Quesadilla Burger

By Mike Hubbartt, © Copyright 2009, All Rights Reserved.

I watch what I eat, because I want to keep my weight and size down. I had a Quesadilla Burger at AppleBee’s and really enjoyed it but just can’t afford to consume 1420 calories in one course of one meal, so I came up with this version that is easy and tasty.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

• 1lb 93% lean ground beef (680 cal)
• 4 flour tortillas (7″ – 488 cal)
• 8 tbsp Picante sauce (Pace® Picante – 40 cal)
• 1 cup 2% cheddar cheese (Kraft® – 320 cal)
• 1/2 cup of diced Vadalia onions (30 cal)
• 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce (8 cal)
• Salt and pepper to taste

The calories: 680 + 488 + 40 + 320 + 30 + 8 = 1566 / 4 servings = ~392 cal/serving.

DIRECTIONS

1. Form 4 hamburger patties from the ground beef. Do not try to smash the meat together until it resembles a hockey puck, because it will be about as tender as a hockey puck. The secret to making a tender and juicy hamburger is to spend as little time as possible molding the meat into a patty. Divide the meat into 1/4 pound sections, then gently form it into a patty – you do not need to have a perfectly round patty. Next, put an 1/2″ deep indention in the middle of the patty – this helps prevent the meat from plumping up.
2. Put the 4 patties in a skillet on the stove and sprinkle each patty with salt and pepper to suite your taste.
3. Cook the patties, flipping them when they are ready. Now use your spatula to cut each patty into 2 even half moon-shaped sections.
4. Either warm the tortillas in a skillet, just using non-stick spray, or put the tortillas on a small plate and microwave it for 20 – 25 seconds.
5. Place the tortillas on plates, then put 2 burger sections on each tortilla.
6. Spoon 2 tbsp Pace® Picante over the meat on each tortilla.
7. Spoon 1/4 of the diced onions on each tortilla.
8. Add 1/4 cup iceberg lettuce to each tortilla.
9. Sprinkle  1/4 cup cheese on each tortilla.
10. Fold the tortillas in half, then put in the microwave for 20 seconds and serve.

Very simple, very tasty, and far fewer calories (392 vs. 1420) than when eating out. A side of my grilled onions and fresh corn goes real well with this burger.