Slap Yo Mama Burgers

The idea for these burgers came after my trip to Lake Charles, Louisiana. I was with girlfriends soaking up the hot humid afternoons on the lake tasting saltwater on my lips after a long swim. 

When a girlfriend mentioned how amazing this Slap Yo Mama seasoning was. "Slap Yo Mama"? It sounds just ridiculous even for me. Dinner is so good that you slap yo mama? I'm not sure that I would have ever gotten away with that in my house. 

I can just imagine the aftermath from the smack. Me explaining myself to my dad that it was just so yummy that I had to slap my mom? Nope. Wouldn't have worked. 

But this seasoning is just that good. Mixed with these burgers there is some heat that brings out the natural meat flavors in the beef. Pair that with some sharp cheddar cheese melted and gooey on top and it's heaven. But then you add some fresh lettuce and vine ripened tomatoes from the farmer's market.

And well, I needed at least two bites to tell you from personal experience.. these burgers are so delicious that I wanted to go back for seconds. Even just writing about that rich spice and juicy cheese drenched burger is making me salivate. 
 
Now I realize you all might not have gone to Louisiana to pick up Slap Yo Mama. So I did some digging on the internet and this is exactly what I'm talking about. This is the Slap Yo Mama - Hot version that I picked up because I like things a little spicy. If you want it just flavorful and not too spicy you can use this Cajun Version instead.

Do yourself a favor and get a shaker of it. You can add it to soups (which we did and it's a tad bit more powerful in broth) or meatloaf, make a spicy mayo, or just sprinkle it on a steak. The sky's the limit.

Ok, on with the recipe... Are you ready? 

Here we go!


Slap Yo Mama Burgers

2.5 Pounds 99% Lean Ground Beef
3 tsp. Slap Yo Mama Louisiana Spice
2 tsp. Garlic Powder
2 tsp. Onion Salt
2 tsp. Black Pepper
10 Slices Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1. In a large bowl combine the ground beef, slap yo mama spice, garlic powder, onion salt, and black pepper. Mix together with your hands until all spices are incorporated throughout the meat.

2. Form into eight even sized patties and create a shallow whole in the middle of each to allow for even cooking. Place the patties on a cookie sheet and keep refrigerated until you are ready to start grilling.

3. Preheat your grill to medium high heat. Brush the grill grates then spray with cooking spray. Once hot add the burgers to the grill and cook for 5 minutes on each side. 

4. In the last minute of baking add a slice of cheese to each burger and place the whole wheat buns on the top rack to warm. Once cooked through, place the burgers on a clean cookie sheet and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes for juices to distribute. Then serve with whole wheat buns, mustard, and your favorite condiments!

Servings: 10 (4 ounce burger only with cheese)

Nutritional Skinny:

273 calories / 17 g fat / .4 g carbohydrates / 0 g fiber / 29 g protein

Mental Health Tip: Using ground beef isn't exactly the healthiest choice, but sometimes it's just unavoidable. In order to help the whole meal, I served these on whole wheat buns with fresh lettuce and tomato and mustard. The whole wheat buns added whole grains and fiber to the meal and a healthy carbohydrate and the fresh veggies added a nice bite to the burgers and some vitamin C and A. Overall, this meal had tons of protein from the lean burger meat. However, you can easily substitute ground turkey if you are wanting to further cut fat. It is just as yummy! I also served sauerkraut on the side instead of chips, no fat and cabbage is great for us, plus you still get that salty thing you might be craving!