Jarlsberg Lamb Burger (with KETO alternative)

You may have seen our last post (click HERE) where we shared Sue's entry into "The Jarlsberg Burger Recipe Contest" (link HERE). Well, now it's my turn to share my entry. Granted Sue's Jarlsberg Spicy Chicken Bacon Burger will be pretty hard to beat. 

I decided to go with lamb as I figured it would go really well with the nuttiness of the Jarlsberg. I also decided to add some deep fried daikon, use a grainy, seedy bun, and turn the Jarlsberg into a cheese sauce because #textures that's why. 

Yup. It's got a lot going on. It's the perfect burger for those times you want something a little fancier than the usual. Also.... it's keto friendly believe it or not. Be sure to read through to the end of this post for how to make it keto and to get the nutritional counts!

Jarlsberg Lamb Burger (with KETO alternative)

Ingredients

Lamb Patties

1 lb ground lamb

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 clove garlic, minced

salt & pepper

4 lettuce leaves

4 whole grain buns

Cheese Sauce

1 1/4 cup heavy cream

2 oz cream cheese

2 Tbsp butter

8 oz shredded Jarlsberg

1/8 tsp black pepper

Deep Fried Daikon

half a daikon radish, peeled and sliced thin

1 egg

1/2 cup crushed pork rinds

oil for deep frying

Directions

Prepare the lamb patties - mix the ground lamb, rosemary, garlic, and salt & pepper together well. Form into 4 equal sized patties. Cover and place in fridge until ready to cook.

Prepare the cheese sauce - in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk the cream, cream cheese, and butter until smooth. Add in the shredded Jarlsberg and pepper. 

 Stir until melted and smooth. Set aside and keep warm until needed. (NOTE - can be made ahead and refrigerated until needed: simply microwave to reheat.)

Prepare the Daikon - Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Place the crushed pork rind crumbs in another bowl. Dip each slice of the Daikon radish into the egg and then coat in the pork rinds. Set aside on a plate until all are done. 

Heat your oil in a medium sized pot to 350 degrees (use a thermometer for best results). Fry the Daikon slices a few at a time until golden - about 1 minute on each side. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and place on paper towel to drain. 

Repeat until all the slices are cooked. 

Just before you are ready to assemble your burger you will want to cook up your lamb burger patties. Use your favorite method: oven, BBQ, or stove top (I pan fry mine).

Assemble the Jarlsberg Lamb Burger: Place the bottom of the bun on your plate. Top with a lettuce leaf, a lamb patty, and a generous scoop of the Jarlsberg cheese sauce. 

Then add a slice of the crispy fried Daikon...

Top with the other half of the bun and you are good to go! I don't add anything to my top bun but feel free to add a little butter or mayo.... nothing too strong through, you want to experience all the flavors in the burger! 

NOTE - I prepped my Daikon to be fried and then set it aside. As soon as the oil was heated for frying the Daikon,  I also put the burgers on to cook. Doing it this way they were both done about the same time. You don't want to make the Daikon ahead of time as they will lose their crispiness and do not reheat well. 

BUT WAIT.... how do you make it KETO, you wonder?

So easy....

Did you see what I did there? Maybe you need a closer view.

Yep. Simply wrap it in some lettuce instead of a bun and *voila*...

A delicious KETO Jarlsberg Lamb Burger. 

According to MyFitnessPal the nutritional counts are (for no bun served on half a cup of lettuce): 727 calories, 33 protein, 3 carbs, 0 fiber, 65 fat, and 0 sugar. Nice - 3 net carbs. 

So, what do you think? Would you choose my tasty lamb burger or Sue's crispy chicken burger?

Two wildly different burger experiences that are both sure to make your taste buds explode.