Family Friendly Hamburger Meals
by Christine Steendahl

Description: Have extra hamburger on hand? Here are some easy family dinner ideas with hamburger as the main ingredient.

Sponsors:

If you’re like almost all families, you are always on the lookout for interesting ideas for dinner. As a busy mother, you need recipes that are easy to make, meals that your family will adore, something a little different once in awhile, and something budget friendly.

Here are seven things you can do with hamburger to stretch that grocery budget in some new ways:

Waikiki Meatballs

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2/3 cup cracker crumbs
1/3 cup onion, minced
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon shortening
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 can (13.5 oz) pineapple tidbits, drained, reserve syrup
1/3 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/3 cup green pepper, chopped

Mix thoroughly beef, cracker crumbs, onion, egg, salt, ginger and milk. Shape mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls into balls. Melt shortening in large skillet; brown and cook meatballs. (Alternatively, you can bake the meatballs at 400 degrees F for 20-30 minutes instead of frying). Remove meatballs; keep warm. Pour fat from skillet.

Mix cornstarch and brown sugar. Stir in reserved pineapple syrup, vinegar, and soy sauce until smooth. Pour into skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir one minute. Add meatballs, pineapple tidbits, and green pepper; heat through.

Note: good served over rice.

You can freeze this recipe as well, but freeze the sauce and the meatballs separately.

Cuban Picadillo Recipe - Beef Hash of Cuba

1 pound ground meat
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small can tomato sauce
1/4 cup dry white wine
Pimiento stuffed olives
Raisins
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, brown the ground meat, onions, and garlic. If meat is not too lean, pour out whatever fat you render.

Turn heat down to medium low. Add the tomato sauce and wine. While it simmers, chop up the pimiento stuffed olives and add to meat mixture, it is ok to add a little bit of the brine, if you wish. Add the raisins and adjust the seasonings.

Serve over fluffy, white rice.

Meat Turnovers

Flavor your hamburger with your favorite spices including onion, garlic, black pepper, basil, onion, marjoram, oregano or other favorites as you cook the ground beef. Drain the hamburger and let it cool. Mix with sharp cheddar cheese and fold it inside a garlic pizza dough, like a turnover. Glaze with raw egg and bake at 375 degrees 20 minutes or browned on ungreased cookie sheet.

Doner Meat with Ground Beef

Doner meat is traditionally made with lamb and used in gyros, but you can make a ground beef version like this one:

3 pounds lean ground hamburger
3/4 cup bread crumbs
2 teaspoons pepper
1-2 teaspoons cayenne red pepper (depending on your taste)
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
3 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Mix the hamburger with all of the spices in a bowl, and then knead it (longest 20 minutes of my life). Shape the meat into 2 tight loaves and bake on a broiler pan for 2 to 2.5 hours. Let them cool and then slice up. You can also refrigerate it, or freeze it if you don't use it all.

Stuffed Green Peppers

6 green bell peppers
salt to taste
1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup chopped onion
salt and pepper to taste
1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1/2 cup water
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup
water as needed

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the tops off the peppers, and remove the seeds. Cook peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes; drain. Sprinkle salt inside each pepper, and set aside.

In a large skillet, sauté beef and onions for 5 minutes or until beef is browned. Drain off excess fat, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes, rice, 1/2 cup water and Worcestershire sauce. Cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until rice is tender. Remove from heat, and stir in the cheese.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Stuff each pepper with the beef and rice mixture, and place peppers open side up in a baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine tomato soup with just enough water to make the soup a gravy consistency. Pour over the peppers.

Bake covered for 25 to 35 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Jamaican Macaroni

2 cups (8 oz) elbow macaroni
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 cup sliced carrots
1 large green bell pepper
1 large onion
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Cook the macaroni as directed on the box.

Chop the carrots in 1/4 inch circles, then seed & chop the bell pepper.

Cook the meat in a skillet over high heat. Break up the meat, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, finish slicing the carrots and chopping the bell pepper. When the meat is partially browned add the carrots and bell pepper to the skillet and stir well. Peel and coarsely chop the onion, adding it to the skillet as you chop.

Add the tomatoes and their juices, the Worcestershire, garlic powder, seasoning salt, black pepper, and the hot pepper sauce.

Stir well, then continue to cook, stirring frequently, to soften the vegetables and thicken the sauce, 7 minutes more.

As soon as the macaroni is tender, drain it and set aside until the sauce is thick. Then add it to the skillet, stir well to coat with sauce and serve.

Wonton Soup

Ingredients:

18 - 24 won ton wrappers

Filling:

1/2 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
a few drops sesame oil
1 teaspoon sherry
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 green onion, finely minced
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 dashes of white pepper

Other:

Water for boiling won tons
4 1/2 - 5 cups chicken stock
green onion, thinly sliced, as desired
a few drops sesame oil (optional)

Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl, mixing well. Lay one won ton skin in front of you. Cover the remaining won ton skins with a damp towel to keep them from drying out.

Filling the won tons:

Moisten all the edges of the won ton wrapper with water. Place a heaping teaspoon of won ton filling in the center.

Fold the won ton wrapper in half lengthwise, making sure the ends meet. Press down firmly on the ends to seal. Use thumbs to push down on the edges of the filling to center it. Keeping thumbs in place, fold over the won ton wrapper one more time. Push the corners up and hold in place between your thumb and index finger.

Wet the corners with your fingers. Bring the two ends together so that they overlap. Press to seal. The finished product should resemble a nurse's cap. Repeat with remaining won tons.

Alternate method: Place the teaspoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper and twist to seal. The final result should resemble a money bag or drawstring purse.

Boiling the won tons:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the won tons, making sure there is enough room for them to move about freely. Let the won tons boil for 5 - 8 minutes, until they rise to the top and the filling is cooked through. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon.

To make the soup: bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the won tons and bring the soup back to a boil. Add the green onion, remove the pot from the heat and add the sesame oil, stirring. Ladle into soup bowls, allowing 6 won tons per person.

For more great recipes, log onto http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.creativehomemaking.com