Cluck 'n Moo Caprese Burger Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

Sometimes I want the taste of a burger, but don't want the heaviness of 80/20 ground beef. The folks over at Cluck 'n Moo have created a very tasty product that is a blend of chicken and grass-fed beef, ground into a product with a whopping 52% less fat and 34% fewer calories than traditional grain-fed beef burgers. Give this product a try, you will not know that you are eating a beef and chicken mix and will certainly not be disappointed in the flavor of the blend. After trying it myself, I am hooked on Cluck 'n Moo!

Cluck 'n Moo Caprese Burger Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms
by Tonda

1 pound Cluck 'n Moo Ground
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
3 large portabella mushroom caps
Drizzle olive oil
1 large tomato, sliced
Drizzle balsamic vinegar
6 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
3 Tablespoons pesto

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Add basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic and ground pepper to the Cluck 'n Moo mix. Mix well to evenly distribute the spices and cheese. Clean out the gills from the portabella mushrooms. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the outside of the mushroom caps and rub to cover the mushrooms. Flip over and stuff the meat mix in the mushrooms, patting down to form a patty inside. Grill for approximately 15 minutes, or until you reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Add a slice of tomato and drizzle with Balsamic vinegar. Cover with two slices of mozzarella cheese. Grill for an additional 5 minutes to melt the cheese. Top with pesto and serve with a fresh side salad.

Cajun Shrimp Burger

This is the first time I've used Cluck 'n Moo products. I was a little bit skeptical about the low fat content and not having a great tasting burger, but I was surprised at how delicious the meat is! They have done a great job with their products and I look forward to using it more often! Here is my burger recipe.

Cajun Shrimp Burger
by Luke

2 pounds of Cluck n Moo Ground
3 Tablespoons of Cajun seasoning
1/2 pound of peeled shrimp, cleaned
2 Tablespoons of minced garlic

1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of sliced mushrooms

1 cup of sliced jalapenos
Cheese (your favorite)

Light the BBQ pit or your grill and do not place patties onto the grill until coals are grey.

At this time, place ground meat on freezer paper or a cutting board and season generously with Cajun seasoning. Mix well and form into patties.

Place shrimp in a bowl, mix in minced garlic and oil, mix well and place in refrigerator.

Once coals are ready, place patties onto grill and let them cook until half of the patty is cooked, then flip. Watch for the color of the meat to turn dark. Cook until internal temperature is at least 165°F.

Remove burgers from pit and add shrimp, cook shrimp for 3 minutes then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Remove shrimp from grill and add a grill sheet to the grill, and add mushrooms and grill them for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from heat.

Top your burgers with your favorite cheese and add jalapenos, mushrooms and shrimp and enjoy!

Grilled Cluck N Moo Gyros...A Simple Summer Treat!

Sometimes during the summer, you want to just chill in your backyard and grill up some mighty fine food. Burgers, dogs and steaks are all great, but on occasion, you want something a little different. I decided to search around a bit and I realized that we hadn't made homemade gyros in ages. They really do make a pretty awesome meal and they are fairly simple to put together. Not to mention that they are served with lots of refreshing sides that compliment the main course perfectly.

Now, I've used this recipe before with ground beef (and in the oven, not on the grill), so I knew that it was a great starting point. But, I must say that after making a few other dishes with the Cluck 'n Moo Ground, that the flavor is a little different than ground beef alone (or turkey/chicken.) So, I modified my seasoning and cooking times to accommodate the natural taste of the mix. My taste testers were blown away! They thought that the gyro meat tasted just like lamb. And that's what I was going for, so...success!

I kept things really simple and bought my tzatziki sauce, pita bread and other toppings (you could always make your own sauce and bread.) I served the gyros with a traditional Greek green bean recipe and also with a Mediterranean cold salad of cucumber, onion, tomato and seasoning. I do think that it is wise to use a disposable loaf pan to bake or smoke this recipe in, as it will make clean-up much easier. But, that's up to you. We mainly fire up the grill on the weekends (usually with company around), and I like to keep my workload to a minimum. Here's to good friends, good times, and good food!

Grilled Cluck N Moo Gyros...A Simple Summer Treat!
by Chris
Adapted from "Ground Beef Gyros" on Food.com

2 pounds Cluck 'n Moo Ground
1 Tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon marjoram
3 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
1 Tablespoon minced garlic, jarred
Disposable loaf pan (optional)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 Tablespoon butter
12-15 split pita breads or flat breads, your choice
Tzatziki (store bought or make your own)
Shredded lettuce (iceberg)
Sliced tomato (I used 2 romas)
Sliced red onion (I used about 1/2 of one large)
Feta cheese to taste, crumbled

Place the Cluck 'n Moo Ground, oregano, granulated garlic, onion powder, marjoram, rosemary, salt, pepper, paprika and minced garlic in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (you could do this by hand, but if you happen to have the mixer, it is much easier.) Mix at the lowest speed for about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl down once or twice. You want the meat to be very smooth in texture, almost a “paste”. It doesn't take very long with the stand mixer - two or three minutes, maximum. The meat will end up sticking to the paddle...you just have to scrape it all off and form a loaf, placing it into your loaf pan (disposable, if you choose - no need to oil.) Either bake in a preheated oven set to 350°F, or grill over indirect heat outdoors (if you want to do your prep work before, you can stop at this step and cover the mixture to place in the fridge for awhile, even overnight. If you do refrigerate the mixture, be sure to let it sit out for about 30 minutes before cooking it.) It will probably be ready in about 35-45 minutes. Do please check the internal temperature, as there is chicken and beef involved. This is definitely not something that you want to under-cook (meat should heat to 165°F)! Once the meat mixture is cooked through, let it rest and cool for about 15-20 minutes or more. When meat is cool to the touch, remove the entire block from the pan onto a cutting board. Cut the loaf into 3 “short” loaves, then cut each third sideways to form thin strips (again, this is a good stopping point if you need to prep ahead of time or want to just enjoy time with your friends or family.) Cover the slices, pop them in the fridge, and they will be ready when you are!

To serve, heat the olive oil and butter in a large cast iron skillet. I have found that heating over medium heat works best. Reduce heat to medium-low and gently sear the slices of meat for about 2 minutes, flip with tongs and sear the other side for another 1-2 minutes, until heated through. Set meat strips on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Assemble the gyros by placing the meat strips inside of the sliced pita bread along with the toppings of your choice (the ones I suggested are just that...a suggestion. You could definitely add olives, peppers, or anything else that your crowd likes.) We really enjoyed this recipe using the Cluck N Moo Ground. It made a ton (3 meals for at least 4 adults), and it also seemed to get even better after a day in the fridge. It is really versatile, so give it a shot. We will definitely be making it again!

Grilled Arayes with a Garlic Yogurt Dressing

While I was stationed overseas, I was lucky enough to befriend a family of Jordanian decent and they would invite me for dinner. One thing that they made were Arayes. These are a blend of meat, stuffed into a pita and then cooked until crisp in the oven. They would often make them for the youngsters as snacks. I fell in love with the simplicity, flavor and texture. As soon as I saw the Cluck 'n Moo Challenge, I was so certain that this blend would be perfect for this recipe. And I was right. Simply amazing taste and texture. These would be great for you to make as snacks, for a get together, or as a main dish at a BBQ. This blend of ground chicken and ground beef will absorb any flavors you want to throw at it.

Grilled Arayes

by Traci

Adapted from Aarti Sequeira's Lebanese Meat-Stuffed Pitas (Arayes)

1 clove roasted garlic, smashed into a paste
1 Roma tomato, deseeded and chopped fine
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 small jalapeno, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 pound Cluck 'n Moo Ground

4 split pita, cut in half and separated to form a pocket
Olive oil for brushing (both the grill and the pitas)

In a large bowl combine all ingredients except ground mix. Mix well. Add ground mix and combine until ingredients are distributed evenly. Separate into 8 even meatballs then flatten them. Lift the top layer of the first pita pocket and place the flattened ball into the pita, making sure you spread it all the way to the back. Press down to make sure it is evened all the way. Proceed to finish the other seven.

I did these on a gas grill, but they can be done on a charcoal one or in the oven on a cookie sheet. I got my grill up to about medium heat and brushed my grate with some olive oil. Brush oil on the side you will cook first and lay it on the grill grate. Brush other side with oil. At the 3-minute mark, flip and continue cooking. The pita will crisp up and I actually like the little burnt edges. After another couple of minutes it is up to you as to how crispy you want your pita (but make sure that the center of the meat reaches at least 165 degrees).

These are wonderful on their own, with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce. I made Roasted Garlic Yogurt Dressing (recipe follows) to go with them this time and it was very complimentary.

Roasted Garlic Yogurt Dressing

by Traci
Adapted from Eating Well's Garlic Yogurt Dressing

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 Tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 Tablespoon roasted garlic mashed
1 green onion chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

In a mixing bowl or a small Mason jar add all ingredients and mix well. It will need to sit in the refrigerator for about an hour. Serve aside the Arayas.

Cluck 'n Moo Dirty Rice

Cluck 'n Moo Ground is a very good product to use in a dirty rice. This low-fat food product works really well with the dirty rice. I used some smoked pork sausage smoked tasso, and Cluck 'n Moo Ground. It came out very delicious! This goes great with fried chicken or BBQ!

Cluck 'n Moo Dirty Rice
by Luke

1/2 cup olive oil

2 Tablespoons Cajun seasoning
1 1/2 pounds Cluck 'n Moo Ground 

1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 pound smoked pork sausage, coined
1/2 pound smoked pork tasso, sliced

2 cups water
1 can beef broth
2 cups cooked rice
1 bundle green onions, chopped

In a black pot or Magnalite pot, add oil. Season meat with Cajun seasoning and brown for 10 minutes. Remove meat from pot and add onion, bell pepper, sausage and tasso. Brown the meat and onions until onions are translucent.

Place browned Cluck 'n Moo meat back into the pot and cook for another 5 minutes then add 2 cups of water and boil. Keep stove on medium heat and let the meat cook with the onions and bell pepper for about 20 minutes, stir occasionally. Add 1 can of beef broth and reduce heat to medium low and stir.

After the liquid has cooked down add half of the chopped green onions and stir. Turn heat off and cover for 10 minutes. Add rice, stir in well and add remaining green onions. Let it cool for about 5 minutes then serve!

French Dip Burger

French Dip Burger
by Rachael

1 pound Cluck 'n Moo Ground
1 packet onion soup mix
1 packet au jus seasoning mix
1 large white onion
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
4 Gruyere cheese slices
4 onion rolls, split in half

1. Mix the onion soup packet with the ground meat and form into 4 round patties.

2. Throw the patties onto the grill and cook to your desired likeness. I like to brush the buns with a little melted butter and toast on the grill along with the meat.

3. Make the au jus broth according to packet directions.

4. Melt butter in a saucepan. Slice onion into rings and cook, constantly stirring, until caramelized.

5. When burgers are cooked, immediately top with the cheese slices.

6. Stack a burger patty onto the bun, and top with a generous portion of grilled onions and the top bun. Dip each bite into the au jus and enjoy!!