Burger Bites

Hillcrest dietician Stephanie Harris has a healthy and treat that's low carb and tasty.

The recipe yields 48 bites and takes about 20 minutes to make.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds 93% ground beef
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 8 ounces cheddar or colby jack cheese cut into 48 pieces
• 24 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 cups red leaf lettuce, chopped
• Optional: pickles

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine the first 5 ingredients together in a bowl.
3. Using about 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture, make 48 mini patties or meatballs.
4. Place them on a foil lined baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes. Turn oven off and add a slice of cheese to each burger bite. Place back in oven to melt cheese for 2-3 minutes. Set aside to prepare remaining ingredients.
5. To assemble burgers on a toothpick, start with a tomato half, pickle, lettuce, and cheeseburger and serve with ketchup and mustard for dipping.