The Shiraz Burger

Who says that Ground beef can’t be sexy!

Holy mother!!!

These burgers are super juicy and retain a nice Smokey, wine flavor after grilling. The extra wine reduction drizzled on the burger was just sweet enough to perfectly balance the savory flavors.

 

Ingredients:

·         2 cups of your favorite red wine (I used Shiraz)

·         2 Tbsp. brown sugar

·         1 lb. lean ground beef

·         Salt

·         Pepper

·         Worcestershire sauce

·         1 medium slicing tomato, cut into 1/2 inch slices

·         Olive oil

·         3 Burger buns

·         3 slices of your favorite cheese

Preparation:

1.       Preheat your grill to medium-high.

2.       In a medium sauce pan over high heat, combine the wine and brown sugar, stirring until dissolved.

3.       Let boil and reduce to 6 Tbsp. (3/8 cup). This will take about 25 minutes. Let cool to room temp, 10 minutes.

4.       In a medium bowl, crumble ground beef and season with salt, pepper, and a couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce.

5.       Add 1/4 cup of red wine reduction and lightly toss to mix.

6.       Form 3 burger patties

7.       Drizzle tomato slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

8.       Place burgers and tomatoes on the grill. Grill the burgers to desired doneness (I typically cook both the tomatoes and burgers - 4 minutes on each side).

9.       Top with a slice of cheese and remove from the grill.

10.   Place on a burger bun, drizzle the remaining red wine reduction over the burgers, and top with a grilled tomato slice and the top bun.

 

Happy Cooking ☺

 

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Mini Burger Bites

Since, sliders are too common I needed another approach to making the mini burgers.

Here’s a cool way of serving definite crowd pleaser mini burgers, as a sophisticated, yet fun party appetizer. Stand up a bunch of these burgers on skewers in a glass/ vase, or use a head of lettuce as a stand for them and it doubles up as a table center piece too!

Ingredients:

·         1 lb. Ground Beef

·         1 tsp. Garlic Powder

·         1 tsp. Onion Salt

·         1 1/2 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

·         3-4 Flat Bread (I used Store bought Naan)

·         Bacon strips

·         Lettuce

·         Slice cheese

·         cherry/ grape tomatoes

·         Mayonnaise

·         BBQ Sauce/ Ketchup

·         Skewers

Preparation:

1.       Start by cutting little round pieces of the flat bread using the top of a salt shaker or something around that size. You’ll need 2 per Bacon burger stick…so cut out as many as you’d like to make.

2.       Next cut the lettuce into squares about the same size as the bread you just cut. Do the same for the cheese.

3.       Cut the cherry (or Grape) tomatoes into halves.

4.       Next step…fry the bacon slices until they are crispy and then cut them, roughly the same size as the lettuce and cheese.

5.       Now for the burgers. Season your ground beef with some garlic powder, onion salt, Worcestershire sauce and ground black pepper.

6.       Make little meatballs and flatten them to the same size as your bread cut outs. I put a little divot in them so that they don’t shrink too much when you cook them.

7.       In a skillet - fry your mini burgers for a couple minutes on each side until they’re cooked the way you like.

8.       To assemble the Mini Burger Bites. Start with a bread (you can spread a little mayo on there if you like), then a couple of pieces of lettuce, a piece of bacon, the mini burger (I put a dash of BBQ sauce on mine), a slice of cheese, another piece of bread and top it off with a half cherry tomato.

Stand the Mini Bacon Burger Skewers in a glass to serve them.

Happy Cooking ☺

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Ground Beef Popcorn

Typically beef is used as the main ingredient for a meal but when you make this ground beef popcorn you can serve it as a snack.

A Great appetizer for your next party.

Ingredients:

·         2lbs ground beef

·         Sea salt, to taste

·         Coarse ground black pepper, to taste

·         Onion powder, to taste

·         Paprika, to taste

·         Turmeric, to taste

Preparation:

1.       Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.       Add the ground beef to a large-size mixing bowl and season with a shake of each: sea salt, black pepper, onion powder, paprika and turmeric.  Combine well so the seasonings are mixed together.

3.       Spread parchment paper across the top of two large baking trays.

4.       Break the meat into bits and pieces, as small as the tip of your index finger, and scatter them on the parchment paper.

5.       Bake the trays of meat for 20-25 minutes. Toss the meat and bake for an additional 5 more minutes.

6.       Remove from the oven, transfer the ground beef popcorn to a bowl (or use as a topping for salad or mix in with another vegetable) and serve.

             Happy Cooking ☺

BBQ Burgers - Korean Style

Consider taking the Korean BBQ style to the next round of burgers you serve up.  Most of the ingredients you’ll have on hand if you’re used to throwing together a quick stir-fry after a long day at the office so as to make it to the couch quicker.  Lots of Asian staples are included – soy sauce, ginger, and they make for a super flavorful burger. 

Ingredients:

·         1 1/2 pounds ground beef

·         1/2 cup chopped green onions

·         1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

·         1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

·         3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

·         1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

·         1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·         2 garlic cloves, minced

·         6 (1 1/2-ounce) whole wheat hamburger buns split

·         6 red leaf lettuce leaves

·         6 tablespoons thinly sliced radishes

Preparation:

1.       Combine first 8 ingredients. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

2.       Place patties on the grill; grill 6 minutes on each side or until a thermometer registers 165°. Remove from grill; let patties stand 5 minutes.

3.       Place buns, cut sides down, on grill rack; grill 1 minute or until toasted. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun; top each serving with 1 lettuce leaf, 1 tablespoon radishes, and top half of bun.

Happy Cooking ☺

How to Make Stuffed Cheese Meatballs

A simple technique that's easy to master.

Here's the thing about stuffed cheese meatballs: Nobody has to know they're stuffed until they take a bite. What a great surprise for someone! Plus, they're as easy as making regular meatballs, but with the fun extra step of meat-sculpting.  

Ingredients:

·         1 pound ground beef

·         1/2 white onion finely chopped

·         1 clove garlic, finely chopped

·         2 tablespoons Italian parsley, minced

·         1 egg

·         1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

·         1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·         1/2 cup breadcrumbs

·         1/2 pound mozzarella, cut into 1-inch cubes

Preparation:

1.       In a large bowl, combine ground beef, onions, garlic, parsley, egg, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs (don't over mix or they'll be rock-solid).
2.       Divide mixture into 8 balls.

3.       Semi-flatten each ball, add a cube of mozzarella to the center and sculpt the meat mixture around it to form a seal.

4.       Heat oven to 375°F. Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil; spray foil with cooking spray.  Gently place in pan. Bake 10 minutes.

Serve while piping hot for best cheese effect.

Happy Cooking ☺

Chili Meatloaf Bagels

Turn leftover meatloaf into a completely different dish!

A lot of people make meatloaf sandwiches simply by slicing it up and putting it on bread with ketchup, if you’re looking for another idea to turn leftover meatloaf into a completely different dish – try this.

Ingredients:

·         1/2 cup leftover meatloaf, chopped

·         1/8 cup chili sauce

·         2 miniature bagels split

·         2 slices American cheese, divided

·         4 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled and divided

Preparation:

1.       Mix together meatloaf with enough chili sauce to make it spreadable.

2.       Spread meatloaf/chili sauce mixture over each cut side of bagel. (You should have four halves).

3.       Cut each piece of cheese into 4 squares, should have eight pieces, place two pieces on each bagel.

4.       Sprinkle equal amounts of cooked bacon over cheese.

5.       Place under broiler for 5 to 8 minutes or until cheese is melted and meat mixture is bubbly.

Happy Cooking ☺

P.S. Here’s a great meatloaf recipe 

Layered Mexican Casserole

Dig into this family-pleasing casserole packed with ground beef, tortillas, refried beans and rice. Olé!

Ingredients:

·         1 lb. lean (at least 80%) ground beef

·         1 jar (16 oz.) Thick ‘n Chunky salsa

·         8 corn tortillas (6 inch)

·         1 can (16 oz.)  Refried beans

·         1 1/2cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (6 oz.)

·         1 can (15 oz.) Spanish rice

·         1 cup coarsely crushed tortilla chips

Preparation:

1.       Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 11x7-inch (2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in 1 cup of the salsa; heat about 2 minutes or until hot.

2.       Line baking dish with 4 tortillas, overlapping to fit. In medium bowl, stir together refried beans and remaining salsa; spoon over tortillas, and spread evenly. Top with half of the meat mixture and 3/4 cup of the cheese. Layer 4 more tortillas over cheese. Spoon and spread Spanish rice over tortillas. Top with remaining meat mixture and cheese. Top with tortilla chips.

3.       Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until hot in center and bubbling along sides.

Happy Cooking ☺