McCray: Stretching a buck with beans and rice

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By Kerry McCray

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You might say I'm frugal. Food-wise, that is.

I don't eat out much, I take my lunch to work, and I try to shop grocery store sale ads as much as possible.

So when I saw this week's recipe for stretch-a- buck burgers, I was thrilled. Using inexpensive ingredients -- it can't get any cheaper than beans and rice -- to stretch out turkey burgers sounded like a good idea to me.

Stretch a Buck Turkey and Bean Burrito Burgers

Then I tried the burgers. Blech.

I found the recipe on my favorite place to linger online, www.foodtv.com. I may not make all the dishes there, especially the ones marked "intermediate" or "difficult," but I love to look.

The burgers, a mix of ground turkey, beans, rice and spices, sounded promising. They were easy, flavorful and -- if you have all the spices in your pantry -- cheap. They were to be served with a sour cream guacamole, which ended up being the best thing about the recipe.

Shopping was easy. Everything can be found in your regular grocery store. My store was out of coriander, which I found strange. Maybe our testers shop there, too?

Prep was smooth. One change I made was to mash the beans with a fork before incorporating them into the meat-rice mixture. I couldn't see how whole beans would hold up in a burger.

I didn't have cold, leftover rice like the recipe specified, so I made rice and added it -- hot -- to the mixture. I'm not sure how the temperature of the rice would make a difference.

Another thing the recipe calls for: A large skillet. Don't use a grill for this one. The mixture was crumbly, even with the mashed beans. Your burgers would fall through the grate for sure.

Oh, and you'll need a very large skillet if you want to cook all the meat in one batch. This recipe makes four enormous burgers. Think about making several smaller burgers and freezing them, uncooked, for next time.

But, after tasting the first batch, it's unlikely you'd ever unearth the extras from the freezer. These burgers weren't as flavorful as I expected, maybe because I didn't have coriander. But it was the beans and rice that ruined them. They had a lumpy texture I just couldn't get past.

The best part about the dish was the guacamole. I was hesitant to add an entire jalapeño (diced, of course). But the sour cream tempered the heat. The red onion added a nice crunch.

I'll make the guacamole again, but not the burgers. There is such a thing as being too frugal.

Bee staff writer Kerry McCray can be reached at 578-2358 or at kmccray@modbee.com.

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What The Testers Had To Say

These were a fantastic surprise. Except for a few minor substitutions — ancho chili powder instead of chili powder and the addition of cilantro (instead of coriander) and Spanish rice instead of white rice — I actually followed the recipe. The turkey was light and moist, the rice acted as a bond for the meat and beans while the texture of the beans contrasted wonderfully against the tenderness of the turkey. The dressing is awesome; creamy, tangy and spicy.

— Lisa Moreci, Oakdale

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These burgers are a nice change from a standard beef burger. It was difficult to keep the burger mixture together while they were cooking, so I recommend that you mash the beans first. This one recipe made enough for six generous burgers. It's the sauce that really makes these yummy. The lime juice adds some zing, and the spices are just enough to complement the meat, rice and beans.

— Ann Waldron, Sequim, Wash., formerly of Modesto