Cheeseburgers - oldmarrieds style

Yeah, so I posted a picture below and never got around to posting an actual recipe. So here goes (a little late for the big grilling weekend)



Cheeseburgers
1lb ground beef (we like ground sirloin or lean 90/10 or 93/7)
1/2 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (dry)
1 egg beaten
2 Tbs Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper
4 buns

Toppings
2 tomatoes, thickly sliced
1 Vidalia (or sweet yellow) onion, thickly sliced
4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
Bunch of green leaf lettuce, washed & torn

Preheat grill to 400-450 degrees (pretty darn hot)

In a bowl, beat 1 egg and mix in the dry Ranch dressing and steak seasoning.

Add ground beef and mix well (hands work best!) Divide into 4 even sections and roll/flatten into hamburger patties.

Cook hamburger patties on the grill with a dash of Worcestershire sauce on each side (turning once) to desired doneness. Top with cheese last 45 seconds of cooking (will melt quickly depending on thickness of the slice)

While cooking burgers, place thick slices of tomatoes & vidalia onions on a grill sheet*. Season lightly with salt & pepper. Cook for 3 minutes per side, turning once.

Lightly toast buns on grill after removing burgers to rest.

Top with grilled onions, tomatoes and lettuce as desired and enjoy!



*Grill sheet

Beef Macaroni Bake

I've made this 'casserole' twice and last night it came out so yummy I wanted to share. I found this recipe on "About.com" and made a few changes to suit our taste. Serve with a side salad and it is a complete, hearty meal!

INGREDIENTS:
• 8 ounces elbow macaroni or small shells, cooked, drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion (I used a whole medium sized onion)
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 green bell pepper, chopped (medium sized)
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning*
• 1/2 teaspoon Greek seasoning*
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) tomatoes, undrained, diced*
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• dash (about 4-5 shakes of the bottle) Worcester sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
• 2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

PREPARATION:
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic. Continue to sauté the vegetables, stirring frequently, until the chopped onion is tender.

Add ground beef and continue cooking, stirring, until beef is browned. Add the Cajun & Greek seasoning, Worcester sauce, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Stir to blend well and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked and drained macaroni and 2 cups of the shredded cheese, along with salt and pepper, if desired.





Transfer to a lightly greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Cover with foil. At this point, the casserole may be refrigerated for a few hours or overnight. I had enough to fill 2 casserole dishes.
Bake the covered casserole in a 350° oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly (if it is cold from the refrigerator, it may take longer). Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and cook, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes longer.
Serves 6 to 8.



My changes –
*Use a BIG pot* I started out with a 3 qt saucepan and it was way too small! If you have a big ‘dutch oven’ (like the Le Creuset kind), use it!
I used one can "no salt added" diced tomatoes with “green pepper, celery & onion” and 1 can diced tomatoes, Market Pantry brand from Target
I used “Tony Chachere's” Creole/Cajun seasoning (it rocks! green container in the spice aisle) and "Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning" (same from the meatloaf recipe)
I used 2% cheddar cheese

Pot Roast with an Italian twist

We love the idea of using our slow cooker, but it doesn't seem to get nearly as much use as we'd like. It's usually because it takes some preparation (usually at some ungodly hour of the morning) and we just can't seem to get it together.

We did get our act together to make this roast today. We bought the beef on Sunday night, chopped the veggies and prepped it [late] last night and I threw it all together [early] this morning. I've already tasted a little bite (1 hour left to go) and it is delicious!

(adapted from, The New Creative Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Cookbook

1 6oz can tomato paste (we used paste with Italian herbs)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 package dry onion soup mix
2 tsp. fresh oregano (used 1 tsp dried)
2 tsp. fresh thyme (used 1 tsp dried)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2lbs chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat (we use whatever roast is on sale)
1 16oz can diced tomatoes, drained (we used "Del Monte with garlic, oregano & basil")
1 16oz can stewed tomatoes, drained (we used "Del Monte with garlic, oregano & basil")
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 carrots, chopped
2-3 ribs of celery, chopped
8 baby red potatoes, quartered
1/2 package fresh chopped mushrooms (looked for the pre-cleaned/sliced to save time!)
2 bay leaves

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, onion soup mix, herbs, salt & pepper. Rub the roast with the tomato paste and then rub/sprinkle/cover with the spice mix and place in a slow cooker.

Add remaining ingredients (veggies) to slow cooker. Cover; cook on low 8-10 hours (or high 4-5 hours).

*Can be prepped the night before (rub roast with mixture and chop veggies, keep separate) and stash in the fridge until morning

Serve with rice or pasta

Southern Meatloaf

I found this recipe in an issue of Southern Living a few years ago. We've tweaked it a bit for our tastes (added more veggies). It turns out moist and delicious every time! We usually eat it with mashed potatoes and our special kicky creamed spinach (recipe to follow in the future).

1 tablespoon butter
3-4 celery ribs, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 can diced tomatoes, drained
1/3 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning (Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning)
1 teaspoon Greek seasoning (Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Topping:
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 can, diced tomatoes (optional)
Optional Garnish: chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Melt butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat; add celery, carrots, bell pepper and onion, and sauté 7 minutes or just until tender.

Stir together veggie mixture, ground beef, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs, and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Shape into a 10- x 5-inch loaf; place on a lightly greased broiler rack. Place rack in an aluminum foil-lined broiler pan.

Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Stir together remaining 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, tomato paste, rest of the diced tomatoes and 1 tablespoon ketchup until blended; pour evenly over meatloaf, and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until no longer pink in center. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings


Photo courtesy of my brother, Justin. This is his favorite meal!