I love hamburgers. To me they are the the epitome of summer; grilling, summer nights outside, enjoying family and friends.
In Texas, summer lasts almost all year round, so having potato salad a burgers for dinner didn’t seem strange on a hot November night (High of 85! It’s definitely not soup weather!)
I try to avoid corn (I have a weakness for buttery popcorn), it is hard to find an affordable ketchup without sugar or corn syrup. I found a ketchup recipe a few years ago, and I liked it but a half a cup of chopped dates seemed like a lot of sugar to me. Plus does ketchup really need to be sugary?
Not at all! Mr. Z loves this ketchup, and it is the perfect topping for a bunless hamburger. I hope you enjoy this simple ketchup recipe, along with this simple Hamburger recipe.
The Ketchup has options to be vegan, onion free, and Low-FODMAP! If you haven’t tried warm ketchup, do it, LIFE CHANGING!
We currently do not have a grill. (Mr. Wonderful is getting a new smoker for Christmas! Shhh!) Plus, setting it up and prepping the charcoal for hamburgers is more work than I want to do, we use my George Forman Grill I got as a high school graduation present! (I am not telling you how long ago that was…) Cooking them this way is fast and we can have grilled burgers all year round.
- For the Ketchup:
- 5 large dates, pits removed (about 60 g)
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 14.5 oz can Fire-Roasted Tomatoes, diced
- ½ cup Bone Broth (or water for vegan or onion free/FODMAPs)
- 2 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tsp Garlic granules*
- 1 tsp Onion Powder*
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp Allspice
- For the Hamburgers:
- 1 pound ground beef, 80/20
- 1 TBSP Dijon Mustard
- 1 TBSP Almond Flour
- 1 tsp Garlic Granules
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- For Ketchup:
- Make sure the pits are removed from the dates, chop or leave whole.
- Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan bring to a low boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Pour the contents, CAREFULLY, into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Return the saucepan and simmer for an additional 30 minutes or until desired thickness is achieved.
- For Hamburgers:
- Place the beef in a large bowl.
- Add the Dijon Mustard.
- In a separate small bowl, add the remaining spices, mix and then add to the beef.
- Mix well and shape into 4 patties, about 3 inches in diameter and about an inch thick.
- Grill or pan fry.
VEGAN OPTION: Use water or vegetable broth
FODMAPs: Omit dates and onion powder, replace the garlic with 2 tsp of garlic infused oil in the ketchup. Simmer the ketchup for a minimum of 30 minutes.
