We've been traveling so much lately that I haven't had time to keep food stocked. Anything fresh around here is the result of a CSA box, a friend showing up with something from their garden, or me calling Nate and asking him to pick up vegetables because I NEED something crunchy. He invariably asks what kind of veggies I want and I'm like, “I don't know. I have meat in the freezer. Just bring me something green or red or yellow and I'll figure it out.” And that's how these lettuce wrap burgers came to be.
How to Assemble Lettuce Wrap Burgers
I call these “kitchen sink” lettuce wrap burgers because I basically pull out everything in the kitchen (except the sink, get it?) and throw it out on the counter. Everyone is free to compile whatever looks good into their own customized lettuce wrap burgers.
Nate's all bummed out that I'm minimizing carbs and not buying hamburger buns anymore. These lettuce wrap burgerss take the bummerness out of it because they are SO good you don't even miss the bread.
Bring out All the Fixins
ALL the sauce. ALL the ingredients. All the fixins. We don't hold anything back when it comes to lettuce wrap burgers.
Stock Up
We've been working with Ball Park and using their frozen for the meat because I can buy a bunch, freeze them and cook them up quickly in the microwave, stove top or oven. Ball Park Flame Grilled Patties = flame grilled deliciousness without even turning on the grill.
Don't Fear Shortcuts
The Beef & Cheese Patties are my favorite. They have little nuggets of cheesey goodness right in the patty, so I don't have to add cheese separately. Lettuce wraps with cheese tend to be a little on the messy side, so this makes life easier. There are even turkey patties for people looking for a lighter option.
And for the boys, I can cut them up and convince them it's finger-food. Once in awhile they'll eat some lettuce on the side…just as long as I don't push it on them.
Chile Verde Breakfast Lettuce Wraps
My personal favorite concoction for lettuce wrap burgers is lettuce + beef patty + red bell peppers + onions + chile verde sauce. I know you're like, “Lettuce wrap burgers for breakfast!?” Yes. Oh, yes. Although if you make your eggs runny, this one will require a fork.
Mmmhmm, you'll want to pin that for later. Perfect for those moments when you're staring at a refrigerator full of random ingredients and can't figure out how to put them all together.
Lettuce wrap burgers for the win.