A cracking burger, improved...

We like to cook at home, and one of our family favorites is (big surprise) hamburgers. This past year we started using Jamie Oliver's recipe for A Cracking Burger which is a bit like a meatloaf burger. (recipe from Jamie's Food Revolution)

Along with your ground beef you add dijon mustard, cracker crumbs, flat leaf parsley, and an egg. The burger is very flavorful, and on the grill it holds together perfectly, forming an almost crunchy crust. It was one of the best burgers I'd had in a long time... but, there was a problem. The added cracker crumbs were enough to make my glucose levels after the meal harder to predict. I noticed that I always went high after eating one, even when I ate one by itself for lunch leftovers. I had to return to regular burgers.

But, as I looked at the recipe and figured out that the egg was the binder, the bread crumbs soaked up some of the extra liquid. I decided to try chopped mushrooms instead of cracker crumbs to soak up some of the extra liquid. I knew that their meaty flavor might blend in well and maybe even add some moisture and umami flavor. They turned out really well and the whole family liked them just as much or better than the original. So that's our new umami burger, thanks to Jamie Oliver and a little step away from the gluten/wheat.

1 lb. ground beef (grass fed if you can get it?)
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
crushed black pepper
1 egg
1 cup chopped mushrooms

The burger mixture is still a bit stickier in texture when you are forming them, but once they are on the grill they form a nice crust and flip easily.