Beef
I made these burgers over the 4th of July weekend. Let’s face it no 4th of July is complete without a good burger! I picked this burger to make as I knew it was going to have lots of flavor and I could also caramelize the onions ahead of time as well as mixing up that special sauce leaving me a little more time for other things! Anytime I entertain I do as much in advance as possible and that includes prepping some of the food! We enjoyed these burgers, the caramelized onions and the sauce gave the burger lots of great flavor. I will say next time I make them I will be adding some pickled jalapeño slices on top of my burger to add a little extra punch of flavor! This burger is one of my top three favorites! I will be making these several more times this summer.
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, and more for brushing the griddle
2 large onions, chopped
Salt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1 Tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon mustard
2 lbs. ground chuck (60%)
8 hamburger buns
Pickles
Shredded lettuce
4-8 slices of tomato (I left off)
Pepper
8 slices of American cheese
DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in pan and add the chopped onions. Cook onions covered over medium heat for 30 minutes or until onions begin to turn golden brown and caramelize. Watch not to burn and stir occasionally. Remove lid add 1/2 cup of water. Allow water to evaporate. Remove onions from heat and set aside. Can be made ahead and kept in fridge.
For the sauce – mix together mayo, ketchup, relish and vinegar, mix well and set aside. This can also be done the day before.
Form the meat into 8 patties about 4 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Heat griddle and lightly brush with vegetable oil. Toast buns on the griddle, split side down (or can be done under the broiler watching carefully to not burn.) Remove buns from skillet when lightly browned and set aside. Salt and pepper both sides of your hamburger patties and cook on the griddle 3-5 minutes.
Spread the top of the patties with the mustard and flip. Continue cooking on the second side for an additional 3-5 minutes. Top burger with a slice of cheese to melt. When cooked to your desired doneness remove from pan and place lettuce on the bottom bun, add the burger on top of the lettuce, add the caramelized onions and spread the sauce on the split end of the top bun and top of the burger with the bun!
Enjoy!
One of our favorite pizza places in Portsmouth, NH has our favorite Mexican pizza but we don’t always have time to go into Portsmouth so what’s a girl to do? Make my own version right? Well, this is not exactly like the restaurant version and it is definitely a little spicier, but the cool lettuce and tomato slaw on top cools it right down. You can also change the spice level by using mild salsa and leaving the jalapeño’s off. I made this one Saturday afternoon and shortly after I made it we had some neighbors pop over so I was thrilled to see how they liked it. I did not tell them it was my creation before they ate it so I was thrilled when they both cleaned their plates and said how much they liked it! I knew Jim and I liked it but it’s nice to have some additional feedback. I also made a gluten free version for Robby using gluten free crust and gluten free taco seasoning. Robby loved his pizza too! If you want to keep it dairy free, don’t use the sour cream and use dairy free cheese.
INGREDIENTS
Pizza crust of your choice, store bought, home made or dough from your favorite pizza place
1/2 pound ground beef
2 Tablespoons of taco seasoning, I use low sodium
3 Tablspoons water
1/2 cup of salsa, I used medium spice
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 – 1/2 cup jarred sliced pickled jalapeños, depending on how much you want
TOPPING ingredients
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup sour cream
FOR A GLUTEN FREE PIZZA – like this one
Use a gluten free crust and gluten free taco seasoning. To make this dairy free leave out the sour cream and use dairy free cheese.
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly spray sheet pan with non-stick spray. Flatten the dough forming your crust. Prebake the crust for 3-4 minutes partially baking it. Remove from oven. In the meantime, heat a skillet to medium heat and add your ground beef. Cook ground beef breaking into crumbs as it cooks, drain excess liquid from the pan and add the taco seasoning and water, mix to combine and finish cooking. When cooked through, remove from heat.
To assemble, add your salsa to the top of your pizza crust and spread to about 1/4 of and inch to the edges, add the ground beef mixture and cover the salsa, add the cheeses spreading over the beef. If desired add the sliced jalapeños. Place back in the oven and bake an additional 8 minutes.
While the pizza is baking combine all of the topping ingredients together and set aside. When pizza is cooked through remove from oven, let rest for just a couple minutes, slice and add a spoonful or so of the topping. Serve warm.
Enjoy!
This hamburger casserole was so easy and you can add whatever condiments you want just as you would a hamburger. I added some pickles and both Jim and I thought it was just what this dish needed for that little extra flavor. I also added dairy free cheese for Robby because of his ongoing belly issues as he is currently not eating gluten or dairy. You can add whatever cheese you like. And use any gluten free pasta you like. If I did not tell anyone this was gluten free, I’m not sure anyone would have known.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 small white onions, chopped
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
8 ounces tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes (15 ounce)
3-4 cups gluten free pasta, cooked al dente
2-4 Tablespoons yellow mustard
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
1/4 cup cheddar cheese or your choice of cheese
Any condiments of your choice
Pickles
Additional cheese
Tomato
DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan on medium heat add olive oil, brown the onion and garlic. Add ground beef and cook until ground beef if cooked through. Drain any grease from pan. Add tomato paste, diced tomatoes, cooked pasta and stir until heated through. Stir in mustard, cheese, salt and pepper. Add your topping and serve warm.
Enjoy!
This recipe can be found at www.veggiebalance.com
I made this for a family gathering and everyone really enjoyed them! One of our family members has been having belly issues. I won’t get into the details but this can easily be made gluten free and served with gluten free tortilla chips instead of on a bun. I have been surprised with how simple it is to make recipes gluten free, well minus the bread part! Anyway, these are sweet and slightly tangy, simple to make and great to re-heat for leftovers! This was easy to double for a group as well! No canned sloppy joe mix happening here!
INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 Tablespoons chopped green peppers
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chili sauce
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
6 hamburger buns split
DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, cook the beef, celery, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender, drain excess liquid in the pan. Stir in ketchup, chili sauce, sugars, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Serve on buns.
Enjoy!
The calendar says spring but we are having some serious weather issues in NH! One day it’s snowing the next it’s 50 degrees! I usually make this kind of dish on a cold snowy day. Although it’s spring it was snowing when I made this! Welcome to NH! This recipe comes from Martha Stewart, so I knew it was going to be good and it was…very tender with lots of flavor! A delicious comforting dish. I served this with a side salad and garlic mashed potatoes.
INGREDIENTS
5 Tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
4 pounds bone in beef short ribs, cut into 3 inch pieces (8-12 pieces total)
Salt
Pepper
1 yellow onion, cut into wedges
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
10 sprigs of thyme
1/4 cup flour
3 cups pomegranate juice
1 cup dry red wine, merlot
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds for serving, optional
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. In a large heavy pot with a tight fitting lid heat 2 Tablespoons of oil over high heat. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. In batches brown ribs on all sides. Transfer ribs to a plate, pour off oil and scrape to remove loose bits out of pot. Reduce heat to medium-high and add the remaining 3 Tablespoons of oil to the pot. Add onion, garlic and thyme. Cook scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon until onion is soft. About five minutes. Add flour and stir to coat. Whisk in pomegranate juice and wine, bring to a boil stirring frequently. Return ribs to pot, cover and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake until the ribs are easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife. About 3 hours. With a slotted spoon, carefully transfer ribs to a large platter. Strain liquid into a fat separator, let sit briefly and return to pot discarding the fat, or skim fat off with a spoon. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and cook until reduced to a sauce like consistency, 10 minutes. Strain through a fine strainer, season with salt and pepper and pour over ribs. Garnish with pomegranate seeds if desired.
Enjoy!
