Roasted Sweet Potato and Bacon Burgers with mashed roasted garlic

This burger is a great local American because what could be better than a simple and juicy tasting burger with the health benefits of 3 vegetables your kids can’t even see.I started experimenting with this recipe when my 5 year old son refused to eat vegetables. I notice he was always asking me to make him a burger. So, I decided to be a sneaky mom and start putting things in the burger that he couldn’t see or taste to strongly. So, for all you families who want your kids to eat garlic, something green, and something orange all in one meal, here is the recipe for you. It’s so easy and the taste for us grown ups is amazing. And to top it off , the condiments that all families use on their burgers. Here’s a healthy but great tasting burger!!

Ingredients:

For Patties:

2 pounds freshly ground chuck

2 medium sized sweet potatoes roasted(directions for roasting below)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 teaspoons kosher salt

3 teaspoons smoked paprika

4 green onions, chopped small

24 slices ready cooked bacon, chopped or cut (kitchen shears) small

Roasted garlic spread:

3 heads of garlic roasted(directions below for roasting)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Aluminum foil

3 tablespoons vegetable oil (for brushing grill rack)

6 slices smoked cheddar cheese

6 French Hamburger Buns(if not available use Kaiser rolls)

Cooking spray

6 tablespoons ketchup

6 tablespoons mustard

Instructions:

Prepare a medium to hot fire in a charcoal grill or preheat gas grill to medium high.

Roasting sweet potatoes:

Peel sweet potatoes with vegetable peeler and slice crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices

Place potatoes on large sheet of aluminum foil.

Brush potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil.

Wrap potatoes with foil. Wrap completely but as loose as possible to keep heat circulating for roasting.

Roasting garlic:

Take all 3 heads of garlic and remove as much papery skin as possible without cloves coming loose from head.

Cut of a third of heads at top to expose cloves, discard tops.

Place each head on a separate piece of foil and drizzle each with 1 tablespoon of oil.

Wrap each head in foil loosely to circulate heat for roasting.

Place garlic packets and sweet potatoes packets on grill.

Roast sweet potatoes 25 to 30 minutes or until fork tender.

Roast garlic for 20 to 25 minutes or until garlic is soft.

Remove all from grill, place sweet potatoes in bowl and mash.

Squeeze garlic out of heads into a separate bowl, add 1 teaspoon kosher salt, mix and then mash.

To make patties:

Combine ground chuck, 3 teaspoons kosher salt, 3 teaspoons smoked paprika, all green onion, all bacon, mashed sweet potatoes. Mix all ingredients well, being careful not to handle the meat too much.

Divide mixture into 6 portions and form patties.

Before grilling patties, brush grill rack with 3 tablespoons vegetable oil.

Put patties on rack and cover. Turn once after 5 to 7 minutes for medium temperature burgers.Then cook for another 5 to 7 minutes. During the last 1 minute of cooking place 1 slice of cheese on each pattie.

After patties are cooked, remove from grill and cover with a piece of aluminum foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray (prevent cheese from sticking)

Place buns, cut side down, on outer edges of grill rack and toast very lightly, 30 seconds to 1 minute,not letting the bread turn black.

To assemble burgers:

Spread a generous amount of the roasted garlic over the cut side of all top buns.

On bottom bun place pattie.

On top of cheese place 1 tablespoon ketchup and 1 tablespoon mustard

Top with bun and enjoy!