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. 🙂
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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.
I love the hole in the middle!
I like mushrooms and swiss cheese with A1.
Or cheddar cheese, mustard, little ketchup and pickles.
The best is hamburger meat mixed with Onion Onion (not so much salt as in soup mix), and topped with Merlot Sauce – on a sesame seed bun. Yum!
Oh Carol,
I dearly love my ‘shrooms! Absolutely no one in my family likes them but me, though! I also like A-1 and would you believe that I’ve never thought about putting swiss cheese on a burger?
What exactly is Onion Onion? Is it a brand, is it a powder or liquid…?
You got me curious!
Never had Merlot sauce in my life but I know I’m definitely in on the sesame seed bun!
I also love using the french onion mix in ours or Moore’s marinade. We have started making mini burgers using King Hawaiian dinner rolls for the buns. Then we top with cheese (optional of course!), bacon, Jack Daniel’s Honey Smokehouse BBQ sauce and French’s french fried onions. MMMMMMMMM yummy! I love the helpful hint of the hole in the middle and adding water to cook out evenly. Just FYI-I am not usually a brand girl, but this recipe calls for it! Except for the dry french onion mix and bacon I think all the rest is name brand-eeekk. But it is totally worth it. Keep it coming Christy!! God Bless.
Oh WOW
That sounds like one jim dandy of a meal! I bet your family thinks they’re at a restaurant when you put those yummy puppies on the table! I have always loved the King’s Hawaiian bread. Sometimes when we’re on a trip, I’ll get some deli meat and cheese and a package of those rolls to make us mini on-the-go sandwiches.
I gotta gotta gotta gotta try this!
Thank you!
Your mama and my mama have so much in common.
I remember the nights when my Daddy worked late and Mother would make him a hamburger steak – easy for her and he loved it!
We use the gas grill for our burgers, but there is something special about the flavor the skillet gives them.
We oughta get our Mamas together!
hehe
You know, it takes a special kind of mama to make every single meal one her kids look forward to and get excited about, doesn’t it?
Hey ! Try grating onions into your meat. They almost disappear and add a HUGE amount of moisture. That’s my secret trick!! 😉
Well now aren’t you just a smart cookie! I never thought of that but will definitely be doing it soon though!
Now, I’ve got a Jimmy Buffett tune in my head… I like mine with Lettuce and tomatoe … 🙂
When I read the quote at the end of the article, I thought of the boll weevil statue in Enterprise, AL. I guess it is still there. My mama “has people” around there (Daleville?). We visited when I was a kid. I never could figure out why there would be a statue to something that could wipe out a crop. I guess Florence King explained it!
heinz 57 and french fried potata’s! A big kosher pickle and a cold draft beer…………….
Now it’s stuck in my head!
I
L-O-V-E
That song!!!
I like mine with lettuce and tomato! Heinz 57 and french fried potato! Big kosher pickle and a cold draft beer, well good gosh almighty which way do I steer for my
CHEESEBURGER IN PARADISE!
I play that really loud whenever I go to the beach 🙂 I think Jimmy Buffet is required listening for any trip near the ocean though.
I was born in Enterprise AL!!! And yes – the boll weevil is our “special critter” PDQ history lesson….. boll weevils wiped out the cotton crops thus forcing farmers to plant peanuts and WOOP there was much rejoicing in Dixie! 🙂
I guess the Jimmy Buffet tune got caught up in my head. I was just reviewing this recipe and realize that my Granny made them this way too. I’m not sure about the egg, but she definately had the onion soup mix in there. I’m more of a purist — straight-up with the meat. If you can get some juice running down your arm, you are tops!
Thanks for the tip about the hole in the middle and the water in the pan. Mine always get too brown on the outside and not done in the middle, and I have made my fair share of hamburger balls. As for how we make them, we make the patties out and a put a little Moore’s or Dale’s on them and let them marinate. My husband also likes to put Everglade Seasoning or Southern Seasoning on them. I am going to try the soup mix next time we make them, though. I love onions!
Now I’m a Moore’s and Dale’s fanatic! I just love that stuff. Have you ever heard of “southern flavor”? It is a smoky type seasoning that is yummy, too!
What is Everglade Seasoning? Never heard of that and now I’m intrigued!!!
I would have never thought of the whole in the middle thing, but that is awesome! I am definitely going to try that next time I make burgers! Thanks for the wonderful tip!
Hey Amanda! Thank YOU for letting me feel smart! hehe
My mama just taught me it though. It really works!
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
P.S. Thanks for reading, too!