Beef and Brie Sliders with Swiss Chard

When someone asks what my favorite foods are, I zealously reply, “filet mignon, brie cheese, and mushrooms sautéed in butter.” I like to think of these sliders as the “fancy cocktail bar” version of my French steakhouse food fantasy. I strongly encourage you to use grass-fed organic beef, farm fresh Swiss chard, and brioche buns from a local bakery. Yes, for this dish you want to shop at a higher-end grocery store that has quality ingredients and connections to local suppliers of produce and baked goods. I live in Seattle and love Central Market/Town and Country Market, which is where I got my beef and brioche buns (from Macrina bakery). My mom gave me the brie, and I got my Swiss chard through my CSA with Local Roots Farm. This dish is definitely a treat, and if you’re going to make it, invest in the best ingredients. You won’t be sorry!

·         Grass-fed, organic ground beef

·         Brie

·         Swiss Chard

·         Garlic

·         Brioche buns

·         Avocado Mayo

·         Salt

·         Pepper

·         Garlic Powder

·         Rosemary

1.      In a medium bowl, mix approximately 1 lb of ground beef with 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon rosemary, and 6 twists of salt and pepper each. Dr. Mark Hyman’s book Food: What the Heck Should I Eat taught me about adding rosemary to ground beef before cooking to reduce the amount of hetercyclic anines (described by the NIH as cancer causing compounds that manifest in beef cooked at high heat). Not only does rosemary help protect you, it adds delicious flavor. Once your meat is mixed, form into ¼ inch thick patties, no wider than your slider buns.

2.      Turn a large saucepan to medium heat. Melt enough butter to grease the bottom of the pan. YES butter. Place your patties in the pan and cook approximately 5 minutes on each side or until desired doneness is reached. (Proceed to step 3 while your burgers are cooking) Once the patties are done, reduce the heat to low and place a strip of brie on each burger. Put a lid or foil over your pan to trap in the heat and melt the cheese.

3.      While your burgers are cooking, wash and chop Swiss chard (Approximately ½ bunch). Mince ½ of a garlic clove. Sauté chard and garlic in a pan with butter over medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until just wilted. Remove from heat.

4. Toast your brioche slider buns and add avocado mayo to both sides. Add Swiss chard to the bottom of the bun and top with your burger (feel free to reverse the order). Grab a napkin, pour yourself a glass of strong red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, good Syrah, or Chianti would be fine choices), and DIG IN!