Mini Burger Bites

These adorable bunless burgers make the perfect party food for any gathering. They're low carb, easy to assemble, and perfect on your MRC program. Impress your friends with this Pinterest-perfect party appetizer!

Ingredients:

• 8-12 oz ground meat* (lean beef, turkey breast, buffalo, or chicken)
• 1/2 tsp each: ground pepper, onion powder, sea salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 300 calories uncured bacon (approx 4-7 slices)
• 6 oz. cherry tomatoes (aim for approx 8 tomatoes)
• 2 oz. leafy lettuce
• 4-6 ounces cheddar cheese*
• 16 party toothpicks or small skewers
• Optional: dill pickles (chips/rounds work best here)

MRC Clients: refer to your menu for exact protein portion size. This recipe uses 2 servings ground meat and 2 servings hard cheese.

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a bowl, thoroughly combine ground meat, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Pro tip: using your hands here works great! Form meat mixture into about 16 equal sized mini patties. Arrange patties on the sheet and bake until cooked through to your liking, approximately 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. While patties are baking, prep your other ingredients: cook the bacon in a skillet. Important: stop cooking just before the bacon becomes crisp so it is still pliable. Drain on a paper towel and break into 18 pieces. Cut your cheese into 16 pieces. Tear or cut lettuce into 16 pieces. Halve your tomatoes. If using pickles, set on a paper towel to absorb juice.
3. Assemble your burger bites. We recommend this order (top to bottom): tomato half, lettuce, pickle, cheese, bacon, and patty. Arrange on a serving platter and serve with mustard or other condiments for dipping.

Makes 4 Servings | Serving Size: 4 mini burger skewers | One Serving Replaces: 1 protein, 1/2 vegetable, 1/2 healthy fat

#grill