World's Best Burger - At Home

Wait – what kind of recipe is this? Making a hamburger, everyone knows how, or do they?

Almost everyone makes hamburger at home, so why is it that after eating them so many of us are unsatisfied and dream of a good fast food burger? A burger that in your dream like state tastes better than home made, but do they really? If they do there are several reasons why. And here they are.

Fast food burgers are hot, fresh off the grill, out from under the heat lamp or micro waved just before bagging. At home we fry or grill them, put them aside and do a bunch of other stuff and then –“the burgers are ready,” might as well add, “Cold”.

Other than hot, here are the keys to a - Good Ol’ Home Burger

1.  Buy cheap, really cheap, if you can find them, white buns

2.  Make them thin and fry them hot and fast

3.  Salt & Pepper – No other seasonings

4.  When burgers are finished, set aside; butter the buns and brown in skillet. (after, of course, wiping out the skillet with a paper towel)

5.  Place bun on plate and add your veggies, pickles, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, cabbage, beets, whatever you like

6.  Microwave burger for 20-25 seconds – if you are a cheeseburger type add cheese now

7.  Put burger on bun and now, only now, add the usual condiments, ketchup, mustard or both

8.  Serve – now that is a good burger!

Now I am starting to get a little hungry.

 

 

Hamburger Stroganoff

-Here is what you will need-

*1 lb. ground beef (we say hamburger at our house) - brown in skillet, don’t chop it up too tiny
*1/2 c. chopped onion ( chunks about a half inch square)
*1/4 tsp. paprika (nice color and flavor)
*1 c. sour cream (this makes it stroganoff)
*1 c. cream of celery soup – ( most use mushroom soup, but I hate mushrooms, if you like um, us it) Do not measure – dump in a can
*3 Table spoons bacon bits or three or four slices of bacon
* Pinch of salt (no more than ¼ teaspoon)
*Dash of pepper (to taste)
I love recipes that say a pinch of this and a dash of that— this will give you a chance to make it your own)

-Here is how you fix it-

-One cup -Old fashioned noodles (cook just until they are soft, drain and melt in a quarter stick of butter (not margarine) set aside and save

-Brown hamburger, add bacon bits the last few minutes
-Add onion and cook until soft
-Add seasonings –you a few pinches or dashes of this or that, I add a little sage, and some thyme
-Stir in soup
-Cook slowly, uncovered for about 20 minutes (I usually crank it up on high and cook about 8 or 9 minutes, civilized cooks use twenty minutes and simmer) simmer is another good cooking term-not sure what it means but do remember people telling me to simmer down when I was a kid.
-Stir in sour cream – right at the end of the simmer
-Heat and serve over the hot buttered noodles from above

This stuff is good – we serve with diet cola or ice tea and corn bread, raw vegetable tray on the side