Sponsored Post: Get Grilling with Walmart, plus a special offer for SPC Readers

I’ve always loved cooking. And a good thing, too, since having kids means I’m doing it all the time. But grilling, sorry to say, I’ve always left to the men in my life. This summer it’s my plan to un-do that sad cliché and get myself in front of the barbecue more often. I don’t know what I’ve been waiting for – it’s so fast and easy. And best of all, I don’t have to turn the oven on so often during the hot summer months.

On my recent trip to Walmart, I was surprised to discover how much they offer for grilling season. The selection at each of the 133 Supercentres across Canada that sell fresh goods is different depending on the neighbourhood they’re in, but they all carry broad range of Canadian-raised meats. One store might carry Kosher meat, for example, and another might have Halal. From fresh ground beef for burgers to pre-marinated skewers of chicken, to frozen lamb chops – you’re covered. You could pick up something that’s grill-ready on your way to a barbecue or just add some meat to your regular shop. And as you’d expect at Walmart, prices are always very competitive.

Although I don’t do this often, I got something with the kids in mind and something else for Ben and I. In the end, I ate a turkey burger intended for the kids and they couldn’t be stopped from snatching up the little grilled lamb chops off of our plates. Walmart wants SPC readers to experience their grocery offering for themselves. We’ve got two $50 gift certificates to give away! Sign up for our weekly newsletter for your chance to win.

Turkey Burgers

1 pound ground turkey
1 cup panko (or bread crumbs)
1 lemon, zested
1 egg
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Sauté onions over medium heat until they smell delicious and become quite soft. Add fennel seeds for a minute or two. Remove from heat.

Whisk an egg in a large-ish bowl. Add the panko and lemon zest. I normally try to do without additional salt in my food but these really are better with extra seasoning. Add salt and pepper now. Add the cooked onion and ground turkey to the bowl and combine thoroughly. The best tools for this job are your hands – don’t forget to take off your rings first!

Form into patties. It’s really important that the meat is cooked all the way through so don’t make giant burgers. If you’re serving small kids you may want to make mini sliders. I had regular hamburger buns so I made small-ish regular burgers.

Cook over a hot barbecue for about five minutes a side. The internal temperature of a burger should be 160°F I know you want to check by the colour but the only really accurate way to know that meat is cooked properly is with a meat thermometer.

Garnish with your favourite toppings!

Grilled Lamb chops

8 lamb chops
a glug of olive oil
1 tbsp chopped rosemary
salt and pepper

Method

Place your chops in a shallow bowl or plate with a bit of a lip. Season with salt, pepper and rosemary. Drizzle with olive oil.  Pop the dish in the fridge and allow to marinate for 20 to 30 minutes or so.

Place on hot grill for about 3 minutes per side (depending on the size of your chops) until the internal temperature is 140°F You want to be safe but you also don’t want dried out chops! Allow to rest for five minutes before serving.