Tasty Tuesday: The from scratch made pesto burger and tators cooking adventure

LEXINGTON SC (WOLO) — As part of their “Keep It Simple Stupid” kitchen series, Tyler Ryan and Mary Ann Keim from MAK’s Meals created a pesto infused burger extraordinaire.  With the idea of keeping it simple, this recipe, across the board, is easy to put together, and won’t break the bank – plus, who doesn’t love a great big ol’ burger?

We started out with he pesto, which really is easy to make, and only requires a few ingredients.   Like anything else you are cookin’ up, the recipe is really a guideline that you can make your own.  Also, pesto is soooo much easier to make with a small food processor or chopper.   A blender will do in a pinch.

Here’s what you need:

• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
• A squirt pr two tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 – 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups basil leaves (You can do a cup of basil and a cup of another green like Spanish) 
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more for a smoother pesto
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, optional

Here’s what you do:

• Put the nuts, garlic, basil (and/or other greens), and the EVOO into the food processor (or blender) and give it a spin
• Add in salt, pepper, lemon juice, and other seasoning to taste, and give it another whirl to ensure that all the ingredients are mixed into a paste.

PRO TIP:

If you want your pesto a little smoother or less thick, add more EVOO.

Once that is done, we move on to the burgers and tators…but make NO mistake, these aren’t just burgers tossed on a grill!

Here is what you need for the burgers:

• 2 pounds of hamburger (Nothing leaner than 80/20)
• the pesto you just made
• breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 garlic clove
• diced red onion
• sliced cheese
• bread / buns

Here’s what you do to the burgers:

• In a big bowl, combine all the ingredients – except of course, the mini potatoes
• This is a hands on mix, so dig deep and blend everything well
• pat out burgers, as big or small as you like
• use your thumb, and make a small divot in the top of each patty, and place a small ice cube on it (This will ensure that the burger remain amazingly moist!)
• grill the burgers to your liking
• about a minute or two before you pull off the burgers, place a piece of sliced cheese on top
• You can grill or toast the buns on the grill or with  toaster

The tators are pretty easy, and are a much better option than frozen french fries.  I like the mini ones, as they cube very easy and cook pretty fast.

Here’s what you need:

• 1 bag of mini potatoes
• extra virgin olive oil
• natures seasoning

Here’s what you do:

• dice the larger spuds into smaller cubes, as this will speed up the cooking
• put the cubes into a mixing bowl and cover with EVOO and seasoning – this will keep them moist
• place into air fryer on 375 for about 12 minutes
• air fryers often cook at different watts, so after 12 minutes, ensure they are soft and ready to eat – if not, put back in for a few minutes
• once they are done, put back into mixing bowl and put a touch more EVOO and seasoning and mix well

Plate up all the yummy goodness and head to the Eatin’ Table and enjoy!  Simple, easy, and TASTY.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tyler Ryan is an award winning television and radio personality, writer, investigative journalist, and professional emcee.  He appears daily on ABC Columbia’s Good Morning Columbia, as well as the radio stations in the iHeart Media Network.  Tyler also regularly appears as a criminal expert and journalist on regional and national crime based programs.  You can contact him directly via EMAIL Or on the socials: Tyler’s Instagram  // Tyler’s Facebook