These Mini Potato Cheeseburgers are naturally gluten free using potato rounds as the bun. Perfect little finger foods for kids.
For those of you who know someone or have family member that suffers from food allergies this story probably is all too familiar. There are some things that happened over the past week that have really upset me.
They’ve reminded me of the ugly truth.
So what’s the big deal with others eating peanut butter around my son who is highly allergic to peanuts? After all, my son isn’t eating it right? For those of you who don’t know about food allergies, it’s a huge deal. People without food allergies don’t understand how dangerous it can be.
Major obstacles that food allergy parents face everyday that most people wouldn’t think about:
1. We can’t just eat out at any restaurant– I need to look up the allergen menu online or call ahead for more information. Communication is so important. You have to trust the waitstaff with your child’s life. To help insure all allergens are clear, we print out cards listing each allergen to give to the kitchen staff.
2. Reading labels is a ritual– All foods, new and old, needs to be read. Companies constantly change things without you knowing unless you read the allergen statements.
3. Epi-pens and expectations– Caregivers need to be instructed on how to properly administer an epi-pen. Even for a playdate. It’s a heavy responsibility and should not be taken lightly. Epi-pens need to be carried at all times.
4. Birthdays, Cooking, baking, cooking… You will need to bake and cook more. This is a reality for most families. Bakeries cannot guarantee nut free products or other cross contamination. Many staples for families are also eliminated for us due to companies and their allergen statements. I try and remember when other kids have birthdays at school or else my son will be the only one without a special treat. That’s hard on a 5 year old. That means more planning and baking on my part.
As you can see there are many things to think and worry about on a daily basis.
I worry about my child’s safety EVERYDAY at school. Not just will my son have someone to play with, or will he picked on by an older child? The things I worry about are receiving a phone call informing me that my son stopped breathing and that he was taken away by ambulance. Or that they think he’s having a reaction, what should they do?
And for that, I love and appreciate you.
Ingredient
- 5-6 small potatoes
- 2 T expeller pressed canola oil
- 1/2 lb cooked ground beef
- 2 green onions
- 15-20 organic grape tomatoes
- 1-2 cups mozzarella cheese
- garlic powder to taste
- salt (optional)
- Wash potatoes and cut into thin slices. Watch your fingers!
- Mix oil and potatoes in a bowl to coat with oil.
- Arrange potatoes on a baking sheet with slight overlap.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until fork tender.
- Garnish with ground beef and cheese. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese begins to melt.
- Chop onions and tomatoes into slices. Garnish tops and sprinkle with garlic powder and salt.
- Enjoy as open faced or stack them into a true cheeseburger form.
James Emmer says
What a quick awesome snack recipe. I know exactly how to make it Vegan too. Thanks Laura for something yummy my little boy will love that is quick and easy to make!