Hamburger Patties

The Mission:
To make hamburger patties. I realize this sounds ridiculously simple and that most people have done this before. But the truth is that I have never made them. My parents always bought pre-made patties, and for the most part I have too. If handmade patties were ever served at my house, it was because someone else made them. So, since the grocery store didn't seem to have good pre-made patties, I bought some ground beef and made my own :)

The Ingredients:

• 3 lbs ground beef
  
• 6 tsp A-1 Steak Sauce
  
• 6 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
  
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  
• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
  
• 1 1/2 tsp ground pepper
  
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp parsley flakes

The Instructions:
With clean hands, thoroughly mix all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Shape meat mixture into equally sized patties. I made 12. Next time, I will make 8 bigger ones so they won't be so small after shrinking.




The Results:
Besides the fact that the patties shrunk up more that I would've liked, the hamburgers turned out great. The flavor was fantastic, and they were grilled to perfection. Obviously my husband's grilling skills have improved quite a bit over the years.... though he does need to work on his powers of recommendation when it comes to patty size. I was sure they were too small, but he assured me that they would be fine. Oh well. They were definitely edible!

The Reviews:
Everyone at the small dinner party thought they tasted great. There weren't any serious complaints about the size, though it did make for some funny jokes. All in all, I got quite a few compliments on the flavor of the patties, so I'm pretty proud of how they turned out :) with clean hands, thoroughly mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Shape meat into equally sized patties - I made 12. Grill, broil, whatever until hamburgers are done to your liking. My wonderful husband grilled them for me ;)

Meaty Hot Dog Chili

The Mission:

Get out of my blog-less slump by blogging something easy and spur of the moment..... Hot Dog Chili it is! I learned how to make this simple and simply delicious chili from my husband, who learned it from his father. It's easy. It's yummy. It's popular. And it only takes three - yes (3) three! - ingredients.

The Ingredients:

• Ground Beef - 1 lb
  
• Ketchup - start with 3/4 cup
• Chili Powder - start with 3 Tbsps

The Instructions:

Brown the ground beef. Drain off the fatty grease. Stir in the ketchup - remember that it tastes best if it's Heinz ;). Stir in the Chili Powder. Let simmer for five minutes or so and then taste it. Add more ketchup or chili powder if needed. Repeat until you decide it tastes perfect. Then serve it with hotdogs, burgers, chips, or by itself on a bun - kinda like a sloppy joe ;)

The Results & The Reviews:

I think it turned out yummy as always. I like it best with all of the grease drained off. My husband would prefer some grease left on. But I'm cooking it, so I win. Honestly, most of our friends like it best when it's not drowning in fatty grease, so I figure I win all around :) I've been making this for years for various cookouts, barbecues, and random Wednesday night dinners and it's always gotten good reviews.

Pot Roast

The Mission:
Make Pot Roast.... 1 - because we have a ton of venison pot roast in the freezer.... 2 - because I love it.... And sometimes I just need to make what I want and not care too much what the husband says ;) I know he's not a fan of Pot Roast, but I'm pretty sure he can deal with eating it once or twice a year! It can't possibly be that bad.

The Ingredients:

• 3 lb pot roast (beef, venison, whatever)
• 2 Tbsp cooking oil
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp instant beef bullion granules
• 1 tsp dried basil, crushed
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 small onions, cut into wedges
• 2 stalks celery, cut into bite sized pieces (optional)
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• Black pepper (optional)
  

The Instructions:
Trim fat from meat. In a 4-6 quart pot brown roast on all sides in hot oil. Combine the 3/4 cup water, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon granules, basil and salt in a small bowl. Pour over the roast and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 hour. Add potatoes, carrots, onions and celery to the pot, return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 45 - 60 more minutes or until everything is tender. Transfer the meat and veggies to a warmed platter and cover with foil, reserving juices in the pot. For the gravy - whisk the 1/3 cup of flour into 1/2 cup of cold water until no lumps remain. Stir into the juices is the pot. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Add black pepper if desired. Serve the gravy with the meat and veggies.

The Results:
I think it turned out fantastic. Of course, I forgot to photo document how fantastic it turned out.... so you'll just have to take my word for it. The roast was perfectly tender, and the veggies turned out superb! I did add a bit of extra flour than the recipe called for in order to get my gravy to the desired consistency, but sometimes it happens.

The Reviews:
The husband ate it, and admitted that it tasted fine.... but did remind me that it's not his favorite and he really didn't want it again any time soon. Boo. It's always disappointing to me that he doesn't fawn over everything I make, though it's to be expected. My coworkers who saw my leftovers thought it looked and smelled fantastic, though. That's always a nice ego boost :)

Mom's Meat Loaf

The Mission:
Make meat loaf for dinner because I've been craving it lately. I use my Mom's recipe, which I've been eating since childhood, though I omit the celery and substitute onion powder for the diced onions. My husband prefers it that way, and if he's going to eat it, he has to like it. I love to top mine with Piquant sauce (recipe at bottom), but the husband prefers his with boring old ketchup.

The Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs ground lean ground beef (or venison)
  
• 2/3 cup dry bread crumbs
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• 2 slightly beaten eggs
  
• 1/4 cup chopped onion (optional if you have a picky eater)
  
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
  
• 1/4 tsp dry ground mustard
  
• 1/4 tsp poultry seasoning 1
  
• Tbsp Worchestshire sauce
  
• 2 Tbsp chopped celery (also optional)

The Instructions:
In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients with your hands until combined. If the mixture doesn't seem firm enough to form a loaf, add 1/2 to 1 cup of Quaker Oats. Place the meat into a loaf pan and pack down tightly. Form the meat into a loaf shape (higher in the middle and lower on the edges) and place in a preheated 350*F oven. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the meat is done. Serve with Piquant Sauce, ketchup, or mustard if desired.

Piquant Sauce:
Combine together the following ingredients: 3 Tbsp brown sugar 1/4 cup ketchup 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 1 tsp dry ground mustard Then heat in the microwave for 30 second increments, stirring inbetween, until warm.

The Results:
I left out the chopped onions and substituted onion powder for my picky eater. It's important to use lean ground beef or else the meatloaf will be very greasy. I've also tried this recipe using ground venison with fantastic results. My husband shared some of his leftovers with a coworker, who just raved about how good it was :)

The Reviews:
Though my husband griped about the meatloaf a bit before hand, he dug right in and cleared his plate. Then he had seconds. Then he ate all of the leftovers. Apparently leaving out the celery and diced onions really made this meatloaf tasty to him. I'm thrilled. Unfortunately, he hid the camera so I couldn't take any more pictures :(

Beef Stir-Fry

The Mission:

Make Beef Stir-Fry. Because it's yummy and healthy and I like it. I wasn't sure if my husband would eat this or not, since it involves a lot of veggies, but he surprised me and completely loves it. It's a common meal in our house since he requests it frequently.


The Ingredients:

• 1 lb thinly sliced beef
• 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
• 2 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 3 medium zucchinis, sliced
• 1 bag matchstick carrots
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 lb mushrooms, sliced
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
• additional teriyaki sauce

The Instructions:

I usually buy the beef when it's on sale and thinly slice it then wrap it up in freezer paper and freeze. When it's time to make stir-fry, I pull the frozen package out, remove the beef from the paper and dump it in a glass bowl (one with a lid). Then I'll pour some teriyaki sauce on it, and sprinkle in a couple of tsps of ground ginger. I prefer to let it thaw/marinate for a few days before making to allow for maximum flavor impact. I also cut up all the veggies before I start the stir-fry. So once everything is chopped, diced, marinated, or whatever - I begin the process. First I heat up approx 2 Tbsp of canola oil in a large heavey skillet or wok. Sometimes I add a tsp or so of sesame oil because I like the flavor. Then I add the beef and garlic and stir-fry until the beef is almost done. Broccoli, carrots, and zucchini come next. Stirfry those for a few minutes before adding the mushrooms. Continue to stirfry until all the veggies are crisp-tender. It usually takes about 5-10 minutes, depending on how big a batch you're making. If the mixture is looking too dry, or starting to stick, pour in some more teriyaki sauce. It's a very "add what you want, and do what looks good" meal. I usually serve it with rice.

The Result:

I didn't like the carrots in this one as well - you can tell from the pictures that I had to use sliced regular carrot, since I usually use the matchstick carrots. But since the store was out of them, I took what I could get. I added a bit more ginger to this batch than normal and that was very nice. I tried a box rice that my husband picked up - I don't even remember which one - and it was okay. I prefer white rice.

Mom's Beef Stew

The Mission:

Make beef stew. Because it's tasty and I like it. Also, beef was on sale a few weeks ago, and I have a lovely amount of stew beef all cut up and ready to go in the freezer. Mom's been using this recipe my whole life, so I find it to be extremely comforting. It can be made on the stove, or in a crockpot - which is nice! It makes a fabulous addition to my winter menus, since it's such a warm and invitingly aromatic comfort food. It's also great using venison.
The Ingredients:

• 2 lbs stew beef
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 4 cups boiling water
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• few dashes allspice or cloves
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 medium onion - roughly chopped
• 3 medium potatoes - chopped into bite sized pieces
• 5-6 carrot sticks - chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1 bag of frozen green beans

The Instructions:

Stovetop directions: Brown meat in batches in hot oil. Add boiling water, seasonings, and onion (if you like your onion less mushy, add onion when you add other veggies). Simmer for 2 hours. Add sliced carrots and potatoes, then stir in the frozen green beans. Cook for 20-30 minutes until vegetables are done. Thicken stew gravy by adding flour to cold water and whisking until all lumps are gone, stir flour mixture into stew and cook at least five minutes more. Crockpot directions: brown meat and then assemble all ingredients except beans into the crockpot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Microwave green beans until they're done and add to stew in crockpot. Add flour mixture and cook on high for 20 minutes.

The Result: Let's see. Next time I will add more carrots. It just wasn't quite enough for me. My husband liked the stew and ate it happily. I served it with pillsbury crescent rolls this time. Not exactly the most healthy side dish, but yummy nonetheless. I obviously assembled this one in the crock pot. I actually prefer the stew on the stove, but for week-night meals, it's just easier to put it in the crockpot so it's ready when you get home.

The Reviews: Not much to say here. Obviously I love this recipe. My whole family likes it and looks forward to eating it whenever the weather turns colder. I've made it for a few friends before and they all go back for seconds :)

Garlic and Mushroom Beef Roast with Sun-dried Tomatoes

The Mission: Use the beef tip roast that I bought on sale at the grocery store.

The Recipe: I *heart* this recipe. It's so easy, it's so tasty, it's so comforting. I found it in one of those little recipe booklets you can find at the grocery store check-out lines. This one happens to be from the Sept 2004 Betty Crocker simple slow cooker one. 2004 - yeah, that's old! I tested it out originally on my parents years ago and they both adored it. It became one of our favorite crockpot roast meals.
The Ingredients:
3 to 4 lb. beef boneless rump or tip roast
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 oz. small whole fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatioes in oil, drained and chopped
1/2 cup light Italian dressing


The Instructions: Spray a 12" nonstick skillet with cooking spray. If beef roast comes in netting or is tied, do not remove. Sprinkle beef with salt and garlic. Cook beef in skillet over medium-high heat 5-6 minutes, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides. Spray a 4-5 quart crockpot with cooking spray. Place mushrooms in pot. Place beef on mushrooms. Spread tomatoes over beef, then pour dressing over the mixture in the pot. Cover and cook on Low heat setting for 9-11 hours. Place beef on cutting board; remove netting or strings if necessary. Slice beef and serve with mushrooms and juices. Makes 6 servings.


The Results: Fabulous. End of story. Even if I take the lazy way out and skip the "browning meat" stage, it turns out wonderful. If I'm ill-prepared for this recipe and forgot to buy fresh mushrooms, I'll add a can of sliced mushrooms an hour before eating. They're not quite as good, but they still get the job done.

The Reviews: As previously stated, Mom and Dad love this recipe. My sister likes it as well, though she usually doesn't eat the mushrooms. My husband on the other hand isn't as thrilled with this roast as the rest of my family. Which is extremely disappointing, since I'd probably make it every week if he was up for it. Instead, I indulge in this yummy beefy goodness about once a month through the winter months. He can just deal with it.

Venison (or Beef) Chili

The Mission: Make delicious crockpot chili using Mom's recipe only substitute ground venison, since the husband's friend shared his poor Bambi's Daddy with us.

The Recipe: I love my Mom's chili. This is the recipe that she's been using ever since I was a small child. I'm not quite sure where she got it from, I think she said she adapted it from a couple of different recipes she found in the red-checkered Better Homes & Gardens cookbooks. Oh how I love those red-checkered bibles of goodness.

The Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef (substitue venison or turkey if you wish)
2 cloves minced garlic
4 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
15 1/2 oz. can of dark red kidney beans, drained
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
16 oz can of diced tomatoes
10 oz can of diced tomatoes with green chilis
8 oz tomato juice (I use canned sauce instead)
6 oz can of tomato paste
1/4 tsp. salt

The Instructions: In a large pot, brown the ground meat with onion and garlic. Drain any fat and add the rest of the ingredients. Let simmer for 2 hours. Enjoy.

The Result: Delicious as always. This time we shared the dinner with my parents, so I doubled the recipe. I also put it in the crockpot so it would be ready to eat. This is easily accomplished by browning the meat on the stove, and then assembling all of the ingredients in the crockpot. You'll want to cook it on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 3-4. I usually assemble everything the night before, so the chili has time to meld all the flavors in the fridge overnight, then I leave it on Low alllll day long! It's great to have yummy food waiting for you when you get home at night :) I love to eat my chili with cottage cheese. Mom likes to add sour cream. Dad and the husband enjoy adding shredded cheddar cheese. And everyone loves it with cornbread on the side.

The Reviews: Though the husband isn't a big fan of the chopped onions, peppers, or celery, I chop them really small using my food processor. They cook down so much that he doesn't really notice. Apparently if he can't see them, he doesn't know they're there! I've never had any complaints about this recipe. The whole family loves it! I've taken it to quite a few potlucks and have never had to worry about leftovers. I've been asked for the recipe several times as well.

Almost Romantic - London Broil

Last night's dinner was a tried and true staple. And since I served it at the table instead of plunking it down in front of the TV, it almost felt like a romantic dinner.

The menu:
*London Broil
*Rice from a box (Chicken & Broccoli flavor by Knorr's)
*Green Beans (canned for the husband, frozen for me)

What I found interesting was the conversation the husband and I had over dinner. Apparently he'd never had London Broil before he married me. I was baffled and astonished. I grew up eating London Broil. It was a popular menu item for my family and I learned how to make it when I was 10. It's quick to make, and doesn't involve many ingredients.

London Broil: Marinate top round steak in Italian dressing for 2-3 days. Broil in the oven 6" away from heat source for 7-8 minutes. Flip meat. Broil for another 6-7 minutes. Meat is done when it has reached an internal temperature of 130. Slice thinly and serve.

Simple. Easy. Tasty.