What to Do with Leftover Hamburgers

Do use recipes for leftovers? If your family is like mine, when we go to the trouble to cook out on the charcoal grill and make homemade hamburgers, we make it worth the effort. In other words, we throw a lot of meat on the grill. It usually lasts us for several days. Sometimes, however, we get tired of eating leftover hamburgers, but with food process what they are, I refuse to waste anything. I use leftovers in all kinds of ways. Here are some of the ways I use leftover hamburgers in dinner recipes and in lighter dishes:

Chili: Chop the burgers finely and place in a microwave-safe dish. Add a little water and an envelope of chili seasoning mix. Zap until hot. Add one can of diced tomatoes, drained, and two cans of red kidney beans, drained. Add garlic and chopped onions to taste. Heat until thoroughly hot in the micro and top with shredded cheddar and a dollop of sour cream.

Vegetable-beef soup: Crumble burgers into small pieces and place in a large pot. Add a can of diced tomatoes (with liquid), a can of Veg-all, a can of cream of mushroom soup, canned or frozen corn, a can of tomato sauce, chopped onions, and a can of Beefaroni. Season with garlic salt or powder, salt, black pepper, red pepper, worcetershire sauce, or whatever you like. Add water as necessary while heating on medium heat.

Tacos and burritos: Chop burgers finely and place in a micro-safe dish. Add a little water and one envelope of taco seasoning mix. Zap until hot, stirring twice. Let mixture sit until it thickens. Place the beef mixture in a taco shell or burrito wrapper and add chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, grated cheese, and salsa.

Chopped steak with mushroom gravy: Leave burgers whole. Place them on a glass plate, sprinkle them with water, and microwave until hot and soft. In another microwaveable bowl, mix together one can of cream of mushroom soup, one envelope brown gravy mix, and water. Zap until the mixture is hot and well blended. Serve the gravy over the burger steaks. The gravy is great over rice and mashed potatoes, too.

Spaghetti sauce: Chop burgers and add to canned or jarred spaghetti sauce. Jazz it up with some fresh garlic, fresh minced basil, and a teaspoon of sugar or Splenda.

Layered taco dip: Chop beef finely and microwave with a little water. Drain water. In a pie plate, make a layer of refried beans. Add the hamburger meat and sprinkle it with garlic salt and ground red pepper. Spread with sour cream. Top the sour cream with grated cheddar and Colby. Top that layer with diced green onions, diced tomatoes, and chopped black olives. Serve with tortilla chips.

Mac ‘n’ beef casserole: Make your favorite boxed macaroni and cheese. Add the chopped burger meat, diced green peppers, and a can of tomato sauce. Place mixture in a casserole dish and top with shredded mozzarella, cheddar, or Colby. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

If you’re tired of hamburger meat and don’t want to use the leftovers right away, chop the burgers finely and place in a Ziploc freezer bag. Be sure to squeeze out the air to avoid freezer burn. Now you’ll have some cooked ground beef to add to soups, stews, and sauces when you’re in a hurry and need quick, hearty dinner recipes.