Cranberry Apple Walnut Burger

My inspiration for this burger was my favorite salad that is made with spinach, apples, cranberries, and walnuts.I thought bringing these flavors together would make a perfect burger!

Ingredients:

1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
Reynolds Wrap Tin Foil

For the sauce:
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
12 ounce jar chili sauce

For the patties:
2 pounds freshly ground chuck (20% fat)
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Vegetable Oil for grill rack
6 pepper jack cheese slices, about ¼” thick
6 sourdough rolls
12 large crisp apple slices, sliced in rings
36 baby spinach leaves
16 wooden skewers, optional

Instructions:

Heat your grill to medium/high heat.

Toast the walnuts:

Using a tin foil sheet, create a bed by folding up each side of the tin foil sheet about an inch. Place the cup of chopped walnuts in the foil bed and put the bed on the hot grill to toast. Toast the walnuts, stirring every minute or two until golden brown. Watch carefully as not to burn the walnuts. Remove immediately. Set aside to cool completely.

Make the sauce:

Pour the jar of chili sauce in a fire-proof saucepan and place on a the hot grill. Add the jar of cranberries and stir to mix well. Bring the mixture to a boil and remove from the heat and set aside.

For the patties:

Place ground chuck in a chilled bowl. Mix in salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders, and Worcestershire sauce. Carefully mix throughout the chuck using a spoon, but don’t over mix. Run your hands under cold water and then form into 6 balls and form into patties. Coat both sides of each patty with the toasted walnuts. You may need to press lightly to make sure that the walnuts stick, just don’t press too much. Make a slight indention in the center of each burger to help make a more even burger after grilling.

To grill:

Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil.
Place the patties on the grill for about 3-5 minutes (depending on preferred doneness) and flip. Cook for another 2-4 minutes and add a slice of pepper jack cheese to each burger and let the patties continue to cook for a minute or so. Place the patties in a tin foil tent until ready to assemble the burgers.

Separate each roll and place cut side down on the grill to toast. Remove when lightly toasted.

Assemble the burgers:

On the bottom half of the toasted roll spread about 2 tablespoons of the cranberry chili sauce that was prepared earlier. Place a burger on the sauce and then top the burger with two apple slice rings and about 6 spinach leaves. Drizzle the spinach leaves with additional cranberry chili sauce, about another tablespoon or so. Place the top half of the roll on. If you desire, wooden skewers may be helpful in keeping the burger together. Serve immediately.