Garlic-Thyme Burgers with Grilled Tomatoes

Happy first day of summer - doesn't that sound great! :-)

I don't know about you, but in my mind, summer is synonymous with grilling. There's just nothing like a great burger cooked on the grill. Add a beach into that equation, and you're getting pretty close to perfection in my book!  To quote my father, "There's nothing quite like a beach burger."

So to celebrate summer, I'm sharing this burger recipe from the June 2010 issue of Cooking Light. This is actually another recipe that I made while I was in Arizona moving into our home. It's a really simple recipe, and the garlic-thyme additions really kicks these burgers up a notch. I love it when you can find simple things that take a good recipe up another level.

On a side note, this was definitely my first experience grilling tomatoes. We've grilled asparagus, all kinds of meat, and even pizza, but I don't think I ever would have thought of grilling tomatoes on my own. Now that I've tried it, I don't think we'll be making burgers again without grilled tomatoes. They were that good. The recipe calls for a beefsteak tomato, but I couldn't find any beefsteak tomatoes at the store. I subbed a standard, full-sized tomato, and it worked just fine. I think you'd just want to avoid any real watery varieties. 

Sweet summertime wishes your way! Enjoy the burgers!  

(Printable Recipe)

Garlic-Thyme Burgers with Grilled Tomatoes
From Cooking Light

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. lean ground beef
4 (1-1/2-inch) slices beefsteak tomato
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
4 whole-wheat buns
4 baby romaine lettuce leaves

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Divide mixture into 4 portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch thick patty (I have a patty press for burgers that I use). Place patties on the grill; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

After flipping the burgers for the first time, add the tomato slices to the grill. Continue cooking until burgers are finished, flipping as necessary. The tomatoes will start to look "soft" when they are done.


Spread about 3/4 teaspoon of mustard over the bottom half of each bun. Top with a lettuce leaf, 1 patty, 1 slice of tomato, and the top part of the bun. Enjoy!

Yield: 4 burgers