Cheeseburger Cups

Cheeseburger Cups

I got this recipe out of my Taste Of Home magazine that Gramma Ann gets for me. The kids loved them! They are a great fun food for kids. I told them they were eating Cheeseburger Pies. Zachary had seconds, and they asked for the leftovers the next day as well!

This is the recipe that is in the magazine. I tweeked it a tiny bit so I will put a * by my added ingredients.

1 lb ground beef *.83 lb It was all I had
* 3/4 cup finely chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup ketchup
2 TB brown sugar
2 TB Prepared Mustard *spicy brown mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tube refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits (12oz)
1/2 cup cubed Velveeta (I did not use) *1/2 cup shredded Tilamook


In a large skillet, cook beef *mushrooms until beef is no longer pink.
Drain
Stir in ketchup, brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce
Remove from heat and set aside
Press with a spoon each biscuit onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased muffin cup.
Spoon meat mixture into cups.
If using Velveeta, top now with a cube

Bake at 400 for 14-16 min or until golden brown

If using shredded cheese, when the biscuits are done, sprinkle the cheese on and stick back in the turned off oven for a minute or two till it is melted.

***Photo from Taste Of Home Magazine***

Mushroom Spinach Burger

Mushroom Spinach Hamburgers

I made these tonight. I did not tell the kids what they were made of. Mike guessed because he saw me making them.
After a few bites the boys said, 'yumm, this is the best burger I have had." A few minutes later, Mike looks at me and says, "this is at least a top 5 of all my fav meals you have cooked in 12 years!" Even Elektra ate hers!
The kids still have no idea what was in these, but all 3 ate them completely gone!

1 pkg Spinach - thawed & drained (I forgot to do this, so I microwaved it, till it was mostly thawed, then I squished it in between 2 towels to get rid of the water, but felt it was still going to be too moist, so I added about a 1/2 cup of seasoned bread crumbs.)
1 C Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 C Chopped Mushrooms
1 env. Onion Mushroom Soup Mix
1 tsp. Better Than Beef Bouillon (buy it where you buy your regular buillon cubes)
1 lb ground beef

Mix all the ingredients together and form into patties approx 5in by 1in.
Grill over high heat 2-4 min per side, flipping only ONCE!
Serve on buns with fav hamburger compliments.

Caleb finishing his. Elektra about half done with hers. (She ate the bun first)

Zachary finished his double burger and Mikey is taking his last bite!

Meatloaf "Cake"

This is a great quick recipe that is almost as fun to make as it is to eat it!
Growing up I don't really remember my mom making Meatloaf. If she did, it wasn't often. (mom you can correct me on this if I am remembering wrong!) A few years ago I made Meatloaf for Mike and Christina and it was so yummy, I have been making many versions of it since. I really never follow the same recipe. I guess it depends really on what I have on hand. I do have a great recipe that comes from Alton Brown and his Good Eats Show. However this time I haven't gone grocery shopping so I didn't have the onion, bell pepper or carrot on hand. But I did have a salsa I recently made, so I used that instead. That is what is great about Meatloaf. Use whatever spices or vegetables you have on hand to give it that needed kick. Sometimes I even use oatmeal in it. Basically, you need 2 pounds ground meat. (beef, pork, turkey, sausage or a combination), an egg, and some kind of bread crumbs. Then go for it on the spices and veggies. I like to add some kind of tomato juice. Whether its ketchup, tomato juice (V-8), salsa or tomato sauce is up to you. I like it moist and this really helps. Another way my kids like it is to put one big scoop of meat mixture into muffin pans and bake. They like their own "muffin meatloafs" This is also a great way to spice Mike, Christina's and mine up, but not the boy's.



*Note this is Alton Browns version of meatloaf. Its a great base.

6 ounces garlic-flavored croutons
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, peeled and broken
3 whole cloves garlic
1/2 red bell pepper
18 ounces ground chuck
18 ounces ground sirloin
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg

For the glaze:

1/2 cup catsup
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Dash hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon honey

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a food processor bowl, combine croutons, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and thyme.
Pulse until the mixture is of a fine texture.
Place this mixture into a large bowl.
Combine the onion, carrot, garlic, and red pepper in the food processor bowl.
Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, but not pureed.
Combine the vegetable mixture, ground sirloin, and ground chuck with the bread crumb mixture.
Season the meat mixture with the kosher salt.
Add the egg and combine thoroughly, but avoid squeezing the meat.
Pat into 2 greased 9in square pans.
Bake for about 20 - 30 min until meat is browned and thermometer reads 160 degrees.

Cool for 10 minutes


Combine the catsup, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and honey.
Brush the glaze onto the meatloaf after it has been cooking for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile make your mashed potatoes.

Normally I cube them and cook till soft, then add milk, or chicken broth and mash them.
Today I didn't have potatoes so I used the boxed potato flakes.

After meatloaf has cooled for 10 minutes remove meatloaf by inverting one pan onto a serving platter.
"Ice" meatloaf with some mash potatoes.
Invert 2nd pan on top.
Cover the rest of the meatloafs with mash potatoes.
Use ketchup and mustard to decorate the 'cake'.
Be Creative!!!! Have fun!!!!