Cricket Burgers and Sweet Potato Salad

This is my first post on TB&B and in honor of 4th of July week (which is almost over but I meant to do this post earlier in the week so instead of 4th of July week we can insert BBQ'ing in the summer) I thought I would start with my favorite hamburger and my sweet potato salad. I like to cook all kinds of things, but I always come back to my very favorite thing in the world...Hamburgers. Whenever my husband and I are out on a date, I tell him to not let me get anything besides a hamburger because I know that I will be disappointed.

I am going to start with the sweet potato salad. I came up with this recipe because it was my very favorite thing in the deli at New Seasons Market (a local Portland grocery store that I happen to work at). I came home one day and decided that I would make my own version of it and have never bought it since.

Ingredients

• 5-6 small sweet potatoes
• 4-5 hard boiled eggs
• 2 large pickles
• 1 red onion
• 2 T. stone ground mustard
• mayo
• salt and pepper 

Cut up sweet potatoes into small peices and steam until tender.  Meanwhile cut up eggs, pickles, and red onion and add together in large bowl. Add the mustard and stir. When the sweet potatoes are done add them to mixture. Add mayo until desired creaminess is attained. I normally add a T. at a time until it is where I want it. The eggs add for some creaminess as well and I don't like to over mayo it. Add salt and pepper to taste and the put in the fridge for an hour or more so all the spices come together.

My Husband and I love to watch Man vs. Food. I could care less about the eating challenge but the food stops that he makes before gives me a lot of inspirations for hamburgers, pizzas,  hot dogs, and any other sort of food that is not very good for you. Anyways, this hamburger was inspired by man vs. food watching and it quickly became one of our favorites.

Here's what you need for yummy deliciousness: A good hamburger bun (not a cheap one because it will fall a part with all the juices),  jalapenos, cream cheese, bacon, hamburger, red onion.

The directions for this are pretty self explanatory but I will do a little explaining. 

First you need to grill up the jalapenos. You can scrape out as much of the white stuff that you want to determine how spicy you want it.

Side note: Did you know that it is the white part inside of the jalapenos that the spice comes from not the seeds. Go ahead and try it! I was skeptical at first too when my brother in law told me but I tried a seed and I found out that they arn't spicy at all.

Cook up the bacon and the hamburgers. I personally make my own hamburgers but if you don't have time to do this and just buy the pre-made ones that's fine too. The same brother-in-law that told me about the jalapenos also told gave me this tip when making your own hamburgers. Soak some bread in some milk and then add it into the hamburger mixture. This little step helps retain the juices in the burger. This has been such a good tip for super juicy hamburgers.

Once all three things are cooked it is time to layer. Here is what I do but you can do whatever you like:bun, red onion, bacon, hamburger, sliced cream cheese, jalapenos, and bun.

Add some extra ingredients like avacado or lettuce and the yumminess just continues to increase. You really don't need to have ketchup and mustard with this burger because it is so flavorful already. I personally think it interferes with the taste but I am not telling you what to do. :)

Here it is with the sweet potato salad: