Food: Starkist Bolder Burger...a "Meatless Monday" Meal

Every Monday, I try to make a Meatless Monday meal for my family. Not only does this help save us money from having to buy expensive meat for every day of the week, but it is healthier, gives us an opportunity to try new foods, and gives me an excuse to use the food I'm finally getting from my garden. And because I only do it once a week, my husband doesn't complain about it so much (like he did a few years ago when I gave up meat for Lent and tried to make a new vegetarian meal every night).

So when this past Monday came along, I was all ready to make black bean burgers for dinner, but I didn't have all the stuff I needed (namely black beans), and I didn't have to the time to make it to the store, but I did have tuna. Ok, I know. Tuna is a fish. Isn't that meat? I don't know. Joe and I have debated it. I have researched it. I have looked for the answer, and I get a legitimate amount of "yes" and "no" on whether fish is meat or not. My personal opinion? I think if you can keep it as a pet, name it, and have to feed and clean it, then it's meat...unless you have a pet rock, but that's a different story. :)

So anyway, I decided we would have a "kind of" Meatless Monday with Tuna Burgers. I don't not really like fish anything. I'm not a seafood (or fresh water food) kind of girl. I know! I live in Charleston, and I don't like seafood? What's wrong with me?! Sigh. My life story. :) Back to the burgers. StarKist has these little seasoned tuna packets that Joe and I love to take with us when we go backpacking. They are light, easy to eat out of, filling, and actually pretty good. On the back of one of the packets (Herb and Garlic Tuna) is a recipe for StarKist Bolder Burgers. I tried it one day, and actually really like it! This past Monday I did not have the Herb and Garlic tuna, so I had to adjust the meal just a little, but I want to share it with you.


Almost Starkist Bolder Burgers (original StarKist recipe found here)
 Makes 4 LARGE burgers or about 6 smaller burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 large can of StarKist Tuna (10 oz) 
• 1 1/2  cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup non-fat ranch salad dressing (I have also used 1/2 plain yogurt too) 
• 2 Tbsp spicy mustard
• 1 Tbsp Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning 
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 Tbsp olive oil 

Steps: 

1. In a large bowl, mix tuna, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, dressing, mustard, seasoning, and egg. Go ahead, use your hands. 
2. Form into patties. Place the rest of the bread crumbs on a plate. Coat each side of tuna patties with the crumbs. 
3. Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat. They should cook about 3-5 minutes on each side until they are brown.  

Serve on french bread rolls. I like to have a side salad and some sort of steamed veggies to go with it. This meal makes a great lunch OR dinner. Really. It's filling. These would also be really good as mini-patties as an appetizer (oh my goodness! I just thought of that, and watch out, friends who come over for parties! I am going to do this for sure!).  If you suddenly have guests, this is also a really great meal to have ready in a bind. Most of these ingredients are found in most pantries anyway, so it's worth trying. 

Give these a shot. It only takes a few minutes to make (15 minutes TOPS), so it's a great go-to meal on those last minute days. Please check out the links below for information on Meatless Monday and other Meatless Monday meals I have tried. 

1.  Meatless Monday
2. Waffled Falafels
3. Spinach and Feta-Stuffed Calzone
4. Twice Baked Stuffed Potatoes  (this link has meat in it, but I made it a few Mondays ago with the ham, and it was still good, just add some more seasoning)
5. Crockpot Pesto Fish (another fish recipe)