Posts Tagged ‘ground beef’
Homemade Garbage Plates
May 16, 2013 | 
Author Today I am sharing a very special local dish from where I grew up, known as the Garbage Plate. Not a very appetizing name right? Let me explain… A Garbage Plate is a combination of one selection of typically cheeseburger, hamburger, red hots, or white hots. But you can also choose Italian sausage, chicken tender, haddock, fried ham, grilled cheese, or eggs (yes eggs and it’s called a Breakfast Plate – it’s delicious). Then you choose two sides of either home fries, French fries, baked beans, or macaroni salad. On top of that are the options of mustard and onions, and a proprietary hot sauce, made with spices and slowly simmered ground beef. And then it’s all served with Italian bread and butter on the side. I like to use the bread to swipe up any remaining sauce when I’m finished! There’s actually a specific way to put it all together too. Click HERE to see how!
Are you hungry yet? Okay I know what you are thinking, and yes, it is definitely more popular to the college student crowd. Although I’ve actually eaten it sober many many more times than under the influence. Nick Tahou Hots is the originator of a the Garbage Plate and it’s popularity has spawned several imitators in the Greater Rochester area, including Mark’s Texas Hots (“The Sloppy Plate”), Gitsis Texas Hots (“The Gitsis Plate”), Empire Hots (“The Trash Plate”), Fairport Hots (“The Hot Plate”), Tom Wahl’s (“55 Junker Plate”), Jimmy Z’s (“Five Star Plate”), and others. Another fun fact, Health.com named the Garbage Plate the fattiest food in the state of New York, which is not all that surprising.
As for me and my history with the Garbage Plate, I used to get it with baked beans instead of mac salad, but I slowly converted over the years to enjoying the mac salad more. Today my perfect Garbage Plate is cheeseburger with mac salad, home fries, and a huge amount of ketchup. I go though half a bottle in one sitting, no lie. After cutting up the cheeseburgers and mixing it all together I swear it all gets absorbed and nearly disappears. Here is my plate before being cut up and mixed. I thought of posting a mixed picture but it’s not really a pretty sight.
As for my Memphian friends who I subjected this upon, they all loved it! Granted most of them had a half sized plate, but that’s really how much you should eat unless you like testing out how clogged you can get your arteries in one sitting. The bonus to this meal was the Genesee beer, found at a local grocery store! Never thought I’d see the day that a Rochester brewery would have a market in the south.
One year ago: Baked Oatmeal with Blackberries and Bananas
Two years ago: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
HOMEMADE GARBAGE PLATES
Makes 4 garbage plates (serves 4 garbage-plate-pros or 8 regular people)
Ingredients:
PLATE SAUCE
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup water, plus more if needed
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
PLATE ASSEMBLY
8 beef patties, cooked
8 slices of American cheese (preferably white but did yellow this time)
4 cups macaroni salad
4 cups home fries (cubed hash browns), cooked
1 medium yellow onion, diced
Ketchup, mustard and Tabasco sauce
1 loaf of fresh Italian bread, sliced and buttered
1 case Genny Light/Genesee beer
Directions:
- In large skillet, fry chopped onion and garlic in oil until soft. Add meat, stirring constantly with fork to keep its texture fine. Once the meat browns, add water and tomato paste. Simmer 10 minutes. Add sugar and spices. Simmer 30 minutes, adding water if necessary to keep it moist but not soupy*.
- To assemble the garbage plate, melt one slice of cheese on each beef patty. Place 1 cup of macaroni salad and 1 cup of hash browns each onto four plates. Place 2 beef patties on top of the heaps, in the center. Spread mustard and diced onions over the beef patties. With a ladle, cover the center of the heap with plate sauce. Top with ketchup and/or Tabasco sauce, and garnish with buttered bread. (Also, here’s a slide show of how to put together a garbage plate.)
- Best served with Genny Light or Genesee beer.
*I like to prepare my sauce the day before. I feel like the flavors mix together better if they sit in the fridge overnight. But you must resist the urge to spoon off the grease that settles on top before reheating it!
Source: Adapted slightly from The Lynches.
Mini Greek-Style Meatloaves
Meatloaves. Yes dad, if you are reading this I willingly made myself meatloaf for dinner. But I discovered the secret to overcoming their mushy texture which is the primary reason for my distaste for them all my life – minis! When you make them mini it’s just like eating a meatball and are less mushy. After I discovered this fact while reviewing The New Way to Cook Light cookbook, I decided to try out another mini recipe.
Since I recently received a ginormous shipment of Chobani Greek yogurt, I decided to make some mini meatloaves using some of it. Fittingly, I made Greek meatloaves with the Greek yogurt! With the additional flavors of mint and cucumber this meal is perfect for the spring-time and can be ready in under 30 minutes. Did I mention that I have now enjoyed my second meatloaf in my entire life? Crazy!
One year ago: Homemade Imo’s Pizza
Two years ago: Avocado Fries
MINI GREEK STYLE MEATLOAVES
Serves 4
Ingredients:
MEATLOAVES
10 oz. ground sirloin
5 oz. lean ground lamb
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup minced red onion
1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 egg, lightly beaten
SAUCE
1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt (I used 0% plain Chobani)
2 oz. reduced-fat feta, crumbled
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp chopped fresh mint
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
SALAD
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 cups baby arugula leaves
1-1/2 cups 1/4-inch diagonally sliced, seeded, peeled cucumber
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat eight muffin cups with nonstick spray, set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine meatloaf ingredients. Press mixture into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 7 minutes. Turn broiler on to high and broil for 3 minutes.
- While the meatloaves cook, combine sauce ingredients in a mini food processor. Pulse 10 times to combine.
- In another large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add arugula and cucumber then toss to coat.
- Serve meatloaves with a cup of salad and feta sauce on top.
Source: Cooking Light, May 2013
Posted in Beef, Entree | 
Tags: arugula, cucumber, feta, Greek, Greek yogurt, ground beef, lamb, lemon, mint | 
9 Comments »
Onion Ring Topped BBQ Bacon Burger
My committee meeting went well yesterday! Insert ginormous sigh of relief. Albeit, a short-lived relief because I still have a lot of work to do. But I will spare you all the science jargon that follows with the rest of that train of thought. All you need to know is that I am moving along in a positive direction, hopefully ending in May.
Now to celebrate, let’s all eat a big juicy BBQ burger topped with bacon, cheese AND an onion ring! I used Alexia’s frozen onion rings, because after trying them I was instantly converted from an onion ring hater to an onion ring lover. Seriously these things rock, and I usually dislike the texture of onions in any form. Even the majority of other onion rings, frozen or at a restaurant, do not appeal to me, but Alexia’s are a whole different story.
Don’t forget the pretzel buns – the best burger buns ever created.
One year ago: Red Velvet Crème Brulee Cupcakes
ONION RING TOPPED BBQ BACON BURGER
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1-13.5 oz. package frozen onion rings (such as Alexia brand)
2 slices thick cut bacon
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1/4 cup BBQ sauce + more for the burgers
Salt & pepper, to taste
2 slices cheddar cheese
2 hamburger buns
Lettuce, tomato, pickles, etc.
Directions:
- Cook onion rings according to package directions. While those are in the oven, cook your bacon to desired doneness and drain on paper towels.
- For the burger patties, in a small bowl, stir ground beef, onions, BBQ sauce, salt and pepper together until combined. Divide into two equal patties. Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and cook patties on medium heat for approximately 7 minutes per side. Place a slice of cheese on top of each and remove from pan.
- To assemble burgers, place cooked patty onto hamburger buns and top with more BBQ sauce, cooked bacon, onion rings and any other desired toppings. Serve immediately with any remaining onion rings and/or fries.
Source: Adapted slightly from Lauren’s Latest
Scooter’s Spaghetti
The end of October is upon us folks. As much as I am disturbed by that fact, The Secret Recipe Club is here to save the day. This month I was assigned to Colie’s Kitchen. At first I really wanted to be a kid in the kitchen and make her Mall Style Pretzel Dogs, but I then found myself torn between the Gnocchi with Spicy Tomato and Wine Sauce and Scooter’s Spaghetti. I hope your powers of observation figured out which one won the battle. I mean come on, it has cream cheese in it which is like peanut butter in a dessert to me = weakness.
While making this I had the pasta boiling, the beef browning and the vegetables cooking in the microwave all at the same time. They all had about 5 minutes of time to get going, so I prepared as much as I could in advance and then threw it all together at once to cut down on time in the kitchen. I think everyone can appreciate a little less time spent cooking and more time enjoying your efforts afterwards.
Not to my surprise, the cream cheese mixture was my favorite part. It added such a creamy deliciousness that I could not stop eating it (and made me think about making lasagna with cream cheese instead of ricotta). The original recipe said it serves 10 but there’s no way that was happening for me. Maybe if you served it with a side salad or veggies. Or maybe I just have the appetite of a 16 year old boy.
SCOOTER’S SPAGHETTI
Serves about 8 alone or 10 when served with a side)
Ingredients:
8 oz. uncooked spaghetti (I used elbow noodles)
1 pound ground beef
1 large can (26.5 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
1/3 cup chopped onions
8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
2 Tbsp milk
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese, to taste
1 small can (3 oz.) French fried onions
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 9 x 13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Cook pasta to al dente, drain and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, brown ground beef in a large skillet. Drain excess grease. Add spaghetti sauce to skillet and heat on low while you prepare the rest.
- While the beef cooks, combine onions, peppers and butter in small glass bowl. Cover and microwave 3-4 minutes on high until soft.
- Add cream cheese and milk to vegetables and stir well.
- Assemble in the following order: half of that spaghetti sauce, pasta, cream cheese/vegetable mixture, remainder of the spaghetti sauce, Parmesan cheese (amount subject to your own taste)
- Bake for 25 minutes. Top with French Fried onion and continue baking 5 more minutes.
Source: Adapted slightly from Colie’s Kitchen.
Posted in Beef, Entree, Pasta | Tags: cream cheese, French fried onions, green peppers, ground beef, onions, spaghetti | 9 Comments »
Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Burgers
I’ve been really bad. I cooked these burgers in the leftover bacon grease from cooking the bacon which is stuffed inside the burger. It’s bacon-ated inside and out! And to make things worse even better, these are big boy burgers with half a pound of beef for each patty. Originally I planned on making quarter pounders, but my bretzel rolls came out much bigger than usual and I decided I would make the burger fit the bun. No sense having a puny burger on an over-sized bun!
Stuffing a burger with the components of a jalapeno popper is one of the best decisions I have ever made. Seriously, I think these were the most delicious burgers I’ve had the pleasure of occupying my belly. The idea for these burgers came from an original plan to make jalapeno popper dip for a cook-out I was going to attend. Unfortunately I found out the cook-out was cancelled as I was already grating the cheddar cheese. Since I needed new dinner plans and already had the rest of the ingredients on hand, I improvised. And then, the jalapeno popper stuffed burgers were born! I even added some onion rings on the side 
.
One year ago: Dark Chocolate Blueberry Muffins
JALAPENO POPPER STUFFED BURGERS
Serves 4
Ingredients:
FILLING
2 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1 large (or 2 small) jalapeno, seeded and chopped*
2 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more sliced for topping
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp cumin
BURGERS
2 lb. ground beef
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
Favorite burger toppings
*You can also leave some of the seeds in depending on preferred heat-level
Directions:
- In a small bowl, mix together the bacon, jalapeno, cream cheese, cheddar, garlic, and cumin until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the beef, egg, bread crumbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Form into eight patties.
- Divide filling evenly, placing in the center of four of the patties leaving at least a 1/2-inch edge. Place other four patties on top and seal the edges.
- Heat grill (or pan) to medium to medium-high heat and grill for a 4-7 minutes on each side until desired doneness. Top with more cheddar cheese.
- Serve on bretzel roll with desired toppings.
Source: The Spiffy Cookie original
Posted in Beef, Entree, Sandwiches | Tags: bacon, cheddar, cream cheese, ground beef, jalapenos | 6 Comments »
Pineapple Burgers
First off, I wanted to thank every one of you for all the wonderful birthday wishes. I had a great (and tiring) weekend, filled with too much food and staying up way past my bedtime. Weekends are always much too short, especially birthday weekends when friends like Becky come to visit. But definitely had plenty of fun to make up for not going to the Beale St Music Fest for the first time since I moved here 5 years ago (cannot believe it’s been that long).
But on to this burger. Many burgers I have encountered that include pineapple, merely have it as a layer in the toppings. But this burger is special – it is stuffed with an entire ring of fresh pineapple. There is even a sweet and tangy sauce to top it off.
That bun is purely for decoration only. Sure it’s real but I didn’t touch the thing. I grew up without eating these burgers on a bun because, well, the recipe never says anything about a bun! And honestly, I love this burger without any silly bun. But I included it anyway because a burger patty sitting on a plate by itself isn’t very photogenic.
Random question, do you spell it ketchup or catsup? Cause my mom totally spelled it catsup on the written recipe card I have and I never knew she and I spelled it differently then me.
PINEAPPLE BURGERS
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried cilantro
4 pineapple rings
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp mustard
4 buns and favorite burger toppings, if desired
Directions:
- Preheat your broiler to 500 degrees and place rack 6 inches away from broiler unit. Cover a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with non-stick stray, set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, garlic and cilantro. Form into 8 thin patties (slightly bigger than the pineapple rings). Place a ring on 4 of the patties and top with remaining 4, seal edges.
- Place burgers on prepared baking sheet, and broil for 5 minutes on each side.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together the brown sugar, ketchup and mustard. Pour over cooked burgers and serve with chips.
Source: Adapted slightly from my Mom.
Bacon Jalapeno Burgers with Chipotle Sauce
Don’t you just love when you’ve come home from a long day, and dinner is hot and ready upon your arrival? If that phenomenon occurs in your world on a regular basis, then I envy you because it is a rarity for me. They occur as frequently as today’s date (hooray leap year!). Living alone certainly has it’s plus sides but you definitely cannot rely on anyone else other than yourself to put food in front of you at the table (or standing at the counter, or reading blogs at your computer). That is until you have friends come to visit and you put them to work!
Bob came to visit two weekends ago and since he is just about as food-obsessed as I am, we turned my kitchen upside-down. (I also put him to work as my lab slave when I went to lab to count cell colonies forming on agarose plates – this is science folks). But one night after I was at work all day, I had the luxury of not lifting a single finger in order to have this meal appear. And of course such a momentous occasion had to be shared so Maggie came over to enjoy it as well (and to escape from the meatloaf dinner alternative). She and I devoured the bacon that should’ve been reserved for the leftover fourth burger, but we deserved it after spin class.
Other than the obviously delicious bacon, the burgers as a whole were fantastic. The chipotle sauce was the perfect addition and the pretzel (bretzel) bun is my favorite carb with which to surround a burger. Moral of the story? I need to leave visitors alone at my home more often so that magical food appears. Especially thick crispy bacon.
(Of course I did have a role in planning this meal since we had gone to the grocery store a couple days prior to get the ingredients, and it was my idea to substitute the mayo for Greek yogurt in the sauce, but I’m not trying to take all the credit 
)
BACON JALAPENO BURGERS WITH CHIPOTLE SAUCE
Serves 4
CHIPOTLE SAUCE
1/4 cup Chobani plain 2% Greek yogurt
1-2 chipotle peppers
2 tsp adobo sauce* (optional)
BURGERS
1-1/3 pounds ground beef
Sprinkle of salt, pepper, garlic powder
4 rounds of red onion
4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
8 slices crispy cooked bacon
16-20 pickled jalapeno slices
4 bretzel rolls (or other rolls if you choose)
Lettuce
*Note: You can find cans of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the Ethnic aisle at your grocery store. I pull out a pepper or 2 & dice them up, and then use the adobo sauce straight from the can. Store the leftovers in a little airtight container in the fridge for future use.
Directions:
- For the Chipotle Sauce: Mix together ingredients until combined.
- For the Burgers: Divide the ground beef into four 1/3 pound burgers. Patty them out and set them on a large plate. Season with a simple sprinkling of salt, pepper, and garlic powder (make sure you season both sides). Set aside until ready to grill (or pan sear if it’s cold where you are).
- Heat grill (or pan) to medium to medium-high heat and grill for a 4-7 minutes on each side until desired doneness. During last minute of cooking – add a slice of cheese to each burger and close cover until cheese begins to melt. While the burgers are cooking, add the onion sliced and allow them to char a bit on each side and begin to soften. Remove burger and onions from grill and allow to rest for 2-3 minutes before serving.
- Place a burger on each bun and top with 2 slices of bacon and 4-5 jalapeno slices. Slather some of the chipotle sauce on the top bun and place a grilled onion round on top. Add a little lettuce if you so desire and place to halves of the bun together. Slice in half and serve!
Source: Adapted slightly from My Life as a Mrs.
Posted in Beef, Entree, Sandwiches | Tags: adobo sauce, bacon, cheddar, chipotle peppers, Greek yogurt, ground beef, jalapenos | 18 Comments »
Root Beer Sloppy Joes
I am very excited to be a new member of The Secret Recipe Club! For my first assignment I had the honor of picking a recipe from Jenni at The Gingered Whisk. Browsing through all of her recipes I knew it was going to be a tough decision, because I had a ton of tabs open within a matter of minutes. But then I discovered that we have something in common – we are both obsessed with root beer! Immediately I knew I would have to make her root beer sloppy joes, the post in which she proclaims her love of such bubbly goodness. And she calls it pop, which is so refreshing to hear after living in Memphis for 4.5 years. Yay pop! (I miss you, upstate NY.)
As I have said before, despite my love for root beer I have not played with it much in the kitchen. But after making pulled pork with my favorite pop, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that a sloppy joe would be just as good. That being said, these put Manwich to shame! I made them a little spicy by adding 3 tablespoons of green chiles, but you can cut back or even add more depending on how much sizzle you like on your tongue.
I served these for dinner while carving pumpkins with Katie and Leah, and they were a big success! Oh and we were also watching the Ohio State vs Wisconsin game which was absolutely AMAZING! I may have been screaming and jumping around a lot in between hacking into my pumpkin (when something I didn’t like happened). But my Buckeyes pulled it off for a big win. This season has been a roller coaster for sure but I am so excited to go back to Columbus for the Indiana game this weekend! Oh and Happy Halloween everyone!
Stay tuned for another root beer post soon, and this time it’ll be a dessert.
ROOT BEER SLOPPY JOES
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground sirloin
1-1/2 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup root beer
2/3 cup tomato sauce
3 Tbsp canned diced green chilies, optional
1-1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup minced scallions
4 potato rolls or hamburger buns
Directions:
- Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute, just until fragrant. Add the beef and sauté, breaking up gently, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the chili powder, salt, and pepper. Add the root beer, tomato sauce, green chilies (if using), and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a lively simmer and cook about 15 minutes, stirring often, until thickened.
- Stir in the scallions. Pile onto rolls or buns.
Source: The Gingered Whisk, originally from Parenting magazine.
Pesto Burgers
Don’t forget to check out my bake sale! Thirty different items to bid on for everyone to enjoy!
I think burgers are becoming my new pizza, in that the varieties are endless! After having pesto in a turkey burger I knew I had to try it in a beef burger. Is it any surprise that it was just as amazing? Because that’s all I’ve got to say about these.
I went ahead and served it with garlic parmesan fries. Yay! (Obviously I was too excited to eat to worry about the quality of the photo…)
PESTO BURGERS
Makes 8 burgers
Ingredients:
1/2 cup basil pesto
2 lbs ground beef
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
3/4 cup bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten
1/2 – 3/4 cup marinara sauce
8 slices Mozzarella
8 buns, sliced
Directions:
- In a large bowl combine the pesto, ground beef, parmesan, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and egg. Mix it just until all the ingredients are combined. Divide the mixture into 8 even burgers.
- Grill the burgers on a grill on high heat, covered, about 8 to 10 minutes, flipping once. During the last few minutes of grilling, toast your buns and top each with a slice of mozzarella, covering again to melt.
- Transfer them to the sliced buns and top with the a spoonful of marinara sauce and other burger toppings. Serve and demolish.
Source: Slightly adapted from Pass the Sushi, originally from Hot Polka Dot.
Baked Mini Bowties
A quick meat sauce and some pasta was one of two meals I ate frequently during undergrad (the other was stir fry). I loved it because not only was it quick and needed few ingredients, but it made plenty of leftovers for subsequent lunches and dinners. Somehow I have less free time the past four years of graduate school, yet I cook many more things that take much more time than before. Go figure.
This dish I found from Kristin from Iowa Girl Eats, inspired by Sbarro. To me it is a pumped up version of the simple meat sauce and pasta. Now it has cheese and is baked! Even though this only takes 20 minutes longer (because of baking time), I wanted to eat my arm by the time it was done. But I had just been at spin class for 1.5 hours and food was the only thing I could think about. This may come as a surprise but this was much more satisfying than my arm could’ve ever been. And I made it with piccolini farfalle! They are just too darn cute to not enjoy.
BAKED MINI BOWTIES
Serves 8
Ingredients:
16 oz. (1 box) piccolini farfalle (mini bowtie) pasta
3/4 lb. 90/10 ground beef
Garlic salt
Pepper
1 cup shredded and 1 cup sliced* fresh Mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1 jar marinara sauce
Fresh parsley
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta in boiling, salted water until just under al dente (it will continue to cook in the oven.) Drain and return to the pot.
- Meanwhile, season ground beef with garlic salt & pepper and brown in a pan over medium-high heat. Drain and add to the pasta.
- Add 1 cup shredded Mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and marinara sauce to the pasta and beef. Mix to combine.
- Pour into a non-stick sprayed 9×13″ pan and top with sliced Mozzarella and remaining Parmesan.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Sprinkle with parsley.
*You can use all shredded Mozzarella, I just thought it looked pretty to have globs of melted Mozzarella on top.
Source: Iowa Girl Eats
