Do you remember your favorite tastes as a child? A special cookie from your grandmother, possibly a lasagna from your mother? Or is it a neighborhood restaurant that served cold bread pudding from a rotating case that makes your taste buds tingle? The two of us were destined to be food bloggers (or cookbook writers, or in the food world.) Why? Because if you ask us about a memory, we can tell you what we had to eat. Seriously. It is rather creepy actually.
After one taste of our lentil chili, all we could think of was adding meat. So much for being vegetarian. Specifically we craved to the tips of our toes, a chili burger. Our favorite memory of a chili burger is from a Parkland, WA restaurant called the Wagon Wheel. Next to our grandparents house, it was an easy establishment that served hearty food and remembered your name. It was also the place that Denise discovered her life ambition to be a waitress, because people left you money on the table. Beside that fun flashback memory, our favorite thing on the menu was the chili burger. A simple grilled patty, avalanched in delicious chili topped with white onions and cheddar cheese. A gastronomical gut buster of tasty delight, we always loved the textured taste, and still crave it to this day. When we had the lentil chili and began to crave it over a patty, we had no idea what we were in for.
Our blog has been known for not only recreating restaurant food at home, but for also making them healthier without compromising flavor. We have had many instances of being spot on, but other times, we can taste that the foods aren't as fatty rich, though just as tasty. Tonight however, recreating the Wagon Wheel chili burger with 4% fat beef and lentil chili, we could not believe that every bite took us back to Parkland. It was exact. We seriously doubt the Wheel ever used the ingredients we did, but we were shocked that it was so reminiscent of the flavor we cherish, and the times we spent with our family.
Wagon Wheel Chili Burger
12 oz 4% fat ground beef
Johnny's Seasoning Salt (or your favorite salt blend)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Hamburger buns, split
1 1/2 cups Lentil chili
3 Tablespoons reduced fat cheddar cheese
2 Tablespoons diced yellow onion
Heat a grill over medium-high heat. Divide meat into two patty's, sized to fit the bun; season to taste with salt seasoning and pepper. Grill to desired degree of doneness, about 4 minutes per side if you are us. Warm chili to piping hot. Place burgers on each bun bottom, top with chili, cheese and onion. Serve warm.
Yield: 2 Servings
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