For those of you looking for freakishly, über-healthy recipes today, I digress. But what a tasty tangent I’ve taken – hamburgers! And, for the record, hamburgers are not at all “bad” for you when enjoyed in moderation; it’s the cheese, bacon and fatty condiments that make them a sinful splurge.  Actually, did you know that lean hamburger meat (95%) has only 5.1 grams of total fat per 3-ounce serving while a chicken thigh with the skin off (!) has a whopping  9.3 grams for the same-sized serving? If you don’t believe me check out this awesome chart on 29 ways to love lean beef.

Now, my dad and I consider ourselves to be experts on every aspect of the meaty subject matter, from grilling them up to gobbling them down. In fact, most Thursday lunch hours are spent finding out which restaurant in town does hamburgers best – and ‘wow’,  it’s hard to decide, so we’ll keep searching like the selfless sleuths that we are.  When one of our favorite burgers stopped coming on a deliciously soft, slightly spicy Jalapeno bun, my dad decided to take matters into his own hands and the following Jalapeno Cheese Hamburger Bun recipe is the result.  The hamburger patty is also homemade because he had the luxury of time — it was Memorial Day. But, if you’re in a hurry, pick up a frozen pack of HEB Fully Cooked Lean Hamburgers, a mouth-watering winner from the grocery store’s healthy Fully-Fit product line.  The hamburger buns do take some time to make, but keep well in the freezer if you want to bake up a stash.

Jalapeno Cheese Hamburger Bun Recipe

• 1 package yeast
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 2 tablespoon canola oil  (plus more for greasing bowl)
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoon sugar
• 3 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
• 1/3 cup Mission brand sliced nacho jalapeno peppers, minced

Add warm water to stand mixer bowl and sprinkle the yeast over top. Let sit 10 minutes, until frothy. Add the oil, 1 egg, and sugar to the bowl, lightly mix just to combine. Add the flour, salt, cheese, and jalapenos and mix on medium-low speed with the hook attachment until the dough comes together, approximately 2 minutes. If dough isn’t cleaning the sides of the bowl, mix in additional flour one tablespoon at a time.

Increase mixer speed to medium and knead the dough for 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a large bowl that has been lightly greased with oil. Cover it with a damp towel and let rise for 1 ½ hours in a warm place until doubled in bulk.

Place dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough in half and each half into 5-6 pieces (to suit the size of your burgers). Roll into rounds and flatten with the palm of your hand onto parchment-lined baking sheet; placing buns about 1/2-1 inch apart.

Cover with a damp towel and let them rise for 25 minutes. Whisk the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush tops of buns with the egg wash. Bake in oven preheated to 350 F degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Makes 10 -12 buns.

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