Smoker Season is really moving along now!
LeeLee wisely noted recently that we hadn’t enjoyed any jalapeno-popper burgers in awhile, so I decided to rectify that tonight. I believe this is the first time I’ve ever tried them on the smoker, and let me tell you, this is an experiment I’ll certainly repeat going forward!
As the smoker heated up, I prepared the burgers in the usual way – dividing a tube of vegan ground “beef” into four equal parts, smooshing each portion down to make a flat patty, and then using my thumb to make an indentation whereby I added a spoonful of cream cheese and diced jalapeno (and some chipotle seasoning, just because). Then I wrapped the patty back up into a more thick version to cover the cream cheese filling, and moved on to the next!
I put the patties on the lower (read: hotter) grate of the smoker and then got to work on the broccoli rabe. I washed each stalk thoroughly, then sprayed them all with cooking spray and added a dash of Cajun seasoning. Next, they too went onto the smoker – but on the higher grate this time!
Both the burgers and broccoli rabe cooked for about 90 minutes, which was just about right. The burgers could’ve probably gone a little while longer with no ill effects, and the broccoli rabe was perfectly crispy-brown.
Halfway through their cooking time, I pulled out four potatoes from my bag o’ spuds (the ones we picked in the summertime!), washed them well, and sliced each one lengthwise to make wedge fries. Then I put them in a bowl, added some olive oil, sale, chipotle seasoning, and cumin (because why not!), and tossed them around by hand. Then I spilled them out onto a baking sheet and let them cook at 450 for about 35 minutes.
I love it when a meal comes together! Tonight, everything was finished at almost the precise same time, so once LeeLee and I had pulled everything off the smoker and/or oven, we helped ourselves to generous servings and sat down to eat. There wasn’t a bad dish in the bunch tonight, I’m delighted to say! The jalapeno-popper burgers were full of cream-cheese surprises, the broccoli rabe was a fun crunchy treat, and the oven fries were perfectly tender. I can’t wait for tomorrow’s lunch – another burger awaits!
:)