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My husband has been on a health kick lately. I love it. He’s really making an effort to cut back on calories, make better food choices and squeezing in exercise throughout the day. He’s taking walks around his building during restroom breaks, and trying to get a two mile walk around the neighborhood in the evenings as well as getting to the gym to hit the elliptical or play basketball with our son on the weekends. It all adds up!

Him being on a health kick gives me more motivation to put together healthier meals for us to eat together. We are trying to lighten things up wherever we can and using bison in place of our regular ground beef is one way we can lighten up our burgers on the grill. Since bison is pricier than ground beef, this is a treat for us that we look forward to whenever we can.

Where to buy ground bison for this recipe?

I have been buying bison meat from Costco regularly, but have seen it at my local grocery store (although in much smaller packages) as well as Fresh Market and Whole Foods.

Healthy Bison Burger Ingredients

I like to keep my burger seasonings pretty simple so that you really enjoy the flavor of the beef you are cooking with.

• ground bison
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• your favorite barbecue sauce, for basting

The toppings though, that is where you can have fun. I love adding caramelized onions to my burgers and of course cheese!

How To Cook Bison Burgers On The Grill

1. In a large mixing bowl, gently combine ground bison with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Divide meat mixture into 5 even sections and form into patties. When forming, gently press down your thumb in center to help keep it’s shape and avoid turning into a meatball on the grill.
2. Pre-heat your grill to medium high heat. Place burgers on grill. Cook for 6-7 minutes on each side (for medium well – well done burgers) or 4-5 minutes for juicier, medium burgers. After first flip, brush cooked side liberally with your favorite barbecue sauce. Once burger is cooked through, quickly flip and brush other side before taking off the grill. Transfer to top rack of grill (or plate) and place a slice of pepper jack cheese on each burger.
3. For serving: Place each burger with cheese on your hamburger bun. Top with extra barbecue sauce (if desired), caramelized onions and shredded lettuce. Dig in.

Along with the extra exercise, packed lunches and a little extra involvement with meal planning and creating recipes are part of this health kick too. That’s where this burger comes in. I know ground buffalo (bison) has been around for a while, but it’s not something I’ve ever cooked with at home. My husband has enjoyed a healthy bison burger at a local restaurant a few times and asked if we could grill some up at home. Buffalo is a leaner type of ground beef and a great alternative when looking to indulge in a hamburger.

Burger Recipes To Try:

Smoky BBQ Turkey Burger Sliders

Bruschetta Patty Melts

East Meets West Burger

Sanford Burgers

Love cooking with bison like I do? Try these recipes using bison:

Sweet Potato Bison Shepherd’s Pie

Bison Black Bean Chili

Bison and Brown Rice Stuffed Peppers

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews

Grilled Barbecue Bison Burger

• Author: Aggies Kitchen
• Yield: 4-5 burgers
• Category: Burger
• Method: Grill
• Cuisine: American

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Try a lean Grilled Barbecue Bison Burger for a healthier alternative to your traditional hamburger – they are juicy and flavorful with less guilt!

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Ingredients

• 1.5 lb ground bison (or buffalo) meat
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• good pinch coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• your favorite barbecue sauce, for basting

For serving:

• 5 slices of pepper jack cheese
• hamburger buns
• shredded lettuce
• caramelized onions (see this post for instructions on how to caramelize onions)
• barbecue sauce

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Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, gently combine ground bison with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Divide meat mixture into 5 even sections and form into patties. When forming, gently press down your thumb in center to help keep it’s shape and avoid turning into a meatball on the grill.
2. Pre-heat your grill to medium high heat. Place burgers on grill. Cook for 6-7 minutes on each side (for medium well – well done burgers). After first flip, brush cooked side liberally with your favorite barbecue sauce. Once burger is cooked through, quickly flip and brush other side before taking off the grill. Transfer to top rack of grill (or plate) and place a slice of pepper jack cheese on each burger.
3. For serving: Place each burger with cheese on your hamburger bun. Top with extra barbecue sauce (if desired), caramelized onions and shredded lettuce. Dig in.

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I’m a sucker for chicken salad and love having it for quick lunches and dinners, especially in the summer when cooking a hot meal for dinner isn’t always appealing.

This Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad with Greek Yogurt was inspired by one of the coaches at my gym who got me craving chicken salad so bad at 6am recently that I immediately came home and made this for my parents who were coming over for lunch that day. I love people who can talk about food passionately in the early morning while pushing through burpees, squats, push ups, box jumps and all others forms of self inflicted torture in the spirit of fitness and health.

These are my kind of people.

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I’m pretty obsessed with grilling all the veggies right now. I have been loving experimenting with different veggies on the grill from this cauliflower to this grilled broccoli I made a couple of summers ago.

A few years ago, I picked up a simple little grilling basket/wok at Target. Since then, I’ve been grilling vegetables in it like crazy. I normally stick to peppers and onions or some kind of squash medley, but this grilled cauliflower is definitely one of my favorites.

Before throwing it on the grill I added sliced Vidalia onion to it and seasoned it up with some dried oregano, salt, pepper and a good drizzle of olive oil. During this time I made sure I was preheating my grill basket. Preheating your grill basket is like preheating your wok on your stove, it ensures your vegetables will get a good char and stay a bit more crisp. I just started doing this recently and love the results.

We loved how the grilled cauliflower turned out!

Honestly, we could have eaten just as is. It was delicious and a side dish that I will definitely be making again. But since I had some leftover quinoa in the refrigerator begging to be turned into a salad, I went that route. Using up some odds and ends in the fridge, this Greek Grilled Cauliflower and Vidalia Onion Quinoa Salad recipe was born.

It was light, fresh but still substantial enough to stand as a vegetarian meal (I enjoyed leftovers for lunch the next day!). We served it along some typical barbecue fare: grilled steaks, chicken sausages, corn, potatoes, a tomato and basil salad. It really worked well as part of our meal and would be a great addition to barbecue or picnic this summer.

Enjoy!

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No matter how hard I try, every summer I put on a few uncomfortable pounds. I tend to refer to them as the Summer 6. This year is no different than previous summers. The struggle is real people! I’m not really all too worried about it – I love ice cream and white wine in the hot summer months way too much and won’t give that up, however the excessive snacking on potato chips and other daily salty crunchies has got to go. Eating out more than a few nights a week has to stop too! The reality: summer break is over for us in just a couple of weeks (sad face) and a more structured routine is on the horizon. My discipline is much better with structure and routine so all will be well soon enough.

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The post Grilled Chicken with Cherry Arugula Salad appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

This recipe was created in partnership with Bush’s Beans.

If you like pork chops and barbecue then I am pretty certain you are going to love these Smothered Grilled Pork Chops today. I don’t cook pork chops often, but recently I picked up a couple of packages on sale since I know that my mother in law loves them and I want to treat her to dinner.

This meal made enough for them and my husband and I (I decided I wasn’t going to make the kids eat all those dreaded peppers 😉 ) and it was absolutely delicious.

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The best part of grilling up a nice flank steak, like this Grilled Flank Steak with Brown Sugar Rub I grilled up a couple of weeks ago, is the leftovers. Throw a few thin slices on a salad like this Steak Spinach Salad with Grilled Peaches and Red Onion and you won’t hear anyone complain about leftovers for dinner, that’s for sure. You can use leftovers from this London Broil marinade recipe I love to make too.

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When I said I was ready to start using my grill again, I wasn’t kidding. All I can think of lately are new recipes to make specifically for grilling – anything to change things up and get me out of the kitchen at dinner time works for me. I would much rather be in the fresh (hot) air with the kids running wild playing in the yard, sipping on an iced adult bevvy, than in my kitchen over the stove this time of year. (Check back with me in August.)

Even Amber loves it when I’m out grilling. She’s smiling at me, see?

This particular Grilled Broccoli and Vidalia Onion recipe was inspired by my friends at Produce For Kids and their mission to get more fruits and veggies in your shopping cart this spring and summer to benefit Feeding America. A campaign like this can only be a win/win, wouldn’t you agree? (Read more about it and participating brands below.)

You can pretty much always count on sweet Vidalia onions being in my house while they are in season, they are my absolute favorite. And broccoli…well, we are a family of broccoli lovers so I bring some home from the grocery store weekly. I typically like to roast my broccoli, but I think grilling it is the next best thing honestly. I just love that little bit of smoky char the grill gives it. I just picked up an inexpensive wire grill basket at Target, but I have used (and prefer) one like this (affiliate link).

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This post is sponsored by The Mushroom Council via Kitchen Play.
I don’t know about you, but I really appreciate a good spread of meatless options at any party or get together – especially appetizers. I have nothing against meaty snacks, but I just love veggie snack food better. Maybe because mentally I think I can eat more of it?

To me mushrooms are the ultimate compromise when it comes to satisfying both meat and veggie eaters. When cooked, they make a substantial addition to any recipe, and you can really flavor them up with fresh herbs and spices to pair up with cheese, breads, rice and pasta – among many other ingredients. You can stuff them for bite sized munching, saute them with savory garlic and herbs for a topping to a sandwich or main dish or use them as the star ingredient in a recipe like a grilled portabella mushroom burger or a stuffed portabella mushroom cap. I tend to use a good handful of chopped mushrooms to bulk up recipes like sloppy joes or stuffed peppers to keep them on the lighter side. The ideas are truly endless and I find myself always wanting to experiment with them more and more.

I love cooking with mushrooms so much I have a Pinterest board dedicated to them.

When I was asked to come up with an appetizer recipe to contribute to the “Swap It or Top It” Kitchen Play event with The Mushroom Council, this grilled summer meatless flatbread pizza immediately came to mind. Flatbreads are a great option for entertaining because they are so easy to whip up. I prepared these by first sauteing the sliced portabella mushrooms with a little olive oil, fresh thyme, salt and pepper. The flatbread pizzas (I used Naan for the bread since they hold up so nicely on the grill) were quickly warmed up on the grill then taken off and topped with a shmear of fresh pesto, the sauteed mushrooms and of course cheese. Throw them back on the grill (or into the oven) until the cheese melts and gets bubbly and you have yourself an impressive little appetizer with minimum effort.

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Summer vacation has officially begun in Casa Goodman. Last week was our first full week out of school and we kicked off the break with some time at a resort in Orlando using my parent’s time share points. Though it rained mostly every day, it didn’t stop my kids from non stop swimming, sliding, lazy river-ing, playing water volleyball and basketball.

I am always amazed at their endless energy and I have to say I am thankful they are at the age they can be in the pool without me physically by their side with them every minute – this mama needed a few lounge chair breaks to regain strength and un-prune her fingers and toes from all the water. I loved seeing them so active all day long, and honestly, the cloudy weather was actually a blessing – the sun came out in full force Saturday and whoa was it hot.

As always, there’s no place like home and we were all happy to get unpacked and back to normal yesterday. Since I didn’t have time to get to the grocery store before family hunger kicked in, I fell back on an ole reliable meal I tend to make pretty often throughout the summer – Grilled Italian Chicken Sausage and Peppers.

I pretty much always have a pack of precooked chicken sausages or two in the freezer (I stock up on several of the Aidell’s varieties every time I go to Costco, this time I picked up a new Italian style one from Casual Gourmet) and I usually have at least bell pepper or two along with onions in house too.

I love using soft pita bread to hold the final grilled product together as a sandwich as a opposed to a bun, and even throwing on a little feta sometimes to change things up (note: my favorite pita bread is this one from Joseph’s Bakery – only 60 calories, 6 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber – I have seen it at Publix and Walmart in the deli section). This meal always comes together in under 30 minutes, and I know everyone in the fam will eat it up (minus the peppers for the kids) alongside a salad or some raw veggies and ranch.

A perfect easy summer meal to add to your menu in my opinion! Happy grilling! 🙂

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(Disclosure: This post is sponsored by McCormick via The Motherhood, I received compensation for recipe development and my time. My recipe was created using McCormick spices, which you would already find in my kitchen.)

Taco night is finally becoming a go-to dinner option in my household. My husband and I have always loved tacos of every kind, but my kids have been a little hit or miss over the years. I think it’s safe to say that each of us is happily on board with taco night as of now – and since Mexican food, especially the taco, is some of the easiest to prepare this mama is oh so happy.
As a matter of fact, my kids just recently proclaimed we should have taco night weekly – I am all over it!

Fish tacos are some of my favorite to prepare, especially during grilling season. I love taking a simple white fish and seasoning it up just right with a few spices and fresh lime juice. When McCormick asked me to participate in their Taco Night Fiesta I knew right away that with the beautiful warm weather we were having I had to make fish tacos. For these fish tacos I wanted to try out a new-to-me spice that was sent to me by McCormick, dried diced jalapeno peppers. I was so intrigued when I saw this spice in their collection and I couldn’t wait to try it out. What I love about it is the mild jalapeno flavor it adds, without much of the heat (or fuss) of dealing with fresh jalapenos. It’s a nice way to infuse a little jalapeno flavor into a dish easily and conveniently.

I paired up the dried jalapeno with some ground cumin, salt, pepper and oil to marinate over the fish before putting on the grill. Using my fingers, I ground up the dried jalapeno so that it would work into the marinade a little easier, but you could always use a the back of a wooden spoon or a mortar and pestle to grind up too.

McCormick challenged me to come up with a 5-ingredient recipe for their fiesta so I kept the base of these fish tacos simple with this flavorful marinade using their spices as well as white corn tortillas and a very important and substantial squeeze of lime to finish them off. The lime truly brightened up the flavors that were cooked up on the fish. I love adding a squeeze of citrus after fish or seafood is cooked as opposed to including it in the marinade so that the acid doesn’t interfere in the pre-cooking process (hello ceviche) and so that the citrus flavor is fresh, lingering and very obvious. Citrus and fish should always be the best of friends in my opinion.

The fish and the tortilla are definitely essential to the taco making business. No question about that. But…my favorite part of tacos is always the toppings!

And lots of them!! I stuck with a green theme to keep these fish tacos fresh and light (and for a little fun!). Our toppings included shredded green cabbage (you can always use lettuce!), lime, avocado, and of course lots of fresh cilantro. My kids are loving Greek yogurt on everything these days so I had to include that too.

My family loved these Grilled Green Fish Tacos, my daughter probably the most. She couldn’t keep her hands off the fish, and pretty much finished it all off taco-less.

Needless to say, this perfectly seasoned grilled fish would be great on its own maybe paired up with some Fresh Corn Salad or Cilantro Rice for a completely different dinner. (I truly love successful family dinners like this one!)

But for now, enjoy these fish tacos instead.

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