Let’s Talk Burgers
Growing up, I loved hamburger night at my house. Mama made thick, juicy burgers in a skillet and served them with big ol’ french fries and enough ketchup to drown the whole shabang in. Alright, so I was the one adding the flood of ketchup but it set the whole meal off perfectly in my mind. On nights when we didn’t have buns, she’d just serve the patties topped with sauteed onion slices (which she cooked in the skillet along with the burgers) and call it hamburger steak. Either way Mama went with this, it was a win-win.
I sure do miss having Mama make my hamburger,
but since I’m the Mama these days, I reckon she’s done gone and passed the torch.
So, as the head hamburger-cooker, this is how I turn out juicy and taste filled burgers. I look forward to hearing how you make your burgers. Do you have a secret ingredient or method that people just rave about? What toppings do you like? Are there any unusual sides that you just have to have? As a fellow burger enthusiast, I’d love to hear how they’re served at your house – or your favorite restaurant. Feel free to reply to other comments as well if you want to chat about it a bit. No sense in being shy, this is your home, too!
I use ground beef (whatever is cheapest), egg, and dry french onion soup mix.
I LOVE onions with my burgers but my family doesn’t (at least they think they don’t ~ hehe!) so this way I can have my onions and they are clueless.
Add all of your ingredients together. I am using about two and a half pounds of ground beef here.
I mush it all up. The best way to do this is just with your hands.
Shape patties into doughnuts.
The hole in the middle keeps the hamburger from puffing up into one big ball and also helps it get done evenly.
As it cooks the hole fills in.
After you brown the patties really well on both sides, add a cup or so of water to the pan so that they can continue to cook without burning and get done all of the way.
Right before you take them up, top a few with slices of cheese for those who like cheeseburgers.
Can you believe I don’t care for cheese on my burger? I’m an odd bird, I know.
My perfect burger includes a side of big old steak fries and some Comeback sauce to dip ’em in!
This picture shows hamburgers served with Comeback sauce and a a side of abomination – otherwise known as “green bean fries”. That was a new fangled recipe I figured I’d try so I could bring it to you if it was good.
Well folks, I can honestly say that they “look” good, but I can’t go beyond that. After making these, from now on if I want green beans, I’m gonna eat green beans. If I want fries, I’m gonna eat fries. Trying to turn green beans into fries worked out about as well as trying to turn broccoli into mashed potatoes:). Just my opinion!
Now this is where you come in! I know y’all make some awesome burgers and there are limitless variations (just about all of which I’d personally like to try!).
How do you make your burgers? I’d love for you to share your favorite burger recipes with me in the comments below. Tell me how you like to make ’em, how you like to eat ’em, how you like to serve ’em, and what you serve ’em with. If you’d like to include any actual recipes in your comments, go right ahead! (Yipee!!)
Feel free to respond to other folks comments as well if you’d like, We’re all friends here. 🙂
[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:280]
Click here for Comeback Sauce recipe!
Got Leftovers?
Hamburger patties are SO EASY to recycle into future dishes! I allow my patties to cool and them crumble them up before placing them in a freezer bag. Next time you make chili, taco soup, beef casserole, or the like, just pull out your crumbles and toss them in. You’ll have the convenience of using pre cooked beef, the added zip of the onion soup mix flavor, and the pride in not wasting your leftovers!
“If something intolerable simply cannot be changed, driven away, or shot – Southerners will not only tolerate it but take pride in it as well.” – Florence King
Submitted by Aunt Kathy. To submit your quote, click here.
We have two favorite burger toppings here. Both have the usual Lettuce, Tomato, and Pickles.
My grandfather loves to put about 3 tablespoons of peanut butter on top the burger while its still warm. This one is good but the next is my favorite.
A perfectly cooked fried egg with the yolk a little runny and some mayo makes my perfect burger!
We have “Smashburgers” opening here in Houston, and they have a fried egg on their menu. We weren’t really sure why! We will have to try this.
I was skeptical the first time i tried a fried egg on my hamburger.. but they really are awesome.
We have always eaten a lot of burgers in my family. At least once a week but we usually eat them more like three times a week. Every since the first time i had egg on one its the only way i will eat a burger now!
Its a pain when we go out to get burgers. When i ask the waitress for a fried egg to go on my burger they look at me like i am the craziest person ever!
Okay, NOW I want to try peanut butter AND then the fried egg option.
I’ve never heard of a fried egg on a burger but now that I started thinking about it, I can see how it would be delicious! Wow!! So glad you said this. Thank you, Suzanne! I gotta find out what I been missing!
We love hamburger night. I always put my patties on the contact grill, gives ’em an almost “cooked outdoors” flavor. I’m going to try the onion soup next time. I love onion on my burgers, too, but my family thinks they don’t like it (I sneak onion in lots of things!).
hehe, you and I are both too sneaky. Reckon if they ever found out they wouldn’t have us out in the dog house long though, eventually they’d get hungry! hehe
This sounds so good right now! As my Daddy used to say, “I’m so hungry my stomach is gnawin’ my backbone!” Daddy always did have a way with words.
I LOVE IT!!!!! Love love love it! Your daddy was a whiz! hehe, I’m still giggling! Hope you share more of your daddyisms!
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
Oh.. my birthday is on Monday. I don’t want to go out to eat, but I’m not sure what I’d like to make for a birthday dinner! I make my favorite dish (chicken and dumplings) fairly regularly, so I want something special!
Do you have any ideas for me? 🙂
If you like chicken, try Christy’s Chicken Divan or Grilled Chicken Tenderloins with a side salad. The Tiramisu would make wonderful birthday cake! Happy Birthday a little early. =-)
Hey Cara! Happy early Birthday! We should start a society of People-Who-Cook-Their-Own-Birthday-Dinners! lol
I love Mary’s suggestions and have to agree that the tiramisu sounds awesome as well!
It would be hard for me to choose! Hmm, what would I fix for me?
I tell ya, every few years the planets align so that Mama can make a birthday dinner for me. The last time she did that was a couple of years back and I requested breakfast! We had Fried apples, country ham, homemade biscuits, scrambled eggs, and fried taters. It was HEAVENLY!
Here are some links if you need instructions or recipes, just in case any of that strikes your fancy!
https://southernplatecom.bigscoots-staging.com/2008/09/apple-week-recipe-3-fried-apples.html
https://southernplatecom.bigscoots-staging.com/2008/10/fried-potatoes-how-to-make-them-and.html
https://southernplatecom.bigscoots-staging.com/2009/05/buttermilk-biscuits-tutorial.html
https://southernplatecom.bigscoots-staging.com/2008/10/fatback-and-country-ham.html
But then again, I’d eat the meal Mary suggested any day!
I guess we’re all fortunate that we can choose from so many options!
Happy Birthday!
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
Sounds great Christy, what’s in the comeback sauce?
Debbie, Christy posted her comeback sauce recipe on here a few months back. It’s equal parts ketchup and mayo with plenty of pepper! I made it last weekend as a dip for fried eggplant and it was yummy!
Thank you – I should have checked.
~giggles~ thank you so much, Sonya! See? Y’all don’t even have to wait around on slow poke me!
I put the link in this post as well but here it is if you haven’t checked it out. I LOVE me some Comeback sauce!
https://southernplatecom.bigscoots-staging.com/2009/02/comeback-sauce.html
Love burger night too!! I, too, hate cheese on my burger. IMHO, it ruins a dog gone good burger 🙂
Hehe, I like your thinking, Angie!
Ooooh, thanks for the tip about adding a donut hole and then adding water when they’re semi-cooked! I can’t wait to try this, we’re gonna have hamburgers this weekend!
Thank you!! I hope you enjoy them! My family ended up being hither and yon tonight so we’re gonna have them tomorrow. I’m so excited! I could have them for breakfast! lol
When I cook sausages, I use water in the pan too. I cook them in the water first, which cooks it all the way through and then once the water has evaporated off you leave it in the pan for a little longer to brown.