Beef Burgers with Bourbon Mushrooms

 

I love a good burger, and have always lamented the fact that, in order to get one, I had to go out for it, because burgers in restaurants always taste better than those that I make at home. Until now. This recipe is an adaptation from one I found in a local publication, Sauce Magazine back in 2016. I amped up the seasoning, increased the amount of bourbon ever so slightly, and the result was phenomenal. If you love burgers, the way that I do, you need to add this recipe to your burger repertoire.

Beef Burgers with Bourbon Mushrooms

1 lb. ground chuck 

4 strips bacon, cooked and minced 

2 T.. Worcestershire sauce

1 t. freshly ground black pepper

1 t. Brown Sugar Bourbon seasoning

1 lb. crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced

6 Tbsp. butter, divided

¾ c. bourbon

Kosher salt, to taste

4 slices white cheddar

4 brioche buns, toasted

In a large bowl, mix together beef, bacon, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and Brown Sugar Bourbon seasoning. Divide into 4 even portions, form into 1-inch thick patties; set aside.

 In a 12” skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms are golden-brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the bourbon and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, 4 to 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and cover.

 Increase the heat to medium-high, add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, and cook until butter becomes deep golden-brown, about 5 minutes. Add the patties and cook until seared and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium doneness.

 Divide the cheese between the patties and cover the skillet. When the cheese has melted, place the patties on the toasted buns and top each with the bourbon mushrooms.

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Italian Meatloaf

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As a kid I never liked meatloaf. My mother used to make it covered in tomato sauce, and it wasn’t until I got into college that I embraced the goodness of tomatoes. Even though I now like tomatoes and tomato sauce, I still like my meatloaf unadorned. When meatloaf is not buried under a heavy sauce, it has to have a lot of flavor. This one certainly does. It’s delicious warm from the oven with a side of pasta, served on top of a pile of mashed potatoes, or the next day on a sandwich. It freezes well, so even if there are only a couple of you dining, freeze some for later. You’ll crave it.

Italian Meatloaf

1½ lbs. ground chuck
2 eggs, beaten
¾ c. Italian breadcrumbs
¼ c. chopped flat leaf parsley
¼ c. ketchup or marinara sauce
¼ t. Montreal steak seasoning
1 t. Italian seasoning
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried basil
1 t. garlic salt
½ t. dried minced onion
¼ t. granulated garlic
1 14.5-oz. can petite diced tomatoes with garlic and onion, drained
1½  c. shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a broiler pan with PAM, or place a rack into a foil-lined jelly-roll pan, and spray the rack with PAM; set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together ground chuck, eggs, breadcrumbs, parsley, and ketchup (or marinara sauce). Stir in Montreal steak seasoning, Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, garlic salt, minced onion, granulated garlic, diced tomatoes, and cheese. Shape into a loaf and place it on the prepared rack. Cover loosely with foil.

Bake approximately one hour, or until internal temperature reaches 160° F.

 

Sweet and Tangy Root Beer Meatballs

Last night before I went to bed, I had great ambitions for today.  In addition into cleaning and straightening, I told myself that I was going to try a new recipe for a Spanish Beef and Noodle dish, so got out a 1-pound package of ground chuck and put it in the refrigerator to thaw. After I went to the dentist today (good check up, my teeth are sparkling), and got home (having had to take numerous detours because of construction), my enthusiasm had waned. These meatballs (also a new recipe) seemed so much easier to deal with, and I enjoyed them with some bagged salad, and a scoop of Bob Evans’ mashed potatoes. Dinner!

Sweet and Tangy Root Beer Meatballs

 

1 lb. ground chuck

½ c. Italian breadcrumbs

1 large egg

1/3 c. milk

¼ c. Rogue root beer

2 T. dried minced onion

1 T. dried parsley flakes

1 t. kosher salt

1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper

1/8 t. freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 7” x 11” baking dish with Pam; set aside.

Mix together above ingredients until thoroughly combined; form into small to medium-size meatballs, placing each into prepared dish as you do.

Whisk together the following ingredients and pour the mixture over the top of the meatballs:

1 c. tomato sauce
1 c. Rogue root beer

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 t. prepared mustard
¼ t. dried minced garlic 

Bake for 60 minutes until the liquid is bubbly, and meatballs are done. Remove from oven and allow to rest 10 minutes before serving.

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If you think Italian-style when you think meatballs, you will love these.

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Cheeseburger Soup

Spring is here, and that means rain. It also means gloomy, chilly days. When days like this are upon me, I tend to make soup. It just seems to be the right thing to do, and the right thing to eat in order to take the chill off.

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know that my favorite food is a cheeseburger. Recently I saw a number of recipes for cheeseburger soup and figured this was right up my alley. One thing I did find puzzling about these recipes is that many of them called for vegetables -- carrots, celery, and potatoes to name a few. How many of you have eaten cheeseburgers topped with carrots, celery, or potatoes? Okay, maybe potatoes in the form of french fries, but still this all seemed weird to me. Then I stumbled across this recipe I knew it was the one. Believe it or not, this actually does taste like a cheeseburger! It’s very easy to make, requires relatively few ingredients, is an absolute winner, and you can go crazy with the toppings. The kids will love this as well.

Cheeseburger Soup

Slightly adapted from Cookies and Cups

1 T. olive oil
2 large Melissa’s shallots, chopped
1 pound ground chuck
1/3 cup flour
2 tsp. Montreal Steak Seasoning
2½ c. beef broth
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 12-oz. can evaporated milk
1½ c. grated cheddar cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large pot (I used this one) over medium heat. Stir in the shallots and sauté for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the ground chuck, and cook until no longer pink, 8-10 minutes; drain fat.

Sprinkle flour and steak seasoning over meat and stir until coated. Stir in beef broth, Worcestershire, and evaporated milk until combined. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes.

Stir in cheese until melted. Serve warm and topped with desired garnish.

Garnish suggestions:
Chopped tomato

Chopped red onion
Shredded lettuce
Crumbled bacon
Chopped pickles
Drizzles of mustard or ketchup

Croutons

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Oriental Beef Casserole

As stunned as I am to say this, it was over a year ago that I first mentioned Oriental Beef Casserole. It was during the last days of my husband's life, and boy were those tough times. It's hard for me to believe that, as of Sunday the 25th, he’s been gone a year. That's scary on a number of levels, one of which is that time seems to go by faster and faster every year. Sometimes I feel as if I am hurtling toward my date of expiration.

But I'm wandering from my point, namely my mention of Oriental Beef Casserole, and one of you lovely commenters asking if I was going to post it, and I never did. Well, here it is. I decided to take dinner to my dad for Father's Day, naturally, and thought this would be something that he would enjoy. My mother used to make it a lot, it's fairly easy to put together, freezes beautifully, and it's a real crowd pleaser; I don't know anybody who doesn't like it.

The original recipe comes from the Make Ahead Cookbook from Better Homes & Gardens. I got my copy back in the 70s when I was still in high school. As I often do, I change things up a bit. Essentially, this is the same recipe as appears in the book, I just did a couple things differently this time. First of all, I added half a cup of chopped Melissa's Fire Roasted Sweet Red Bell Peppers. I like the added color, and I like the taste. Second, I didn't have peas on hand, so I decided to use fresh spinach. In the past, I have used the called for peas, snow peas, sugar snap peas, broccoli, bok choy, kale, and this time spinach. Any green vegetable will work. I haven't tried it with asparagus because asparagus seems to have a stronger taste that I didn't think would work well with this casserole. Don't feel hemmed in by a recipe if you don't have all of the ingredients. Experiment, substitute, you might be surprised what works.

When I serve this I like to serve it in individual casseroles with a little side dish of the oriental noodles. That allows people to add as many or as few as they like. I like to add a lot because I like the extra crunch, which reminds me, I've added a can of sliced water chestnuts is this casserole in the past as well.

Here's the recipe as it appears in the book. Give it a try, and let me know what you think.

Oriental Beef Casserole

1 pound ground chuck
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cups soy sauce
1 16-ounce can chop suey vegetables, drained
1 10-ounce package frozen peas
1 3-ounce can chow mein noodles

In a 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat, cook the beef together with the celery, onion, and green pepper. Stir and cook until all of the meat is browned. Drain and discard the liquid from the mixture and return to pan. Add the water and bring to a boil.

In a small bowl combine the cornstarch, sugar, and ground ginger. Blend in water and the soy sauce. Add this mixture to the beef mixture, cook and stir until thick and bubbly.

Stir chop suey vegetables into the meat mixture. Break up frozen peas and add to the meat mixture, stir thoroughly, continuing to cook until heated through.

Spoon mixture into a 1-1/2 quart casserole, or individual serving bowls, topping each with a portion of the chow mein noodles. Serves four.

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Beefy Tacos

My love for Mexican food is legendary (or, perhaps, just a legend in my own mind). Honestly, I could eat it in some form once or twice a week. So when I spotted this recipe on epicurious.com that also employed the use of the crockpot, I had to try it.

I changed the recipe up a bit based upon what I happened to have on hand, substituting the called for Serrano peppers with one of my homegrown jalapeno peppers. I also used my own homemade refried beans (I still cannot believe how good these are) in place of canned.

This recipe was so easy. There is a bit of initial prep work, and thoroughly draining the meat mixture is very important. I loved that I could get this ready after breakfast and then just let it hang out in the crockpot on the low setting, scenting the house with mouthwatering spicy goodness all day.

I love toppings, so, with the exception of the avocado, did all of my slicing and chopping early in the day, put everything in individual dishes and let each diner pick and choose their own toppings based upon personal preferences. This was a major hit, and fun to both serve and eat. 

Beefy Tacos
Slightly adapted from epicurious.com

1 pound ground chuck
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups homemade refried beans
1 jar (16 oz.) your favorite salsa
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1 large jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
12 small corn or flour tortillas

Various toppings such as: tomatoes, shredded lettuce, sliced black olives, avocado, cilantro, chopped onion, and sour cream

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, stir beef and onion until brown and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Drain excess oil and transfer to a slow cooker. Stir in beans, salsa, cheddar, and jalapeno. Cover and let simmer until mixture is cooked through and bubbling, 3 to 4 hours on high or 5 to 6 hours on low. Stir and serve over warmed tortillas; top with tomatoes, lettuce, and a dollop of sour cream; garnish with cilantro.

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Italian Goulash

Originating in the medieval Kingdom of Hungary, goulash is a stew comprised of meat and vegetables, and seasoned with paprika and other spices of your choice.   My version has an Italian flavor and the addition of shell pasta. I had it on the table within 40 minutes, so it’s a great meal for those busy weeknights. Experiment with what you have on hand.  No shell pasta?  Use elbow macaroni.  No dried mushrooms?  Substitute a cup of sliced criminis or button mushrooms. It is hearty and delicious, and a guaranteed crowd pleaser.  Mr. O-P looked at me warily when I started putting this together, he a fan of the meal comprised of foods arranged separately on the plate. One taste and it was quickly devoured.  My guess is that everyone in your family is going to love it.

Italian Goulash

Serves 4

1 pound ground chuck

½ large yellow onion, diced

½ green pepper, seeded and diced

1 1/2-ounce pkg. Melissa’s Dried Porcini Mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1-1/2 cups mushroom water (reserved from rehydrating, or low-salt beef stock if using fresh mushrooms)

2/3 cup of your favorite marinara (I used Classico)

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

¼ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon sugar

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Pinch of cayenne

½ cup red wine

1 cup shell pasta, uncooked

Place dried mushrooms in a 2-cup measuring cup and pour 1-1/2 cups of lukewarm water over them.  Set the timer and allow soaking for 30 minutes. At this point chop your garlic and vegetables.

While mushrooms are hydrating, place beef in a 4-quart saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, breaking it up as you do so, until no longer pink.  Stir in onion and green pepper.  Cook until the vegetables are opaque.  Drain on paper towel lined plate.

Return beef mixture to pot and add garlic, marinara, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, basil, paprika, sugar, Worcestershire, cayenne, salt, pepper, and wine.  Bring to a boil.

Drain mushrooms through a paper towel lined fine mesh sieve.  Pour mushroom water into the pot.  Rinse mushrooms thoroughly, rough chop, and add to the pot.  Cover pot and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Add pasta, stirring in well.  Cover pot and simmer on medium for 15 additional minutes or until noodles are done.

Turn off heat and leave on the warm burner for 15 minutes before serving.  Serve topped with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.

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