Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Hamburgers every which way but uneaten . . .!

Every time I think about cooking dinner on the outside grill, the weather changes and we get cooler temperatures and rain. Guess what? The weather is cool and there is rain!

My family likes hamburgers very much whether they are grilled or seared in the frying pan inside the house. I thought I'd share some ideas for increasing the taste value of your next hamburger dinner and surprising your family. Remember your basic seasonings of salt and pepper to taste when you add more ingredients.

1. Put some grated sharp cheddar mixed in the meat before you form the hamburgers. It helps keep the meat juicy and add that cheese tang that is so popular.

2. My husband likes crumbled Feta cheese and dried dill in his hamburgers. I like to assemble my burger with thin slices of cucumber and tomato - kind of like having a Greek meal in a bun.

3. For a spicy burger, some chili flakes and a small can of diced green chilies with grated Monterey Jack cheese is different.

4. Add some diced onion and a packet or two of dry Ranch dressing to your mixture.

5. Add a packet of dry spaghetti sauce and 1/4 cup of grated Romano or Parmesan cheese to your ground meat. Top with a slice of Provolone cheese for the total Italian experience.

6. Add a cup of the canned, fried onions to your hamburger mix.

7. Use half ground pork and half ground beef. The ground pork is lower fat these days so you can enjoy the flavor and not worry too much about the fat.

8. I pureed a mixture of fresh cranberries, mayo, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, Basil, and a touch of mustard and used it for a topping along with the usual ones found on a hamburger.

9. You can season some Panko crumbs with your favorite herbs and some grated Romano or Parmesan and press them into both sides of your hamburgers before you cook them. It add some crunch.

10. Make meatloaf burgers by adding the seasonings for meatloaf along with bread crumbs, and a egg or two for binding it together. However you like your meatloaf, you can incorporate it into a burger.

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