Easy Hamburger Meal Recipes

I've had to learn to be very creative in the kitchen while at the same time not spending a lot of money at the grocery store. Hamburger was one of my main "go to" meats.

Hamburger is an inexpensive choice of meat and is very versatile. In today's grocery stores you can find several kinds of hamburger including ground sirloin, ground round and ground chuck. Any of these are very tastey and can be used in several main dishes including the old stand-by, the hamburger sandwich.

By now you have probably made several different kinds of hamburger sandwiches by adding different spices and cheeses while grilling and a variety of toppings once the burger is on the bun, but this lens is to give you some recipes for some comfort food using hamburg.

I;ve always liked to cook but my challenge has always come from trying to decide what to make and it seems like I am making the same meals over and over again. These recipes are easy to make and might give you an idea for making your family a meal they haven't ever had but will love eating. The bonus is these meals are inexpensive to make and the ingredients are readily available.

Let me know if you give them a try and what the results were when your family tasted them.

Great comfort food

Meatloaf is a great comfort food that most people, including children, love. It is easy to make and taste even better warmed up.

This meatloaf recipe is something that I have been tweaking for over 20 years. My children did not like, and that is putting it mildly, meatloaf. To them it was nothing but hamburg in one big patty. Something they put in their mouth and chewed for several hours before it would go down. And because we struggled financially I needed to come up with something they liked and at the same time would be kind to my pocketbook. Meatloaf was the answer because it was great warmed up and I could make sandwiches or another meal out of the leftovers.

Part of the reason my family loves this meatloaf is because of the sauce that is put on at the end of the baking time. Please give this meatloaf recipe a try, I don't think you will be disappointed.

Meatloaf Ingredients:

2 pounds ground chuck ( or ground sirloin) just make sure it is lean

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups bread crumbs (store bought will do, but if you make your own make sure they are finely chopped)

1 can tomato soup

1 package of Lipton onion soup mix

1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon minced garlic (optional)

1 teaspoon ground pepper

Mix all of these ingredients in a medium size bowl until all ingredients are well blended.

Place in ungreased 8 x 9 baking dish and pat down firmly until the top is smooth. Run your finger around the outside edge of the meat where it meets the baking dish to make a small indentation.

Bake at 350 degrees F. in preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Meatloaf Sauce Ingredients:

1 cup ketchup

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup yellow mustard

Mix this sauce well and set aside.

When you have 15 minutes left of your meatloaf baking time pull the baking dish out of the oven and cover the top of the meatloaf with your prepared sauce. Return to the oven to finish baking.

This meatloaf is great served with mashed potato's, green beans and a chunky bread.

Hands on Food

Are you having company over for a get together? Having a birthday party? Or are you having the neighbor children for lunch? Whatever the ocassion this sloppy joe recipe will be raved over.

Sloppy Joes have been a long time favorite for the teenagers as well as adults. It is an easy meal to prepare and can even be made ahead of time so that you can enjoy the get together too. It is easy to serve and will go with just about any side dish.

Believe me, if you like Sloppy Joes you are going to love this recipe. This recipe came from a dear friend and I am not sure where she got it, so if you have seen it before please let me know where. Thanks.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground chuck

1 medium onion, chopped fine

3 ribs celery, chopped fine

3 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup tomato soup

1 can Hormel Roast Beef with Gravy

Don't forget the hamburg buns....choose your favorite.

Brown the ground chuck while breaking it into small pieces. Add the onion and celery and cook until tender.

Drain fat from ground chuck and then add the rest of the ingredients. Mix together well and let simmer for at least 1 hour before serving.

This recipe will make 6 nice size sandwiches....my recomendation would be to double the recipe because someone is going to ask for a second helping.

This Sloppy Joe is great served with crisp potato chips, dill pickles.

It's always more fun cooking with new pots and pans! I wonder why that is? For some reason when you bring new cooking utensils into your kitchen you get the urge to cook! Altho, I have had my pots and pans for a long time I continue to add pieces which always makes me smile.

Great Taste!

Do you love Mexican food? We do too. We often make taco's and I love the taste of them . But when making taco's you have all that chopping of the onions, tomato's and lettuce. Then there are about a "million" dishes on the table that need washing when you are finished. A dish for the cheese, a dish for the sour cream, a dish for the refried beans, etc. etc. Sometimes it is just easier to go to Taco Bell!

This is a burrito recipe and you get all the great flavors of Mexican food in one pan. I often take this recipe to potlucks at our church. It is always one of the first things to be eaten up.

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground sirloin - cooked and drained

1 12 ounce can tomato paste (this is used in making enchilada sauce)

2 packages enchilada sauce mix (make sauce according to directions on package)

2 10 ounce packages shredded cheese ( sharp cheddar and monterey jack are nice choices)

1 package of flour tortilla's

1 16 ounce can of refried beans

Add 1/2 of the enchilada sauce to the ground sirloin and simmer on low heat.

Pour 1/2 of the remaining sauce in the bottom of a 12 x 13 baking pan.

You will now start building your layers for you pan burrito:

one layer of flour tortilla's

then 1/2 of the beef misture

then layer of cheese

then layer of tortilla's

then layer all of the refried beans

then remaining beef

then 1/2 of the cheese

then another layer of tortilla's

then pour the remaining sauce over the tortilla's

and top with remaining cheese

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

I serve this with sour cream and tortilla chips and salsa.

Grandchildren's Favorite

While watching the Martha Stewart show one morning a few years ago they had several restaurant chefs on with her and each chef was sharing a recipe from their "Famous New York City Restaurant". The following meatball and marinara sauce recipes looked very good so I wrote the recipes down and gave them a try. The meatballs are the best I have ever eaten and the marinara sauce is, not only easy, but tastes like you have been in the kitchen for days. It is wonderful. You would impress the best of the Italian chefs.

Frankie's Meatballs

Ingredients (Makes 14 to 18 meatball)

1 pound lean ground beef

1 pound ground pork ( I used sweet Italian sausage)

1 1/2 cloves garlic

2 large eggs

1 cup freshly ground Pecorino Romano Cheese

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley ( I used dried parsley)

2 Cups plain dry bread crumbs (finely processed)

2 Cups water at room temperature

1 cup olive oil

In large bowl combine beef and pork, using your hands mix well together. Mince 1/2 clove garlic and add to meat mixture along with the eggs, cheese and parsley. Season with salt and pepper (to your taste). Continue mixing with your hands until well combined (this part is fun) Add bread crumbs and mix well. Add water, 1 cup at a time , and continue mixing until mixture is quite moist.

Shape meat mixture into 2 1/2 to 3 inch balls. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Smash remaining clove of garlic with the back of a knife and add to skillet. Cook until lightly browned and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove cooked garlic with slotted spoon and discard. Working in batches, add meatballs to skillet. Cook until browned and cooked through, turning, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Rao's Marinara Sauce

Ingredients (Makes 7 cups)

4 28 ounce cans whole tomatoes with basil

1/2 cup olive oil

6 tablespoons minced onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper to your taste

12 leaves fresh basil, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Place tomato's in large bowl, crush tomato's with hands and remove any skin or core, Set aside.

Place oil in large, nonreactive saucepan over medium low heat. Add onion and cook until soft and just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until softened, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato's and juices. Season with salt. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 hour. Stir in basil (or oregano) and season with pepper, continue cooking 1 minute more.

While marinara sauce is simmering add your meatballs and continue simmering another 20 minutes.

While meatballs are simmering in the sauce you can prepare your pasta.

This recipe is from "Rao's Cookbook," by Frank Pellegrino.

We get our inspiration from the great chefs which makes cooking fun.

The sauce is exceptional!

What do you order when eating out at a Mexican Restaurant? It's always a toss up for me between a burrito and taco's. I like both equally well but the burrito comes out the winner more often than not. Maybe it is because taco's are easier to make so we have them at home more often than a burrito. Well, that is not the case any more. Here is a burrito recipe that tastes like it came from your favorite Mexican Restaurant.

I think the secret to a good burrito is in the sauce. It can't be too spicey or too sweet. And, I don't want it tasting like somebody added spices to some tomato sauce. If you are that person too, then this recipe will knock your socks off. To make it even better, it is also very easy to make!

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground chuck

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspon Lawry's Seasoned Salt

2 teaspoons garlic salt

6 12 inch burrito flour tortilla shells

1 small head of lettuce, shredded

3 medium tomatoes, diced

1 medium onion, diced

Sauce:

1 can (10 ounces) beef gravy

3 tablespoons chili powder

6 to 7 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

23 ounces tomato sauce

Optional:

Sour Cream

Your favorite salsa

Brown ground chuck and drain fat. Add the salt, pepper, Lawry's seasoned salt and garlic. Set aside.

Combine the tomato sauce, gravy, chili powder and 6 to 7 ounces cheddar cheese in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat until cheese is melted. Set aside.

Lay out burrito shells and divide meat evenly, then lettuce, diced tomatoes and grated cheese. Fold burritos (bring top edge, then bottom to center, follow with left then right side), place seam side down on lightly greased pan and bake for 20 minutes, in 325 degree F. oven.

Remove from oven. Bring sauce to a boil and divide evenly on top of burritos and sprinkle with reserved cheese.

Note: We prefer our burritos "inside out" and do not put the lettuce and tomato inside the tortilla shell. I dice the lettuce, tomato, onion and cheese and have it on the table so each individual can add the toppings they prefer and also the lettuce stays crisp this way. We also use sour cream and salsa to top off everything.

Serve this burrito with refried beans, Spanish rice, taco chips and salsa.

Like your Mexican burrito HOT. Here is something to set on your table so everyone gets their own degree of heat!

What is one of your favorite things to eat? As you can see I like just about everything.