Buffalo Joes

We had this sandwich filling two ways, the first night for dinner on sandwich thins as a modified sloppy joes. Then, the next day for lunch over baked potatoes. I dare say, I liked the filling over the potatoes better than the sandwiches. I think it was because the sandwiches were very saucy; almost too saucy (if that's possible). It made our buns soggy and we ended up eating the sandwiches with fork and knife. The were tasty, but messy. As a baked potato topping, it was perfect. The starchy potato sucked up the extra sauce and it was more balanced. Also, the flavors mingled overnight, so the taste was more developed. Don't get me wrong, both applications were good...we just liked the potatoes better.

Buffalo Joes
From: Clean Eating magazine website, February 2012

Ingredients:
½ lb lean ground bison (or very lean ground beef)
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
3 cups baby spinach
1 cup BPA-free canned unsalted navy beans, drained and rinsed (TRY: Eden Organic Navy Beans)
1 cup jarred or boxed diced tomatoes (TRY: Pomi Chopped Tomatoes)
2 tsp grainy mustard
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp pure maple syrup
¼ cup chopped green onions
4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted (TRY: Alvarado St Bakery Sprouted Wheat Burger Buns)(We used Sandwich Thins)

Directions:
Heat a large sauté pan with a tight-fitting lid on medium-high. Gradually add bison a bit at a time and cook, stirring frequently and breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 2 minutes.

Add garlic, carrot and spinach to pan and stir until spinach wilts, about 1 minute. Stir in beans, tomatoes, mustard, vinegar and maple syrup. Cover pan, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but still moist and saucy, 8 to 10 minutes. Add green onions and stir to combine. Spoon into buns, dividing evenly.

Green Chile Bison Cheeseburgers

(These are my roasted Hatch green chiles after I chopped them. My burgers looked like normal burgers, so I thought a photo of the chiles would be more interesting.)

I love ground bison. If you haven't tried it, don't be afraid...it's delicious. It tastes almost identical to top quality ground sirloin (read: not gamey in flavor at all). It's good for you, as it is minimally processed and very lean. It has a higher protein content (40g of protein compared to beef at 21g), lower saturated fat than beef (3g for bison vs. 6g for lean ground beef) and it has a bigger quantity of B6 and B12 vitamins, too. I like that it's not treated with chemicals or hormones and is usually grass fed. I will say it is more expensive; about double the price per pound at my local grocery store as compared to regular beef. I think a pound of bison was about $7-$8, but I think the cost is worth the benefits. It's my go-to substitute when I'm trying to eat better, but still have a hankerin' for burgers.

I used my recently-obtained bison to make these green chile burgers. I love fresh roasted green chiles, and summertime in the southwest means Hatch chile season. Hatch chiles have the best green chile flavor with a moderate amount of heat (depending on the chile--some can be super-spicy) and are only around for a few weeks at the end of summer. I always try to buy some and roast them myself, before they are gone for the year. This time, I only bought a small quantity and used them all in this recipe. I roast them right over the open flame of my gas stove top, and then peel and chop 'em. Yum! This time I combined them into the burger to try something a little different and it did not disappoint. These burgers were very, very tasty and didn't feel at all like "health food".

Green Chile Bison Cheeseburgers

Ingredients:
4 roasted, chopped Hatch green chiles (fresh if you can get them)
1/2 white onion, diced
1 lb. ground bison
salt and pepper to taste
1 T of olive oil
6 slices of Colby Jack cheese
6 sandwich thins, 100% whole wheat
3 T of plain, non fat Greek yogurt
2 T of your favorite salsa
1 sliced, ripe avocado; lightly coated with salt, pepper, lemon and lime juice
canola oil for the grill

Directions:
Combine roasted chiles, bison meat, onions, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir together with a fork so meat mixture is loosely combined (the less your burger meat is handled at this stage, the juicier your burgers will be). Form into 6 patties. Prepare an indoor grill pan by brushing a small amount of canola oil over the grates. heat grill pan to medium-high. Grill burgers until medium-rare, about 5 minutes per side. Top with a slice of cheese and let melt for an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove burgers from grill and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.

Mix salsa and plain yogurt in a small bows and add a small pinch of salt. Top each sandwich thin with a heaping teaspoon of the salsa-yogurt topping. Place cooked burger on each bun and finish with a few slices of the avocado. Enjoy!

Mushroom & Provolone Bison Patty Melts

My new issue of Cooking Light magazine just arrived, and this recipe jumped out at me. Originally, it calls for ground sirloin; but I thought the swap of lean, more sustainable, bison meat would be a good choice. It turns out I was right...the bison was delicious! If you haven't tried bison, I would highly recommend it. It just tastes like really high-quality ground beef, and is much more healthful. Trust me, it is really great. These patty melts were a hit with the whole family, and my husband especially loved them. Many thanks Cooking Light for another awesome dinner!

Mushroom & Provolone Bison Patty Melts
Adapted From: Cooking Light magazine, Oct. 2010 issue

Ingredients:
1 pound ground bison
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 (8-ounce) package sliced cremini mushrooms
1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup beef broth
8 (1.1-ounce) slices of whole wheat bread
4 (3/4-ounce) slices of reduced-fat provolone cheese

Directions:
1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Shape bison into 4 (4-inch) patties. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done.

2. Heat oil in a separate medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, salt, pepper, and mushrooms; sauté 3 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in beef broth; cook 30 seconds or until thick. Remove from heat; keep warm.

3. When patties are done, remove from large skillet. Wipe pan clean; heat over medium-high heat. Coat 1 side of each bread slice with cooking spray. Place 4 bread slices, coated sides down, in pan. Top each with 1 patty, 1 cheese slice, and one-fourth of mushroom mixture. Top with remaining bread slices; coat with cooking spray. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned.



The Result:
These sandwiches were so mouth-watering, savory, and satisfying. Seriously, good eats!!! The directions yielded perfectly cooked, medium-rare burgers with a nice brown crust on the top. Yum! I tinkered with the original recipe a bit to suit what we had on hand (i.e. wheat bread, bison, beef broth, etc.), and the end result was really great. A side dish of glazed carrots completed our meal and complimented our patty melts. This recipe is a family-pleasing keeper!