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Winter

Potato, Leek, and Kale Soup

December 21, 2020 by Melissa Leave a Comment

Two bowls of potato, leek, and kale soup on a white background and a blue and white napkin on the side.

This post contains links that pay me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

This Potato, Leek, and Kale Soup is the perfect creamy comfort food to warm you up on a cold, blustery day.

One of my all-time favorite meals is potato soup. Creamy and rich, it’s comfort food in a bowl. This recipe uses golden potatoes, leeks, and kale for a super creamy and comforting bowl of soup on a cold, blustery day. Let me walk you through how to make it!

Close up of potato, leek, and kale soup with sour cream, bacon, and chives on top.

Ingredients for Potato, Leek, and Kale Soup

Bacon: The bacon is used as a topping, and some of the bacon fat is used for sauteing the vegetables.

Onion:I used a medium yellow onion for this soup.

Leeks: As leeks grow, they can get a lot of sand and dirt stuck inside. I give them a good wash before chopping, and I also rewash them in a strainer after chopping to get any remaining bits of dirt cleaned off.

Garlic cloves: You can use fresh garlic from either the garlic bulb or buy the pre-minced variety.

Golden potatoes: Gold potatoes have a lot more flavor and a creamier texture than some other types of potatoes. Their skin is pretty tender as well, so I don’t bother peeling these. The skins get pureed into the soup anyway, so it’s also easier.

Stock: I prefer chicken stock myself, but feel free to use vegetable stock if you prefer. One of my favorites is Kitchen Basics.

Milk: I’ve only tested this with cow’s milk, so 1%, 2%, or whole would be best. If you’re feeling extra, you can use half and half or heavy cream. Skim milk won’t give any creaminess because it has no fat. I have not tested it with any plant-based milk, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work as long as it’s unflavored.

Kale: I usually buy kale pre-chopped, but you can chop it yourself too. If I chop it myself, I usually got with a fine chop so that the kale cooks and wilts faster.

Extra toppings: The sky is the limit, but the go-tos would be crumbled bacon, minced chives, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), and cheese – specifically cheddar cheese works well.

Two bowls of potato, leek, and kale soup on a white background and a blue and white napkin on the side. There is also a pot of the soup next to the bowls.

How to Make Potato Leek Soup

First, you’ll cook the bacon until super crispy (so it can be crumbled later) in a large stockpot and save about 2 tbsp. of bacon fat to saute the vegetables: onions, leeks, garlic, and potatoes.

After sauteing the vegetables, you’ll add the stock and allow the potatoes to thoroughly cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.

You’ll add the milk and use an immersion stick blender to puree the soup. If you don’t have an immersion stick blender, you can transfer the soup into a regular blender to puree. You may have to work in batches, and you’ll need to transfer the soup back into the stockpot.

Once the soup is pureed, you’ll turn the heat to low if you haven’t already and add in the chopped kale. Let the soup cook with the kale in the stockpot for about 5-10 minutes or until the kale is cooked and wilted.

When you serve the soup, serve with your favorite potato soup toppings. As I mentioned above, I like bacon, minced chives, sour cream, and cheddar cheese.

Can You Freeze Potato Soup?

Unfortunately, potato soup and dairy containing soups don’t freeze that great. When they defrost, it may be separated, or the texture may be off. I don’t recommend it, but if you want to make this soup in advance and freeze it for later. You can make the soup up to step 3 and puree the soup without the milk and the kale. Then, freeze for up to 3 months. When you rewarm the soup, you can add the milk, cook until slightly thickened, add the kale, and cook for additional 5-10 minutes.

Overview of a bowl of potato, leek, and kale soup with sour cream, bacon, and chives on top on a white background.
Print

Potato, Leek, and Kale Soup

Two bowls of potato, leek, and kale soup on a white background and a blue and white napkin on the side.
  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
  • Total Time: 45-50 minutes
  • Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
  • Category: soup
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: American
Scale

Ingredients

  • 4 slices of bacon
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 large leek, cleaned and chopped
  • 3–4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 lbs. golden potatoes (about 4 larger golden potatoes), chopped
  • 4 cups of stock (chicken or vegetable)
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 4–6 cups of fresh kale, chopped
  • Salt + pepper
  • Extra toppings: chives, sour cream or Greek yogurt, cheese (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cook bacon in a large stockpot until crispy. Drain bacon on towels and set aside. Leave about 2 tbsp. of bacon fat in the stockpot. Add onion and leeks. Season with salt and pepper. Saute 3-5 minutes.
  2. Add garlic and golden potatoes and saute for an additional minute. Add stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low-medium to simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.
  3. Reduce heat to low, add milk, and puree using an immersion blender or transfer to a regular blender to blend in batches if needed.
  4. Stir chopped kale into to pureed soup in the stockpot and keep warm on low heat for additional 5-10 minutes or until kale is wilted.
  5. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Notes

To freeze this soup:

You can make the soup up to step 3 and puree the soup without the milk and the kale. Then, freeze for up to 3 months. When you rewarm the soup, you can add the milk, cook until slightly thickened, add the kale, and cook for additional 5-10 minutes.

Keywords: potato soup

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Filed Under: Dinner, Fall, Soup, Winter

Apple Cider Hot Toddy

November 16, 2020 by Melissa Leave a Comment

Apple cider hot toddy with a slice of apple and cinnamon stick with a towel and little jar of honey on the side with a yellow spoon on the side. In the background is another cocktail and sliced apples with a knife on the side.

This apple cider hot toddy will warm you up during the cold fall and winter months. Made with honey, apple cider, cinnamon, and bourbon, it tastes just as good as it feels to cozy up with a hot toddy.

‘Tis the season for warm beverages. Hot tea, coffee, cocoa, I just can’t get enough. I also like to make a nice hot toddy when I need something extra cozy and boozy.

My fall allergies were flaring up last week, so I thought an apple cider hot toddy sounded really good. Obviously, it didn’t clear up my allergies (I’ll leave that to my Allegra), but it tasted and felt so good. I love a good hot toddy, not only when I’m feeling poorly, but it makes a great festive cocktail. The first time I had a hot toddy was a few years ago at Thanksgiving. My brother made a round of hot toddies that evening to sip on while watching rest of the Thanksgiving football games.

Overview of two apple cider hot toddy with a pot of honey with a spoon and towel on the side on a white countertop.

What is a Hot Toddy?

Hot toddies have been around for centuries. They’re usually drunk as nightcaps on cold evenings or when someone is feeling under the weather. They’re typically made from whiskey, hot water, and honey as a basic recipe, but I’ve seen variations using apple cider (like mine) or even tea as well.

Overview of a apple cider hot toddy with an apple slice and cinnamon stick on a white countertop.

Does a Hot Toddy Help with Cold-like Symptoms?

There’s no clinical evidence that hot toddies will cure or shorten the common cold or other ailments. There is potential harm in mixing alcohol with certain medications, including those used for cold and flu symptoms. So always check with your doctor or pharmacist before drinking alcohol while on medication. Antidotally, they soothe my symptoms (which could be a placebo), but so do most warm beverages when I’m feeling under the weather. If you have a healthy relationship with alcohol and you’re not taking medications that could interfere, then you do you.

Ingredients for the Apple Cider Hot Toddy

Apple cider: Apple cider screams fall and winter, so it’s natural to use to sweeten this hot toddy.   

Honey: While you could use other sweeteners, there is a tiny amount of evidence that honey may suppress a cough. It is also traditional for a hot toddy recipe to use honey.    

Bourbon: There are other whiskey types you could use, but I’m a little partial to bourbon. My favorite bourbon is from my favorite local Charleston distilleries – Cannon and High Wire.  

Cinnamon stick: I like using a cinnamon stick because the bourbon and hot liquid will extract the flavor without overpowering the drink. I wouldn’t use ground cinnamon because it would be too much, and it won’t dissolve very well. You can find cinnamon sticks just about everywhere, but you can also get them on Amazon.

Two apple cider hot toddies with a pot of honey and spoon on the side with a tea towel on a white countertop.

How to Make Hot Toddy with Apple Cider

It’s a simple recipe. You’ll need to heat your apple cider on the stovetop or in the microwave. It needs to be hot enough to dissolve honey. After the cider is hot, you can add the honey and pour it into a mug or heatproof cup (one that you won’t burn your fingers when you try to hold it). Then you’ll add the bourbon, cinnamon stick and fill the remainder of the cup with hot water. After stirring, I added a slice of apple, but that’s optional for aesthetics mostly.

Obviously, you’ll need to cozy up under a blanket and maybe even by the fireside for the complete aesthetic. 😊

Print

Apple Cider Hot Toddy

Apple cider hot toddy with a slice of apple and cinnamon stick with a towel and little jar of honey on the side with a yellow spoon on the side. In the background is another cocktail and sliced apples with a knife on the side.
  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 serving 1x
  • Category: cocktail
Scale

Ingredients

  • ½ cup apple cider
  • 2 tsp. honey
  • 1 – 1 ½ ounce of bourbon
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • ¼ – ½ c hot water
  • Apple slices, optional

Instructions

1. Heat apple cider on the stovetop or in the microwave to the desired temperature (should be hot enough to dissolve honey). Add honey to apple cider and stir until honey is dissolved.

2. Pour honey cider mixture into a mug or heatproof cup. Add bourbon, cinnamon stick, and fill the remainder of the cup with hot water (about ¼ -½ cup). Top with an apple slice if using. Stir and serve immediately. 

Keywords: cocktail, hot toddy, bourbon, honey, drink

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Filed Under: Christmas, Cocktail, Fall, Thanksgiving, Winter

Ground Turkey Slow Cooker Recipes [Crockpot or Instant Pot]

November 11, 2020 by Melissa Leave a Comment

image collage of multiple bowls of ground turkey slow cooker recipes

These recipes are the best ground turkey slow cooker recipes for using up any ground turkey meat you may have hanging around your fridge.

 Who doesn’t love a good slow cooker recipe? It’s basically set it and forget it. I thought I would highlight a few recipes, so I’ve rounded up a few easy and delicious ground turkey slow cooker recipes all in one spot.  

The Best Ground Turkey Slow Cooker Recipes Round-up

Taco Soup: This recipe doesn’t call for ground turkey specifically, but it is recommended in the recipe. You can use any type of ground meat – and that’s generally true of most of these recipes, but this recipe uses simple pantry recipes to bring together a cozy, one-pot, slow cooker meal! Bonus – this recipe also tells you all the details on how to freeze the soup properly if you want to have leftovers that you can pull from the freezer when you’re short on time.

Ground turkey slow cooker recipe with a taco soup with avocado and tortillas on top on a white background with spoons and a blue towel on the side.

Pumpkin Chipotle Chili: Um, hello, yes, please. It’s no secret around here that I’m a huge fan of pumpkin and chipotle peppers. Chipotle peppers are smoked jalapenos in a smokey, adobo sauce. Putting those together with pumpkin and ground turkey sounds like a perfect chili to me.

Ground turkey slow cooker recipe with chipotle pumpkin turkey chili on a gray background with a white napkin and gold spoon

Turkey Green Chili: Chilis are usually made with crushed tomatoes, but this chili has no tomatoes. Instead, it relies on jalapenos, chicken broth, spices, ground turkey, and hominy. Hominy is coarsely ground corn that is used to make grits. It gives this chili a unique texture and flavor.  I also love the idea of topping it with pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds).

picture of ground turkey slow cooker recipe with a green turkey chili on a dark background

Slow Cooker Turkey, Lentil, and White Bean Chili: This chili is similar to classic chilis, but I don’t usually see lentils and white beans together in chili. I love them both, so it’s nice to see them packed in along with the ground turkey as an additional source of protein.

Ground turkey slow cooker recipe with a turkey, lentil, and white bean chili on a burlap background with an orange napkin and spoon.

Why should I choose ground turkey over any other meat? Is turkey “healthier” than other ground meats?

Ground turkey is milder in flavor than ground beef or pork. It’s very similar in taste to ground chicken, but a little more game-like. If you’re making something with a lot of lighter flavors that you don’t want to conflict with by using beef, turkey may be the way to go (like in the green chili above).

As far as nutrition goes, it depends on your goals and what kind of turkey you choose. People often choose chicken or turkey, thinking it has less saturated fat (saturated fat is linked to high cholesterol). However, if you’re comparing lean turkey (93% lean, 7% fat – labeled on the package) to lean beef (93% lean or higher and 7% or less fat), that might not be the case. There isn’t any reason to avoid one or the other if you’re choosing lean ground meat and want to watch your cholesterol, so personally, I choose a lean cut either way and go with the one that would compliment the flavor profile in the recipe the best.

Filed Under: Dinner, Fall, Game Day, Instant Pot, Winter

Vegan Coffee Cake

October 13, 2020 by Melissa Leave a Comment

A stack of three pieces of vegan coffee cake

This Vegan Coffee Cake is tender and full of warm cinnamon spice. Like any good coffee cake, it’s best served with a piping hot cup of coffee. 

Sliced vegan coffee cake on a white background with a cup of coffee

Coffee cakes are one of my favorites. In my mind, many sweets go with coffee because the bitterness of the coffee helps balance the sweet dessert. This coffee cake very simple and has a warm, cinnamon flavor that I love pairing with my coffee. Whether you are vegan or not, this recipe is a crowd-pleaser. 

Ingredients

Coconut oil: If you keep your coconut oil in the fridge, take it out before making this recipe and let it soften a bit.  

Brown sugar: You can use dark or light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar will give it a richer taste as it has more molasses in the sugar.  

Flax egg: The easiest vegan substitute for eggs in baking are flax eggs. A flax egg is simply 1 tablespoon of ground flax mixed with 3 tablespoons of water. 

Applesauce: The applesauce gives moisture to the cake and adds some natural sweetness. 

Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar adds a nice flavor. Most importantly, vinegar is needed to activate the baking soda to produce more lift or rise in baking. 

Vanilla extract: Use the real deal if you can. The flavor is better.   

Flour: I used all-purpose, but you could split half and half of all-purpose and whole grain if desired. 

Baking powder and soda: Using the combo helps give the lift we need for the cake to rise.   

Ground cinnamon: It’s a must in the coffee cake, in my opinion. If you’re feeling extra fancy, you can sub in pumpkin pie spice. 

Oats: The oats add a nice crumbly topping for the cake. 

Icing (powdered sugar, non-dairy milk, vanilla extract): What’s cake without some icing? You can use any type of non-dairy milk you like (almond, coconut, oat, etc.)

sliced vegan coffee cake with drizzles of icing

How to Make Vegan Coffee Cake

This cake is pretty typical to other cakes – you mix dry and wet ingredients separately and combine them together. After the cake batter is in the pan, you can top the cake with the crumb topping. After baking, you let the cake cool a little before drizzling on the icing.  

Why Vegan? And, how does cake or veganism fit into Intuitive Eating?

As you may know, I consider myself a non-diet dietitian and a proponent of Intuitive Eating. If you’re not familiar with intuitive eating, it is a practice that shrugs off the external food rules of dieting and focusing on internal cues such as hunger, fullness, and satisfaction in eating. Intuitive eating doesn’t mean eating whatever you want, whenever you want – although you have full permission to do that. 

One of the principles is something called gentle nutrition. Gentle nutrition isn’t food rules or dieting. It still focuses on your individual needs but shifts your focus to not feel guilty even if you eat food that isn’t as nutritious as others. 

So, cake absolutely fits this model. Cake can be super satisfying, and there is no reason to feel guilty for eating cake (or really any food). As far as veganism goes, you could argue that veganism has “rules” that you have to follow. As with anything in intuitive eating, it is more about your intention. Are you following a vegan diet because of sustainability, environmentalism, or other reasons that feel “aligned” with yourself? Or, are you doing it because some random influencers on social media suggested it, and you feel like you “should?” Ask your why and whether that feels in line with your values. Those are two vastly different intentions. Intuitive eating is about finding what feels good, both mentally and physically.

Personally, I eat vegan food, and I eat animal-based food (clearly based on my recipes). All foods can genuinely fit into an intuitive eating model. 

Again, if you’re new to intuitive eating, you can find more information about the intuitive eating principles in my free ebook.

a stack of two pieces of vegan coffee cake
Print

Vegan Coffee Cake

A stack of three pieces of vegan coffee cake
  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 12–16 slices 1x
  • Category: cake
  • Method: baking
Scale

Ingredients

Cake:

  • ½ cup of coconut oil, softened (plus extra for the pan)
  • 1 cup of brown sugar
  • 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax with 3 tbsp. water)
  • 1 cup of applesauce
  • 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • ½  tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

Crumb topping:

  • 3 tbsp. melted coconut oil
  • 3 tbsp. brown sugar
  • ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup flour or oats

Icing:

  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp. non-dairy milk
  • ½ tsp. vanilla or almond extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9×13 pan with cooking spray or the extra coconut oil and line with parchment paper.
  2. Mix together the coconut oil, brown sugar and beat together in with hand mixer or stand mixer until fully incorporated. Add flax egg, applesauce, vinegar, and vanilla extract and mix again until fully combined. In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon). Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and combine until fully mixed. 
  3. In a separate bowl, mix together all ingredients for crumb topping (should be clumpy) with a fork or your fingers. Put batter in a parchment paper-lined pan and top with crumb topping. Bake for 45-50 minutes. If crumb topping gets too brown, tent with foil. Allow cake to cool.
  4. While the cake is cooling, mix all icing ingredients together in a bowl and drizzle on top of the cake. Let icing set before cutting into squares and serving.

Keywords: vegan coffee cake, vegan, baking, coffee cake

Did you make this recipe?

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Filed Under: Baking, Christmas, Dessert, Fall, Snack, Vegan, Winter

Chicken Soup with Buttermilk Dill Dumplings

January 24, 2020 by Melissa Leave a Comment

Overview of chicken soup with buttermilk dill dumplings on top of a cloth napkin

This post contains links that pay me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Overview of chicken soup with buttermilk dill dumplings on top of a cloth napkin
This post contains links that pay me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Last week I came down with something fierce. So fierce that I canceled my connecting flight home so I could get some rest in a Baltimore airport hotel for the night to regroup for my flight the following day. Eighteen hours later, I was so happy to be home that I could have kissed the ground in Charleston. While it was a balmy 70 degrees in Charleston last week, I was freezing thanks to my neverending low-grade fever, but I wanted soup. 

Just like my Italian Wedding Soup, this Chicken Soup with Buttermilk Dill Dumplings is perfect to have around for the long, cold days of winter and all the illnesses that tend to pop up. It’s warm, comforting, and requires minimal effort thanks to my Instant Pot. Before my Instant Pot, a soup like this could take hours to simmer to get the chicken perfectly tender and the broth perfectly seasoned. 

Close up of chicken soup with buttermilk dill dumplings on top of a cloth napkin

Not only is my method easy, but I use something special to make my dumplings. Pancake mix. Yep, good ol’ fashioned pancake mix, specifically the buttermilk kind for the fluffiest of pancakes. One day when I thought I had all of the ingredients to make this soup, I was entirely out of flour. However, what I did have is a giant box of buttermilk pancake mix. The mix has leavening ingredients to make them “rise” or “fluff up” when they cook. If you choose a pancake mix that also has dehydrated buttermilk, the dumplings will be super tender in texture. I could technically make dumplings from scratch and include regular buttermilk, but first of all, it’s easier and just as enjoyable to use the mix. And second, I always end up with a half-used buttermilk container, and it always feels wasteful. 

Now since the buttermilk makes the dumpling fluffy, what can we add to buttermilk dumplings extra flavor? Why, dill, of course! Buttermilk was made to be paired with dill (hey, any ranch dressing lovers out there?), so naturally, I included some dried dill in the dumplings. A little goes a long way with dill in terms of flavor. The buttermilk dill dumplings add a nice punchy flavor to the soup. 

Soups are also a great place to sneak in extra nutrition. For example, I threw in some hearty, winter greens like kale to add a nice dose of vitamins A, K, C, and B vitamins (B6 and B9 [folate]) as well as fiber. You can also up the fiber dose even more by using a whole-grain buttermilk pancake mix for the dumplings.  

Overview of chicken soup with buttermilk dill dumplings on top of a cloth napkin

This recipe is tried and true in my household. So trust me when I say, you can’t mess this one up. It’s indestructible. It also makes a lot, so if you’re trying to do some batch cooking for meal prep, this is a perfect recipe. 

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Print

Chicken Soup with Buttermilk Dill Dumplings

Overview of chicken soup with buttermilk dill dumplings on top of a cloth napkin
  • Author: Melissa
  • Total Time: 30-45 minutes
  • Category: Soup
Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp. oil 
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 stalks of celery
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast and/or thighs, boneless, skinless 
  • 6 cups of chicken stock
  • 2 cups of buttermilk pancake mix
  • 1 tsp. dill
  • 2 tbsp. butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 bunch of kale, chopped, stems removed
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in Instant Pot on saute function. Add onion, celery, and carrots to oil and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and turn off saute function. 
  2. Add chicken to Instant Pot. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken stock and cook on high pressure for 13 minutes. Quick-release the steam and pressure on the Instant Pot. Remove chicken from Instant Pot and shred meat. Set chicken aside. 
  3. Add kale to the hot chicken stock and stir. Mix together pancake mix and dill in a mixing bowl. Add butter and milk and mix until just incorporated. Take a spoon and drop batter by the spoonful into the hot chicken stock. Seal up Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Quick-release the steam and pressure again. 
  4. Add chicken back to soup and serve immediately. 

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Filed Under: Chicken, Fall, Instant Pot, Meal Prep, Soup, Spring, Winter

Wine Country Burgers

January 12, 2020 by Melissa Leave a Comment

Burgers with onion, red wine, and bacon jam with spring mix and goat cheese
Burgers with onion, red wine, and bacon jam with spring mix and goat cheese
This post contains links that pay me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

I love wine country. I got my first experience last Spring with a weeklong trip to California. I started in San Fransisco and worked my way through a nice chunk of Sonoma County. Everywhere from the Russian River Valley to Sonoma proper to Healdsburg. The wine was clearly a huge highlight, and the food was incredible as well. There seem to be some quintessential food and beverages that represent wine country. Clearly, wine is one of them, and of course, Cabernet Sauvignon reigns supreme in California. Figs and goat cheese also seem to have found a firm place in wine country cuisine. So, I did what any respectable food blogger would do, I put all the flavors in a burger. Oh, yeah, this Wine Country Burger is out of this world good. A ground beef patty topped with an onion-fig-wine-bacon jam, spring mix, and goat cheese. Hell yes. You might think from that description that this is a super-indulgent meal, but really the flavors blend so well together you don’t need much from each ingredient for the flavor to shine. You might always think of burgers as being summer food, but this wine burger stands up to the blustery months of fall and winter.

Burgers with onion, red wine, and bacon jam with spring mix and goat cheese and a bottle of Cabernet

Being that Cabernet Sauvignon is essential to wine country, I decided that I would pair with other wine country flavors. It also classically pairs with red meat. I specifically used Chop Shop Cabernet from Winc. In November, I decided that I would try out Winc. Disclaimer: I purchased Winc with my own money. This is not a sponsored post, but that is an affiliate link. If you use my link, you can save $20 off your first shipment, and I earn a small commission that helps keep this blog going. Winc is a subscription-based wine delivery service. Every month, you have the option to have bottles of wine delivered straight to your door, which has been super convenient. The quality has been great as well. There was only one in my first shipment thus far that was not my taste. However, you can provide Winc with feedback to help them suggest wines within your wheelhouse for future deliveries. This Chop Shop bottle is very fruit forward and only moderately tannic, making it perfect to use in the jam but also to pair for drinking alongside.
You can’t go wrong with these pairings. I promise wine country didn’t steer me wrong with this burger.

Burgers with onion, red wine, and bacon jam with spring mix and goat cheese

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Print

Wine Country Burgers

Burgers with onion, red wine, and bacon jam with spring mix and goat cheese
  • Author: Melissa
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
Scale

Ingredients

  • 4 slices of bacon
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 2 tbsp. fig jam
  • 1/3 cup of bold red wine such as Winc’s Chop Shop Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 lb. of lean ground beef
  • 1 tbsp. light olive oil or canola
  • 4 hamburger buns, toasted
  • 4 large handfuls of mixed greens
  • 2 oz. of goat cheese, crumbled

Instructions

  1. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy. Drain on paper towels and drain out excess fat from pan. Crumble bacon and set aside.
  2. Add onion and season with salt/pepper to pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add fig jam. Lower heat to low-medium and cook for additional 5 minutes. Add wine and Worcestershire sauce to deglaze. Cook for about 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Add crumbled bacon to onion mixture.
  3. Form meat into 4 equal patties. Season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Sear ground beef, cooking for about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 5 or so minutes or until desired doneness (150-155 degrees F for medium-well). 
  4. Place burgers on buns and top with jam, cheese, and mixed greens. Serve immediately. 

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Filed Under: Beef, Burger, Winter

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Melissa Macher, RDN

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