You read that right, and let me tell you, when I ate meat, I regularly made bleu cheese burgers with grass fed beef and sometimes topped them off with a peppery bacon from pasture raised heritage breed pigs (I used to visit every farm I bought meat from… yeah, that one Portlandia sketch was my life). But I could never eat much of such a burger without feeling ill (and that was before being bit by a lone star tick).
I don’t eat a lot of dairy, and when I do, it has to meet certain qualifications (little to no remaining lactose, organic, preferably from animals raised on pasture, and with lots of flavor). I came across this smoky bleu and bought a small wedge just large enough to use in tonight’s burgers and tomorrow’s salads.
I incorporated crumbles of this cheese into my Impossible burger. I cooked two strips of this fakin’ bacon from Sweet Earth. I fry it in a pan without oil, and find it crisps up pretty well. I prepped the fakin’ bacon first, removed it, added olive oil to the pan along with some onions and a pinch of brown sugar to help with caramelization. I had some leftover fried baby bella mushrooms that were seasoned with thyme and oregano, so added them towards the end. The burgers went in after the onions started to brown. I hit these with just a touch of Montreal steak seasoning. These got served on toasted potato buns with a little Dijon mustard. I believe that even the most voracious meat eater would have been satisfied by these. I ate a sandwich that was the hefty size of a classic pub burger, and felt fine afterward.
It smelled so much like the real deal, my cat (who is usually repulsed by the monkey chow Will and I consume) was begging for some. I wouldn’t do these often. They are not exactly health food, but healthier than the alternative. If you need to nudge that friend who has been resistant to lowering their meat consumption, this might be the sandwich to do it. There is an abundance of good plant-based meat alternatives on the market today, and they are made with the meat lover in mind. Many vegans and vegetarians aren’t really in the market for items that taste this much like meat. But if you’re craving a burger, give this one a try. Sorry for not taking a picture. Well, sorry, not sorry 🍔
I'm glad you had such a lovely meal. We're looking forward to trying impossible burger or beyond meat after we move. They don't have it here.