Backyard Protein-Packed Grill

More Than Your Usual Burger or Steak, These Healthy, Protein-Packed Meals Taste 5 Star But Are a Snap to Make!

By Sue Mosebar, Executive Editor

While this is the time of year many people are heading outside to start grilling, I have to admit, at our house, this is something we do all year long. Summer, winter, spring, and fall. Our grill gets used at least once a week—often way more frequently. After all, it's fast and easy, and the flavor can't be beat.

This has led us to be a bit more "creative" with the grill. But since the whole point of grilling is to make a quick, easy dinner (at least in our opinion), the recipes we make more frequently are super easy.

The first few times you make these recipes, it might take a bit of time to do some of the prep work, but rest assured, with practice, you'll be chopping and dicing as fast as those chefs on the Food Channel.

We serve these tasty grilled meats with a simple salad and devour! (Buns are optional.)

Peanut Chicken Skewers

4 Servings

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts—skinned and rinsed
3 stalks green onion (ends removed and use full stalk—chopped)
1/4 cup crunchy natural peanut butter
1/2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs spicy sesame oil
10 wooden skewers (soak in warm water at least 20 minutes)

Directions:

• Slice each breast of chicken into five tenderloin pieces.
• In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, olive oil, and spicy sesame oil. Stir in green onion.
• Slide tenderloin pieces onto skewers.
• Brush chicken with peanut mixture, reserving extra sauce for basting.
• Grill skewers over medium heat, basting continually.

Optional:

We often add a variety of vegetables between the chicken pieces: tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, onion, yellow squash, etc. are all delicious additions.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 208
Fat: 14 grams
Carbohydrate: 4 grams
Protein: 18 grams

Chicken Burgers with Sundried Tomatoes and Fontina Cheese w/ Basil Mayo

4 Servings

Ingredients:
1 lb extra lean ground chicken
1 cup Fontina cheese
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (chopped fine)
3 Tbs prepared pesto sauce
1 tsp rosemary (cleaned and chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 whole-wheat pita pockets
4 leaves butter leaf lettuce (cleaned and pulled apart)

Directions:

• In a medium bowl, combine chicken, Fontina, tomatoes, pesto sauce, and rosemary.
• Form into patties, making 4-5 burgers.
• Grill over medium heat approximately six minutes on each side.
• Stack patties on top butter lettuce and place inside pita pocket.

Basil Mayonnaise
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise or Veganaise™
1/4 cup basil (cleaned and chopped)
1/2 lemon

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients using 1/2 lemon for juice and zest.
• Spread lightly on top of each burger.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 582
Fat: 32 grams
Carbohydrate: 43 grams
Protein: 36 grams

Grilled Buffalo Burgers with Calamata Olives and Feta Cheese

4 Servings

Ingredients:
1 lb ground buffalo meat
4 Tbsps Calamata olives (pitted and chopped)
1 cup feta cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup basil (cleaned and chopped)

Directions:

• Preheat grill.
• In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients making buffalo mixture for patties.
• Form into patties, making 4-5 burgers.
• Grill over medium heat approximately six minutes on each side.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 346
Fat: 19 grams
Carbohydrate: 13 grams
Protein: 32 grams

Stuffed Beefy Burgers

4 Servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb extra lean ground beef
1 small onion (peeled and chopped fine)
1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
1 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
1/4 cup yellow mustard (other mustard optional)
1/2 cup ketchup

Directions:

• Preheat grill.
• Prepare patties, making them large but quite thin. Eight patties total. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine onion, relish, cheddar cheese, mustard, and ketchup.
• In the center of half of the burger patties (4), add a large dollop of onion mixture, spread evenly over burger.
• Cover each with other half of the patty and press edges together.
• Grill over medium heat until done. Approximately 6 minutes per side.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 298
Fat: 8 grams
Carbohydrate: 25 grams
Protein: 32 grams

We hope these new recipes help you mix it up at your grill this summer. Trust me, your taste buds will thank you for the extra effort, and your family will be begging for more!

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