Ingredients
- 2 lbs. reduced-fat ground pork (4% fat)
- 6 whole grain English muffins, toasted
- 2 Tbsp. apple butter
- ½ Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
- ½ Tbsp. + 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
- 2 cups fresh arugula
- 6 slices smoked gouda
- 1 acorn squash
- ½ cup low-fat or fat-free lactose-free dairy milk
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Halve and seed the squash and cut into large chunks. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and roast on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes, or until a fork comes clean out of the squash.
- In a mixing bowl combine the pork, apple butter, sage and ½ Tbsp. of thyme, and season to taste. Mix together and form into 6 equal patties.
- Once the squash has cooled enough to touch, spoon the meat from the skin and into a food processor.
- Blend together the squash, milk, and 1 tsp. of thyme until smooth.
- Cook the burgers over a hot grill to desired doneness, flipping only once.
- Assemble the burgers: layer the arugula onto the bottom of the English muffins, place the burger on top, and, add the cheese slices, and finish with a generous spread of the squash puree.
- Serve right away and enjoy.
Tips/Tricks - Note with alterations the nutritional values will be affected, including lactose content
**Double the batch of puree and offer it as a creamy lactose-friendly side to dinners throughout the week. Or, stir extra puree into a pot of hot pasta as a simple sauce.
**To make the puree more savory than sweet, add a couple teaspoons of ancho chili powder or 1 smoked chipotle pepper before you puree the acorn squash.
**Applesauce would also work with the burger, in place of the apple butter.
