Bison Patty Melt

1 lb ground buffalo meat
1/2 cup onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped
2 large or 4 small garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup bell peppers, finely chopped (I use 1/4 red bell and 1/4 poblano peppers; jalapenos also provide a great kick. For those who cannot tolerate spiciness, try yellow, orange, or green bell peppers.)
1/4 tsp teriyaki sauce (optional; there are many low-no sodium sauces you can use in its place, like Mrs. Dash Spicy Teriyaki Marinade)
1/4 tsp olive oil (regular, not EVOO)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried or fresh parsley
1/2 tsp Spike All Purpose Natural Seasoning, or other vegetable-based spice seasoning. (Beware of using certain vegetable bouillon cubes. VERY high in sodium.)
a pinch of table or sea salt (optional)
freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
8 pieces of whole wheat bread
4 small slices of cheese (variety optional - I used cheddar for this recipe because it's my favorite cheese. Low sodium/fat options can also be used.)

Hardware you need:
* A sturdy, preferably seasoned cast-iron pan OR a griddle OR an electronic grill. Can also be cooked outdoors on a traditional grill.
* A turner/spatula
* A medium to large mixing bowl
* A small bowl
* A chopping board
* A sharpened knife
* A plate to set the bread and prepare the finished product

Preparing the meat
1) Place your bison meat in a mixing bowl and let it warm up to room temperature, or slightly below.
2) Chop your onion separately from the other vegetables into 1/2 inch cubes.
3) Set aside up to 1/2 of your onions and place in a small separate bowl.
4) Mince your garlic finely, then chop your scallions and peppers into 1/2 inch cubes (or tubes in the scallion's case). The smaller they are, the easier it will mix into the meat. If you have a food processor, chop your veggies roughly with your knife and then have it do the rest.
4) Place the veggies (except for the onions put aside) into the mixing bowl with the meat.
5) Then measure and place your spices into the mixing bowl.
6) Toss your teriyaki sauce and olive oil into the mixing bowl.

After that...
7) Turn your stove or grill on and place on medium-low heat. You may want to put a little extra oil on your pan, griddle or grill surface.

Making the patty
7) Spend three to five minutes hand-mixing the meat until all seasonings, veggies, and liquids are well-blended.
8) Take a handful of meat (about a size of a baseball) and roll it into a meatball that's ridiculously large. Then place it on one hand and flatten it with the other.
9) Use your thumb and/or index fingers to close up holes so that the patty is evenly round with no openings. (Note - beware of making the patty too heavy and large; the bread may come apart because of this.)
10) Do the same to the rest of the meat until you have four patties in total.
11) By this time, your pan or grill should be hot enough to start cooking. Carefully place your patties, two at a time, onto the pan or grill (or all onto the griddle if large enough).

Meanwhile...

12) While the patties are cooking, prep your bread slices. Place the 8 slices on a plate.
14) Cut or dice your cheese and place onto 4 of your bread slices, to go on either the patty's top or bottom.

Cooking the patty
12) For the pan or griddle, cook between 5 and 7 minutes on each side for a well-done patty. Cook less if you prefer a more pink center. The cooking time varies depending on your pan, stove temperature, etc. An outdoor grill may take slightly longer.
13) For the indoor George Forman or similar grill, cook for no more than 5 minutes. Do NOT cook for more than that unless you want to lose a tooth or two. It is a VERY efficient grill.
14) Cook until all patties are done. Place your patties on either the cheese or non-cheese bread slice, depending on your preference. But don't put that other slice on yet!

Making the melt
15) Turn your stove heat or grill down to a lower heat and find that bowl of onions.
16) Put a little oil in the pan/grill, then your onions.
17) Cook for up to 5 minutes, until they are golden brown.
18) Afterwards, remove your onions and place on top of each patty.
19) Now you can put the other bread slice on!
20) Now that you have complete sandwiches, grease you pan one last time and turn the temperature up slightly to no higher than medium.
21) Place sandwiches, one or two at a time, onto your pan/grill/griddle surface. (Again, if you have space on your griddle to fit them all, then by all means, do so.) Make sure the bread does not stick, or else it will be hard to turn.
22) For the pan or griddle, grill your sandwich for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. (The outdoor grill may be faster or slower, depending on if there is aluminum on the surface. Be mindful, folks!)
23) For the indoor grill, no more than three minutes.
24) And hey, if you have a toaster oven that can fit a whole sandwich, why not put it in, as long as it doesn't catch on fire?
25) Even toasting the bread in advance is a good idea if you don't want the greasy residue all over it.
26) Grill your sandwiches until all are done.
27) And you have delicious, nutritious, juicy patty melts! Makes 4 3-oz. servings.*

*If you want to serve sliders instead, you can modify this recipe to make up to 8 servings. When forming the patties, tear your meat baseball in half and make 2 patties from that. Cut two-three minutes on average from your cooking time. For the smaller buns, you can use biscuits or dinner rolls. I know that Whole Foods sells small brioche rolls in its baked goods area. Of course, you can always make your own!

Also, I never make this burger exactly the same way. Feel free to add or subtract any ingredient you want (except the meat, of course!)

Number of Servings: 4

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user LIPRINCESS1891.