Cheesy Garlic Burgers with Lemon Butter Zucchini Noodles

1 1/4 lb (650g) lean ground beef

5 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 C. chopped fresh parsley, divided

1 tsp. crumbled beef bouillon cube

Crushed red chili pepper flakes, optional

1 T. steak seasoning (we used Mc Cormick’s Grill Mates Hamburger)

4 medium zucchini, spiralized or julienned

4 cheese slices (cheddar, mozzarella, provolone…)

2+2 T. butter

1 T. hot sauce (we used Sriracha)

Salt and fresh cracked pepper

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

Juice of 1/2 lemon + lemon slices, for garnish

 

To make the cheesy garlic burgers with lemon butter zucchini noodles: Add ground beef to a medium bowl, breaking it up as you do. Sprinkle with steak seasoning, red chili pepper flakes, fresh cracked black pepper, half of the minced garlic, bouillon cube, and parsley. Mix with a fork or by hand until the ingredients are just combined. Divide the seasoned ground beef into 8 even portions and form into round patties (you can use a ring mold). Top half of beef patties with a slice of cheese and arrange another beef puck on top to make the “sandwich”. Melt 2 T. butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the beef patties 5 to 6 minutes on each side, depending on the desired doneness. While cooking, baste the beef with the mix of butter and juices. Remove to a clean plate and set aside. In the same skillet melt 2 T. butter; then add remaining garlic, lemon juice, hot sauce, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the fresh parsley, then add the zucchini noodles and toss for two to three minutes to cook it up. Allow the cooking juices to reduce for one minute if the zucchini renders too much water. Push zucchini on one side of the skillet and add the beef patties back to the pan and reheat for a minute or two. Serve the cheesy garlic burgers with lemon butter zucchini noodles immediately with a lemon slice on the side. Enjoy!  Notes:  Zucchini tends to render a lot of water when cooking, so you can sprinkle with salt after spiralizing and allow to sit for a couple of minutes to take off excess water. Rinse well to get rid of salt and drain thoroughly in a colander before cooking.