when I saw that sandwich my mind immediately raced to the most delicious sandwich on Earth, the Shrimp Boat chicken sandwich.  Shrimp Boat is a restaurant in Durham, and while I’ve never had their shrimp, their fried chicken sandwich is to die for.  It’s chicken that is fried, pulled off the bone, and paired with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise on a soft bun.  Nothing extravagant, nothing gourmet, but out of this world good.

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dan & i with the birthday boy, dave.  it’s worth noting that we had a great time at the party.  next time we’ll be bringing our own fried chicken sandwiches ;)  photo by avery knox.

Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich

2 chicken breasts, bone in/skin on

2 buns

1 romaine lettuce heart

1 tomato

4 tbsp mayonnaise

3 cups buttermilk

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp chipotle

1/2 tsp garlic

Salt & pepper

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 cups flour

2 slices bread

Peanut oil for frying

Soak the chicken in the buttermilk and half the spices for at least 2 hours.

Toast the bread, dice, and combine it in a food processor with remaining spices.  Combine with flour.

In a large skillet, heat your oil to 350 degrees.  Dredge each breast in breading and fry for 10 minutes on each side.  Set aside to cool.

Toast your buns.  Spread 2 tbsp mayo on each bun.  If you’re going to skip the mayo, you might as well skip the sandwich- it’s that crucial.

Chop the lettuce and slice the tomatoes.  Pile onto buns.  Top with fried chicken that you’ve pulled off the bone in strips.

May 09 2 comments
burgers and sandwiches

BLT & Apologies

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Recently, I posted my mother’s recipe for cream puffs.  In the post, I mentioned that cream puffs can easily be adapted into something more savory.  This week, I tried that theory out, making bacon, lettuce, and tomato puffs.  Into the puff I mixed fresh chopped cilantro, a little cheese, and some salt, which made the flavors more sandwich like.  I filled them with turkey bacon, mixed greens, and fresh tomatoes.  They would also be delicious with a jalapeño mayonnaise or a little red onion.

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I also wanted to apologize that posts have been a little few and far between lately.  I’ve been crazy busy lately with wedding stuff (I know, I know, what an excuse!).  Dan and I have also been trying to watch our waistline because of the aforementioned nuptials, which makes my penchant for butter a problem.  I promise that I’ve got a nice queue of recipes for the summer, some healthy, some more buttery than ever, and all coming soon!

Savory Puffs

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup water

1/4 stick butter

2 eggs

1/4 cup cheese (your choice)

Herb of your choice

1/2 tbsp salt

Boil water and add butter, stirring until melted.  Remove from heat and add in your flour, herbs, and salt.  Mix until it forms a ball around your spoon.  Mix in one egg at a time, totally incorporating one before adding the other.

Spoon balls of dough onto a greased baking sheet, making sure each ball has a peak.  This should be enough dough to make four large puffs.  Bake for 10 minutes at 400 and then 20 additional minutes at 350.

BLT Puffs

Puffs (see above)

4 slices turkey bacon

1 small tomato

1/4 cup mixed greens

Begin by cooking your bacon until crispy.  Slice your tomatoes into thin slices.

Once your puffs are baked, slice in half.  Layer one slice of bacon per puff, and add tomatoes and mixed greens.  Don’t feel shy about adding your own improvements- condiments or onions, avocados or sprouts!

Serves 4.

Mar 22 1 comments
burgers and sandwiches

Southern Pimento Cheese Burger

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There are only a few foods that I am very emotionally attached to, and as I’m sure you realized this week, pimento cheese is one of those foods.  But, as I mentioned, I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to pimento cheese, and so in approaching today’s recipe, I had to take a very liberal interpretation of what was suggested.  A lot of times (outside of baking) a recipe is really just that… a suggestion.

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This recipe is from a Food Network Challenge burgers special.  It was actually the winner, and I have since seen it in a number of T.G.I.Friday’s commercials.  The recipe is good in theory, though there are certain elements of it that I’ve rewritten.  Beyond the pimento cheese, the recipe calls for ham to be put in the food processor and added to the burger.  I think ham is gross, but Dan loves it, so I put ham in his but not in mine.  I also added my own flavor twist on the burgers, adding horseradish and soy sauce.

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I thought that the honey cole slaw was such a great idea.  I am all about new twists on classic southern fare.  For our wedding Beaufort Grocery is making mango cole slaw, which I’m so excited about.  Sometimes during the summer I think a light blueberry cole slaw is perfect, and sweet cole slaws add a different element when they’re combined with things like burgers and barbeque.

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Southern Pimento Cheese Burger
Source: Adapted from Food Network

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1/4 cup country ham

3 cups cabbage, finely chopped

4 tbsp red onion, chopped

2 tbsp mayonnaise

4 tbsp honey

1/2 tbsp horseradish

1 tbsp soy sauce

Salt & pepper

4 strips of bacon

Pimento cheese, recipe here

Start by making your pimento cheese, since that will need to settle a bit.  Find the instructions here.

Next, make your cole slaw. Finely chop your cabbage.  If you can’t find a head of cabbage at the market, you can usually find a bag of already shredded cabbage.  Traditionally with cole slaw I blend the ingredients in a food processor, but with this I just used a spoon to combine the ingredients.  Mix together your cabbage, honey, mayonnaise, and a little salt and pepper.

I like to make my patties a few hours before we’re going to eat them so that the flavors have time to really meld.  So to start go ahead and dump your ground beef into a mixing bowl.  Use a silicon spatula to spread it out a bit, and create a well in the center.  Add the horseradish and soy sauce, and blend until totally combined.  Since I was making one patty with ham and the other without, I took out half of the meat, formed a patty, and set it aside.  Put your ham in the food processor and chop until in tiny pieces.  Add the ham to the remaining meat and combine until smooth.  Make your patty, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours until you’re ready to cook.

When you’re ready to start dinner, go ahead and cook your bacon.  When the bacon is done, set it aside and retain 1 tbsp of the grease in the pan.  Over  medium heat, start your burgers.  For a medium rare burger, you should cook them 7-10 minutes on each side over medium heat.

While the burgers are cooking, toast your buns and then spread a layer of pimento cheese on the bottom bun.  Top by two strips of bacon on each burger.  Add the burger when it’s finished and put a healthy serving of cole slaw on top.

Serves 2.

Mar 12 5 comments
burgers and sandwiches

Dan’s Fire in Your Hole Sandwich


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About once a week, Dan makes a honey glazed chipotle rubbed chicken that we usually put ontop of a mixed green salad.  It’s delicious, healthy, and a totally original Dan recipe.  As I mentioned in my last post, Dan and I spent all of this past Sunday figuring out how we could go about opening our cafe “On the Water” in Morehead.  It’s a seven hour drive from Morehead back to Takoma Park, so we had a lot of time to brainstorm, and even went so far as to come up with a menu.

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We wanted to include the chicken I’d been calling “fire in the hole,” but didn’t think that the salad was a menu-worthy recipe.  We’re really only putting our top contenders up there, and the salad wasn’t cutting it.  So, we decided to adapt it into a sandwich.  Because the chicken is heavily glazed, we needed a thick bread.  I hate when the ingredients in a sandwich dissolve the bread and it all sort of spills out.  So we chose french bread.

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We also needed to do something to cut the spicy.  See, the way that this chicken operates is that when you first put it in your mouth, all you taste is the sweetness of the honey.  Then, as the honey glaze dissolves, the kick of the chipotle hits you, and your mouth is on fire.  So we wanted to add a creamy cheese, something that could compliment the chicken but take away some of the after-effects.  We juggled a few options, and decided on havarti.

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Finally, we wanted to add something leafy that would bring a freshness to the table.  We’re big fans of the way that cilantro plays on other flavors, bringing a sweetness and a freshness into dishes that you can’t find in other fresh herbs.  If only cilantro weren’t such a pain to grow, we’d grow pots and pots worth of it to keep it fresh around the house all the time.  It really does do great things for this sandwich.  In fact, the next time we make it, FiYHS 2.0 if you will, I think I’m going to add more cilantro.

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This sandwich really is delicious.  For a 1.0 version, it’s top notch.  I would make a few changes.  It was a little cheesy and a little bready.  I think I would hollow out the roll a little so it was just a tad less bread, and use one slice of cheese per sandwich instead of two.  I would also, as I mentioned, add a little more cilantro.  I really do think it’s going to be a big hit.

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Dan’s Fire in Your Hole Sandwich

1 chicken breast

2 tbsp chipotle chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp hot sauce

1/2 french bread loaf, cut in half both ways

1 tsp cinnamon

6 tbsp honey

6 tbsp fresh cilantro

4 slices havarti cheese

Salt & pepper

Pat your chicken dry on both sides and rub with chipotle, salt and pepper, and cinnamon.  Heat 2 tbsp oil.  Stir in garlic powder and hot sauce.  Place your chicken in the pan and cook five minutes.  Flip and cook a additional five minutes.

Remove your chicken from the pan and slice into chunks.  Return the chunks to the pan and cook an additional two minutes.  When your chicken is fully cooked, pour honey into the pan.  The honey will melt, and then sizzle.  Allow the honey to reduce.

While the honey is cooking, slice your bread.  Top with havarti and cilantro.  When the honey has completely reduced, place the chicken into the sandwich and serve.