2008 Woodie Awards
Personalize your hamburger and fries
By: Amy Koester
Issue date: 11/6/07 Section: Features
- Page 1 of 1
The calendar is inching toward Thanksgiving and you're starting to crave a solid, home-cooked meal. As you wander around Kroger looking for something to satisfy your hunger, you keep your eye out for meals that not only taste great but are easy to make as well. Walking down the prepared foods aisle, your eyes rest on that happy little hand cartoon - Hamburger Helper can't be too difficult, and the food looks great on the commercials. Now it's over to the meat case for that required one pound of ground beef.
Stop. Put the Hamburger Helper down. There's an even tastier way to use that beef on a budget and make a great, simple meal.
Take a new twist on the old hamburger-and-fries staple and make your own delicious hamburger dinner. It's easy to make and easy to personalize. With the burgers, you can choose your favorite flavors to season the meat: Mrs. Dash, Lawry's Seasoned Salt and a variety of meat rubs are available at Kroger. Follow the recipe's instructions for moderate flavor, or for a more strongly seasoned burger mix the seasoning into the meat with your hands before forming the patties. Remember that you should always wash your hands after any contact with raw meat and be careful not to cross contaminate. Don't use the same utensils on your cooked meat as you did the raw chuck.
To add flavor while the burgers cook in the pan, slice up some onions and sauté them alongside the meat. My grandma swears by this method for a juicy, flavorful burger and she'll offer the cooked onions as a topping for the finished burger. Experiment with your own toppings and seasonings. Go crazy.
The cheese suggestions for the potatoes are just that - suggestions. Use the flavor of cheese you like best to make a potato dish you'll love. Steam some vegetables to round out your dinner plate and you've got a full, tasty meal that will keep you warm as the weather cools and remind you of that comfortably full feeling after a great meal at home.
Seasoned Hamburger
• 4 oz. ground chuck per burger
• Seasonings of your choice
• Hamburger buns
Form the ground chuck into 4-oz. hamburger patties. Sprinkle your favorite beef seasoning on both sides of the patty. In a non-stick pan over medium heat, cook the hamburger patties for six minutes on each side. Burgers should be a bit pink in the middle and brown on the outside. If you like your burgers more well done, cook for roughly two more minutes. Add your favorite burger toppings and enjoy.
Easy Cheesy Potatoes
• 6 potatoes peeled and cubed
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/3 cup grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp butter
Preheat the oven to 375 ° F. Combine the flour, cheese, salt and pepper in a paper bag; shake the cubed potatoes in the bagged mixture. In an oven-safe casserole dish, melt the oil and butter. Pour the seasoned potatoes into the casserole dish. Bake for 60 minutes, turning the potatoes every 20 minutes for even cooking. Makes 4 large servings.
Stop. Put the Hamburger Helper down. There's an even tastier way to use that beef on a budget and make a great, simple meal.
Take a new twist on the old hamburger-and-fries staple and make your own delicious hamburger dinner. It's easy to make and easy to personalize. With the burgers, you can choose your favorite flavors to season the meat: Mrs. Dash, Lawry's Seasoned Salt and a variety of meat rubs are available at Kroger. Follow the recipe's instructions for moderate flavor, or for a more strongly seasoned burger mix the seasoning into the meat with your hands before forming the patties. Remember that you should always wash your hands after any contact with raw meat and be careful not to cross contaminate. Don't use the same utensils on your cooked meat as you did the raw chuck.
To add flavor while the burgers cook in the pan, slice up some onions and sauté them alongside the meat. My grandma swears by this method for a juicy, flavorful burger and she'll offer the cooked onions as a topping for the finished burger. Experiment with your own toppings and seasonings. Go crazy.
The cheese suggestions for the potatoes are just that - suggestions. Use the flavor of cheese you like best to make a potato dish you'll love. Steam some vegetables to round out your dinner plate and you've got a full, tasty meal that will keep you warm as the weather cools and remind you of that comfortably full feeling after a great meal at home.
Seasoned Hamburger
• 4 oz. ground chuck per burger
• Seasonings of your choice
• Hamburger buns
Form the ground chuck into 4-oz. hamburger patties. Sprinkle your favorite beef seasoning on both sides of the patty. In a non-stick pan over medium heat, cook the hamburger patties for six minutes on each side. Burgers should be a bit pink in the middle and brown on the outside. If you like your burgers more well done, cook for roughly two more minutes. Add your favorite burger toppings and enjoy.
Easy Cheesy Potatoes
• 6 potatoes peeled and cubed
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/3 cup grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp butter
Preheat the oven to 375 ° F. Combine the flour, cheese, salt and pepper in a paper bag; shake the cubed potatoes in the bagged mixture. In an oven-safe casserole dish, melt the oil and butter. Pour the seasoned potatoes into the casserole dish. Bake for 60 minutes, turning the potatoes every 20 minutes for even cooking. Makes 4 large servings.
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