Monday: Sweet Corn Cheeseburgers & Potato Dominoes

Pin It Now! To me, summer has always meant lovely ears of sweet corn.  I miss it all year round and I can't wait till the stores are basically handing them out!  Found this recipe in a parenting magazine and it just sounded perfect for a beautiful summer night meal.  I wanted a fun side dish (something different from the normal sweet potato fries) and thought I'd give these little potato dominoes a try.  Simple and extremely budget friendly.  I know I should have some kind of green veggie, but I'm just going to count the avocado as my green.  ;)  Happy cooking!  

Sweet Corn Cheeseburgers (recipe adapted from Parenting Magazine)


Ingredients:
1lb ground beef (you want to use beef with some fat...I use 80-20)
1 ear of corn, kernels cut
2 tsp cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 slices of your fave cheese
Dijon mustard
Sliced avocado
Sliced tomato


Heat your grill to medium high heat.
Combine beef, corn and seasonings in a bowl.  Form four 3/4 inch patties.  Grill 3 minutes on both sides, then top with a slice of cheese.  Once cheese has melted, remove patties from grill.  
Build your burger with your fave condiments, adding avocado and tomatoes.  

*Kids can help form the patties.  Another tip would be to let them take orders, build the burger and serve the grownups.




Potato Dominoes (recipe from Steamy Kitchen and Smitten Kitchen)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled (smaller diameter potatoes are great, if you can find them)
4 shallots, peeled
8 sprigs thyme

Preheat your oven to 350F.  "Martha suggests a 9-inch round baking dish (a deep dish pie pan would fit this bill) though I think you could go an inch bigger, an oval 1 1/2 to 2 quart casserole dish might also be pretty."

1. Cut off the two ends of one potato and reserve them. Trim the 4 sides of the potato to form an even brick. Slice of potato about 1/8 inch thick on a mandoline, keeping the slices in order if you can (just like a line of shingled dominoes). Hold the stack of potato slices in the palm of one hand and use the other to shape them back into a brick, as you would a deck of cards. pour a tablespoon or so of the butter/oil mixture in the bottom and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the oil mixture with a few pinches of coarse salt and red pepper flakes, if using; this will allow you to season both the top and underside of the potatoes. 

2. Arrange your potato slices vertically in the dish. Thinly slice shallots with your mandolin and slide shallot slivers between potato wedges, distributing them as evenly as possible. Brush with remaining oil/butter mixture. Generously season your dish with salt; go easier on the red pepper flakes, if using. 

3. Bake 1 1/4 hours, then arrange thyme sprigs on top and bake until potatoes are cooked through with a crisped top, about 35 minutes more. If casserole seems to brown too fast, cover it with foil to slow it down. Add any garnishes, if using, and serve immediately.

To Make the Clarified Butter
1/2 pound unsalted butter

Slowly melt the butter in a heavy small saucepan over medium low heat. Do not stir. Remove from the heat, and carefully spoon off all of the foam from the top. Pour the clear liquid butter through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth, leaving behind the solids in the pan. Once cool, the clarified butter can be refrigerated for weeks.