Walk into any Memorial Day cookout, and you’re likely to find burgers on the grill—few foods are as synonymous with grilling in the US. 

From Italian-spiced Bruschetta toppings to South of the Border Salsa fixings, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ shares his favorite burger topping recipes for every taste this Memorial Day

“Ground chuck is my go-to. And it best has some fat!” says Dr. Chef Robert Lewis. “Ground chuck without fat means dry burgers. Let’s not go there. I tend to buy 80/20 ground chuck. 80% lean meant. 20% fat. Next, let’s add some flavor. Keep it simple, remember it’s all about turning ordinary ingredients into something extraordinary”

Chef Robert’s The Burger of LOVE Recipe

Ingredients (2 pounds of ground chuck):

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt and pepper

1/2 TBS onion powder

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce.

1 Tablespoon of French style mustard

1 raw egg to bind.

Directions: Mix all ingredients in a bowl. DO NOT OVER MIX all the ingredient.  Divide the mixture into 8 balls. Then flatten it into a patty by compressing it with your hands. Make sure the patties are even this will help the meat to cook evenly cook evenly.

SERVING SIZE: This recipe creates about 8 patties. If you need less adjust recipe as needed!

The Happy Diabetic’s Temperature Guide: It’s easy to overcook burgers. I like to pull the burgers off the grill at around  155°F  the carryover cooking will them past the 160°F we are aiming for.  To take the guesswork out of cooking, I use a Thermometer ($10 .00)

California Dreaming Burger Toppings Recipe

 2 thin slices avocado 

 2 T Fruit salsa 

 2 T shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Fruit salsa Ingredients:

1 Cup Tomato (small diced)

¼ Cup Cilantro (chopped)

1 Cup red Onion (small diced)

2 Teaspoons Lime Juice

1 cup diced kiwi, pineapple, strawberries mango

Caprese of LOVE Burger Toppings Recipe

1 ounce fresh buffalo mozzarella 

1 t drizzle extra-virgin olive oil

2 slices of Roma tomato

2 basil leaf

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Southern Hospitably Burger Toppings Recipe

1 large cooked over easy egg 

1 T fresh salsa 

1/4 cup green leaf lettuce 

1 T queso fresco

Fresh Salsa Burger Toppings Recipe

1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced

½ cup corn kernels, fresh (or frozen)

½ cup onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T fresh squeezed lime juice

2 T fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Salt (to taste)

Not Too Much Sun Burger Toppings Recipe

2 T chopped sun-dried tomatoes 

1/4 cup fresh spinach 

1 ounce goat cheese

Tomato Pesto Lovers Burger Toppings Recipe

1 t of pesto 

2 Roma tomato slices 

1 T crumbled feta

5-6 leafs of fresh spinach

Bruschetta Burger Toppings Recipe

1 T olive oil

1 clove garlic chopped

1 pint grape tomatoes sliced in half or 1 medium tomato, diced

1/4 cup onion diced

6-8 large basil leaves chopped

1T Balsamic Vinegar

salt (to taste)

Directions

Stir together olive oil, chopped garlic, tomatoes, onion, and basil leaves. Add salt and top the burger.

Chef  Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ has made it his mission to not only to be an ambassador of positivity for himself and his family (which includes 3 children and 6 grandchildren) but to also create amazing things in the kitchen for people of all walks of life to enjoy.

In a recent profile on the Everyday Diabetes website, Chef Robert Lewis admitted that he wasn’t going to let his diagnosis with Type 2 Diabetes get him down.

“When I started this personal journey as a type 2 in 1998, I determined right then and there that diabetes was not going to change my positive outlook on life! I have always looked for ways to bring joy to others,” says Chef Robert Lewis. “ As The Happy Diabetic, I work to bring hope as well as happy, healthy lifestyle strategies to people living with diabetes! Putting a positive spin on things will always help us get through the tough times together!”

Now The Happy Diabetic’s a man on a mission! When he’s not working as a director of training for 60 restaurants in the Midwest, he’s  traveling around the country as a keynote speaker for Taking Control of Your Diabetes and/or hosting his own podcast, ‘The Happy Diabetic Kitchen Podcast’!

Mr. Divabetic hosts the new hilarious culinary podcast, Serve, Taste or Trash! Game. A delicious combination of crazy food challenges and fresh perspectives on the latest food trends.

Mr. Divabetic discusses easy ways to go from ‘Farm To Fabulous’ with co-founders, Debra Moser and Mitchell Berliner of Central Farm Markets and one of the market’s featured vendors.

Our Serve, Taste or Trash! Game challenge features jerusalem artichokes, kale and oranges. One lucky contestant must decide which choice they’d serve, which choice they’d taste and which one they’d trash. But will they regret their decision after hearing our guest culinary wizard’s mouthwatering recipes for each choice? Can low-sodium foods rate high in taste? Stay tuned.

Special guests include Wellness and Diabetes Coach, Ginger Vieira, the author of “Your Diabetes Science Experiment” and “Emotional Eating with Diabetes,” Co-founders of Central Farm Markets, Debra Moser and MeatCrafters owner, Mitchell Berliner, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, the ‘Queen of the Green’ Miss Aida Romaine and Laura from Chattanooga, TN who is living with diabetes.

This program aims to encourage kids of all ages to become more open-minded eaters.