Kitchen Adventures 20.1

Wow, I knew it had been awhile since I posted, but almost five months is longer than I thought! Life did get busy the first part of this year, with writing an article (set to be published this summer!) and life in general. All is going well, and after several inquiries regarding this blog, I'm back at it. Hopefully I will be better at consistency, but I've said that before!

Five months of cooking is a lot to cover, but as I look back through my cooking efforts for the first part of 2012, I don't actually have that many new recipes to share. I made several dishes I have already sharedh ere, and quite frankly I have forgotten some of the things I made! The really good ones, though, are fresh in my memory.

This first recipe is a dish I made back in January. During the colder months, this was perfect. Now, with the temperatures in the high 80s, not so much. Still, it was delicious and I highly recommend it.

This recipe came from Every Day with Rachael Ray.

Cheeseburger Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil, plus more for greasing
1 red onion, finely chopped
2/3 c. ketchup
2/3 c. bread crumbs
2 large eggs
1/2 c. bread-and-butter pickle chips, chopped (I omitted this)
1-1/2 lbs. ground beef
8 oz. cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 lbs. new red potatoes
3/4 c. heavy cream

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. In a medium skillet, heat 2 T. olive oil over medium heat, then add the onion and cook, stirring, until lightly softened, about 3 minutes.
2. Combine the ketchup, bread crumbs, eggs, and pickles in a large bowl; mix in the onions. Crumble in the beef, add the cheese, and stir together. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and mold into a 4" x 12" loaf. Bake until a meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees, about 35 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, halve the potatoes and place them in a large pot with enough water to cover the potatoes by an inch. Bring this to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Drain the water and return the potatoes to the pot, mashing them with the heavy cream. I also seasoned the potatoes with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Let the meatloaf rest for 5 minutes before serving with the mashed potatoes.

Kitchen Adventures 18.1

When someone says "cheeseburger," most people think of fast food, burger joints or clogged arteries. I personally think of something delicious as I am a burger fan, but sometimes I want the taste of a cheeseburger without the grease or going out to eat. So, when I found this recipe I decided I needed to try it out.

This recipe takes a different spin on a cheeseburger. First, it is made in a slow cooker. Next, it is in casserole form. I have never heard of a cheeseburger casserole, but it sounded like something I would like. It actually ended up being more like a cheese meatloaf, but it was delicious. Even if you are not a meatloaf fan, you really should try this one out.

I have made this a couple times over the last few months and I learned a valuable lesson the second time I made this. When it says to use extra-lean ground beef, do it. Since you're not grilling or cooking these in a skillet, there is no place for the fat to go. The extra-lean beef is perfect and you end up with very little fat.

This recipe came from one of those little cookbooks you see at the checkout stand at your grocery store. There are some really good recipes in those little books! This one in particular is from Prevention Guide Slow Cooker Recipe Book.

Cheddar Burger Casserole

Ingredients:

2 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1/2 c. seasoned dried bread crumbs
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. ketchup
1 c. grated Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Coat the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or use a cooker liner. In a medium bowl, mix the beef, bread crumbs, onion and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon into cooker and spread the top evenly with ketchup.
2. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours or high for 1 1/2 hours.
3. Evenly sprinkle the top with cheese, then cover and cook for 30 more minutes if cooking on low, 15 if cooking on high, or until the cheese melts.
Serves 6

I typically serve this with some Steamers veggies or other vegetables like peas or green beans. It's quite delicious!

Kitchen Adventures 7.3

Sometimes, there's nothing better than a good burger. I know it's not quite the time of year when most people think of making burgers since it's a little chilly for breaking out the grill (or at least it is today!) and tailgating season has ended, but I found a good variation that doesn't need a grill. This is good, since I don't have one. :)

I like this recipe because it jazzes up your traditional hamburger and does things a little differently. For one, it includes cheese, but not how you would think it does. This is not your typical cheeseburger that slaps a skinny piece of American cheese on top of a patty. No no, this one sticks the cheese INSIDE the burger and uses blue cheese. Pretty neat, huh? I liked it at least. Now, if you are not a blue cheese fan, then this recipe is probably not for you. The blue cheese is pretty prominent in every bite, so just be aware.

This recipe came from one of my Every Day with Rachael Ray magazines.

Inside-Out Cheeseburger

Ingredients:
1/4 c. crumbled blue cheese (2-3 oz.)
2 oz. cream cheese
2 T. chopped flat leaf parsley
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
salt and pepper
2 T. vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
2 T. butter
4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
Toppings of your choice

Directions:
In a small bowl, mash the blue cheese and cream cheese together until smooth. Stir in the parsley (I used dry parsley, so if you do this remember to use less than the recipe calls for.) Divide the mixture into 4 disks and cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
In a large bowl, season the beef with salt and pepper and mix well. (I like to add in a little Italian seasoning as well.)Form into 4 equally sized patties. Form a deep cavity in the center of each meat patty and place a cheese disk inside. Pull the meat together to completely cover the cheese disk. Make sure to do this or the cheese will leak out.
In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook, about 4 minutes on each side. Serve on the buns with your choice of toppings. *Note: make sure to use enough meat. I only used 1 lb. and the cheese ended up leaking out since there wasn't enough meat to keep it sealed up. Still, it was delicious.

Here are a few pics: