Jamie Magazine
By Jamie Oliver
Mini beef burgers
With lots of toppings
Not Too Tricky
serves 8
About the recipe
We know kids love burgers, but the key is to get them into the homemade kind. There’s nothing tastier than a fresh, additive-free, 100% beef burger made with lean meat, flavoured with onion, herbs and a little grated cheese.
This recipe is simple to make, and while the burgers are cooking, the kids can get busy preparing whichever toppings they like best.
Recipe From
Ingredients
olive oil
2 cream crackers
1 medium red onion
20g Parmesan cheese
4 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 large free-range egg
400g lean minced beef
8 mini burger buns
TOPPINGS
4 rashers of higher-welfare smoked streaky bacon
1 soft round lettuce
2 ripe tomatoes
1 red onion
1 ripe avocado
30g Cheddar cheese
Top Tip
Try adding different herbs from your garden the next time you make these – marjoram and thyme work well. Or pound some cumin and coriander seeds to a coarse powder with a pestle and mortar and add to the burger mix with the pepper.
Method
We know kids love burgers, but the key is to get them into the homemade kind. There’s nothing tastier than a fresh, additive-free, 100% beef burger made with lean meat, flavoured with onion, herbs and a little grated cheese. This recipe is simple to make, and while the burgers are cooking, the kids can get busy preparing whichever toppings they like best.
- Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas 7. Lightly grease a baking tray with oil and set aside.
- Pop the crackers into a sandwich bag, press out the air and seal. Get the kids to gently bash the crackers with a rolling pin until they become fine crumbs, then tip them into a mixing bowl.
- Using a box grater, coarsely grate the onion and Parmesan, then add them both to the bowl. Pick, finely chop and add the parsley leaves.
- In a bowl, the kids can beat the egg with a fork, then add it to the main mixture. Tip in the mince, and season with black pepper. With clean hands, get the kids to mix everything together.
- Divide the mixture in half, divide each half into 4 equal-sized pieces then, with wet hands, pat and roll each piece into a burger, roughly 2cm thick.
- Place the burgers onto the oiled tray, pat with a little oil, cover with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, help the kids make their toppings. If you’re using bacon, pop it under the grill for 5 to 6 minutes, turning halfway, until crispy, and drain on kitchen paper.
- Discard the outer leaves of the lettuce, then pick, wash and dry the inner leaves. Slice the tomatoes and finely slice the onion.
- Cut around the avocado lengthways. Kids can hold the avocado and twist to pull the halves apart. Remove the stone and scoop the flesh away from the skin, then cut into slices.
- Under supervision, little ones can grate the Cheddar with a box grater.
- Have the kids use oven gloves to place the tray of burgers in the oven for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Help the kids cut the burger buns in half, pop them on a baking tray and warm in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Use a fish slice to place each burger onto a bun half. Add your toppings, finish with a bun half, and serve with salad or potato wedges.
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