Cor’s Corner

Easy Meals for Our Hectic Lives

Summer is over, and the kids are back to school. We’re all back to post-summer reality. The new-old routine can feel hectic, cluttered, and expensive, but feeding my family well remains a top priority. I look for meals that are healthy, simple, and satisfying for everyone.

One of our absolute favorites is smash burgers. They’re perfect for busy weeknights: inexpensive, easy to make, packed with protein, and the leftovers are just as good the next day.

Cor’s Smash Burgers

What you’ll need

• 3 lbs good-quality ground beef (85% lean, preferably grass-fed and grass-finished. I recommend getting it from a butcher, not the plastic-wrapped Styrofoam packages you find in most supermarkets.
• Maldon or Baja Gold sea salt
• Sliced sharp cheddar (Organic Valley makes a tasty and healthy Grass-fed Raw Cheddar that I recommend)
• Sugar-free ketchup (Primal Kitchen unsweetened or honey-sweetened version)
• Optional: Bubbies salt-brined pickle slices
• Extras: pickled onions, lettuce, tomato

How to Make Them

Gently form the beef into meatballs—minimal handling keeps the texture tender. Season generously with salt on all sides.

Cook on a Blackstone griddle or in a hot cast-iron pan. Oil the griddle with olive oil or ghee and place the meatballs on the griddle, leaving a generous amount of room around each meatball. Place a piece of parchment paper over the meatball you plan to smash. Using a steel spatula, smash the meatball flat. Repeat for each meatball until they all look like, well, smashed burgers. Let them cook for a few minutes until they start to show a little moisture on the upward-facing side (this typically takes about 5 minutes, depending on how thin you smashed them). Then it’s time to flip. Flip the first one and take a look at it; you should see a well-seared, almost crunchy-looking burger. If not, they’re not quite seared enough; give the rest of the batch a minute more before flipping. Don’t smash them again after the flip – you’ll just drive the delicious juices out and dry up your burger. After the flip, let them cook for about a minute, and then add a slice of sharp cheddar on each burger. Then, cover the griddle for 30 seconds or so to let the cheese melt. Once the cheese has fully melted, they’re done! Remove them from the griddle and serve.

How to Serve Them

Everyone likes them a different way, so it’s best to put out a bunch of your favorite toppings and let each person do their own.
That’s it—fast, inexpensive, remarkably nourishing, incredibly delicious, and hard to mess up.

Approximate Nutrition Information

(Per burger, based on a 4 oz cooked patty from 85% lean ground beef + 1 slice sharp cheddar + 1 Tbsp unsweetened ketchup + a few pickle slices. Values are estimates using USDA and brand data; actual amounts vary with exact portion size, cooking method, and brand. 2.5 to 3 lbs of chopped meat yields roughly 8–12 burgers depending on size. Does not include optional toppings or – gasp! – a bun. We go bunless in our house.)

Nutrient / Amount per burger

Calories ~400–420

Total Fat ~26–28 g

Saturated Fat ~12–14 g

Cholesterol ~100–120 mg

Sodium ~500–700 mg (varies with salt & condiments)

Total Carbohydrate ~2–3 g

Dietary Fiber 0 g

Total Sugars ~1 g

Protein ~35–37 g (!!)

Notes

• The beef provides the majority of the protein, fat, iron, zinc, and B vitamins.
• Cheese adds calcium and extra protein/fat.
• Unsweetened ketchup and Bubbies pickles contribute minimal calories and carbs while adding flavor and some sodium.
• Probiotic Bonus: Bubbies Kosher Dill Pickles use a traditional lacto-fermentation process in a salt brine instead of vinegar. This process grows live, active Lactobacillus bacteria, which act as beneficial probiotics for your gut.
• For lower sodium, reduce added salt or use less ketchup/pickles.

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About the Author

Corinne Brown

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