A Gardeners Forum Forums Willy's Place Members Favorite Recipes Newlywed who needs help

I'm just learning to cook and am in desperate need of new recipes using hamburger. The simpler, the better until I get the hang of the kitchen. Thank you!

The food network is a great place to get easy recipes ...
What kind of recipes do you already know firsttimer?... what kind of flavors do you like spicey, mellow..
If you like spicey I posted the super nachos on here that is easy to do ..

I know how to make hamburgers and a couple casseroles, but I we're getting sick of those, ha ha! We're pretty mellow, but I love mexican. He's a farmer, so it's pretty much meat and potatoes for him. Thanks to anyone!

Let me check some out for you OK
Rita

oops haha

That's GREAT! Thanks!

I know it can be tough when you first start out!
Good luck with everything and I do hope you found the site useful.. I use it all the time!!
you can cook it is sooo easy! Just don't put too much pressure on yourself!..HAHA you can eat hamburger for a hole year and never use the same recipes hahaa

For meat loaf, the back of Lipton Onion Soup mix has a good recipe for that.

My kids and hubby also love fried potatoes and hamburger. I cube and fry up the potatoes with onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and caraway seed. Cook those on medium until they are soft and starting to get brown on the outside. Then in a separate pan, fry up the hamburger with the same additions. Mix it all up and serve. Very filling.

For Mexican, you can make very easy beef enchiladas. Fry up the hamburger with salt and pepper. Put that in a bowl and add in chopped onions, cheese (I use cheddar and montery), and sour cream to make the mix moist. Then you would lightly fry corn tortillas, just to get them moist but not cooked crispy. Let those cool a bit. Then you put it all together.

Dip the corn tortillas in enchilada sauce, I prefer green, but for hamburger enchiladas, you may wanna use red. Place a glob of the mix and roll it into the shell and place in a baking dish. Continue until your mix is used up. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the rolled tortillas, sprinkle some cheese and sliced olives on top. Bake at 3:50 for about a half an hour, until the top is nice and bubbly.

I usually serve this with spanish rice. Easy way to do that is to substitute some of the water you would use to make the rice with a can of diced tomatoes. I use the ones that come spiced already with garlic and chili. Cook according to the rice package directions.

On the enchilada recipe, it works just as well with chicken or pork instead of hamburger.

Good luck!

pm me, and i will give you a web site to go check out, it is amazing, there is everything there!!!

i've got a TERRIFIC and EASY caserole recipe for ground beef. it has spinach, mushrooms and onion in it too. the recipe calls for mozzarella cheese on the top too.

if you're interested/like spinach post on here and when i get home, i'll pull the recipe and post it.

We're both spinach fans!

Hi firsttimer
Try the website cooks.com. I love it and have gained many new recipes from them.

beef florentine casserole

1 lb lean ground beef, 1 medium onion chopped, 1/4 lb fresh mushrooms sliced, 1 garlic clove minced, 1 tsp dried oregano leaves, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, 1 cup beef broth, 1 cup sour cream, 1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach (cooked & drained), 4 oz. sliced mozzarella.

1) brown the meat, onions, mushrooms, garlic and oregano in the olive oil - use a heavy pan over medium to med/high heat. once the meat and vegy's are browned, add in salt & pepper and then stir in the flour.

2) reduce heat to medium-med/low and add the beef broth. cook (uncovered) until thickened (about 15 minutes.

3) heat off. stir in sour cream and the cooked/drained spinach.

4) evenly spread the meat mixture in a 1 1/2 quart casserole and put the cheese on top - criss cross the pieces so it looks nice. bake (uncovered) at 350 for about 20 minutes - until the cheese is melted and just starting to brown up a bit.

goes well with a nice french bread or garlic bread.

as above this will serve 4. for 2 servings, just half all ingredients. for 8 servings double all except the broth - then only use 1 2/3 cups.

you can make it ahead and put it in the fridge - just cook it for about 40 minutes so that it is heated through.

you can also make it up and freeze it (for no longer than 3 weeks). then you need to cook it at 300 for 1 1/2 to 2 hours - just put it right in the oven from the freezer.

i usually make it and cook it right away and then cut it up in portions and freeze them - reheats terrifically in the microwave!! (great for lunch at work) let it cool down before cutting into portions - it firms up when cold so it's easier to cut and then transfer to containers to freeze in.

if i make a double batch i use a larger casserole dish and just keep an eye on it when cooking because the larger casserole is not as deep. i also will drain the meat too if i'm doing double - i don't usually bother when it's only one pound. i get the 90% or 95% lean stuff, so it's not too greasy when it's only one pound.

i've used ground lamb instead of beef (or a mix of the two) and that's good too. or ground pork. for the vegan's tofu would probably work also.

you can use monterey jack instead of the mozzarella. i think the mozzarella tastes better with the other ingredients tho.

oh, and i get the block of moz - it comes in an 8 ounce size so i usually make a double batch to use the whole block up.

i usually use a boullion cube for the broth - so i don't add in the salt that the recipe calls for. and i just defrost the spinach in the microwave while the mixture is cooking down. make sure you squeeze out all the liquid tho, before adding the spinach to the meat mixture.

Firsttimer,
Some time ago I bought the "One Million Recipes" disc from Walmart from the suggestion of a friend. It sells for just over $10 after tax and was located around the appliance section in the store. With over 1,000,000 recipes you can't help but learn new things.

If you can't find it in a store near you, I'm sure you can find it on the web.

Lastly, I am not affiliated with this product, just passing on some info.

Congrats firsttimer on being a newlywed!
I love cooks.com as well. They have TONS of great recipes. You can also go to Kraftfoods.com. For quick and easy I always keep canned tomatoes and black olives in the cupboard. Brownm your HB meat and add ( to taste) onion, garlic, oregano, 1 can tomatoes, and about half of a can of olives- sliced, and some chopped spinach. Let this simmer and serve over noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes. My hubby and my 6 year old both love it.

Laura’s Hamburgers

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
4 garlic cloves (crushed)
parsley
chives - optional
black pepper
basil- optional
oregano - optional
1/2 c. salsa - (optional)
1 or 2 eggs (optional)
bread crumbs - also optional

Chop up parsley, chives, basil, oregano if using fresh. If using dried just use about 1-2 Tablespoons of each. Mix with hands until all ingredients are mixed in. the consistency you are looking for is thick enough to shape a burger. Make burgers or meatloaf.

let me know how they turn out! I am working on my cookbook and I want to know if this is an easy recipe to follow. Good Luck!

I just brown up a pound of hamburger and boil up assorted pasta shapes, *wheels, elbows, rotini,
etc... and cook the pasta for 8~10 minutes or really depending on the kind/variety of pasta cause each cooks differently..*

Then when the pasta is done cooking, drain it,
when the hamburger is cooked, I drain if nessessary, but I usually use 95% lean hamburger..

Then put the hamburger in the noodles, and put in a can *or two* of HUNTS TOMATO SAUCE, sprinkle with garlic powder, and fine ground black pepper, and stir....

I make this for my boys who don't like it too spicey, but you can add the spices you like...

And it's veryyyyyyyyy quick and easyyyyyy..
I make it for the boys when my husband and I have taco's cause they don't like the spicey taco's....

I love that there this many people willing to help! Thank you all so much! I tried BBQ chicken last night on the grill-- and lost half of it down the grates! I will NOT give up, though!

Chicken on the grill is my mosttttt favoritest thing in the whole wide world,
I could eat chicken on the grill 8 days a week~~~

We marinate them in these, and change off...
#1. Chivetta's
#2. Krafts Hot BBQ Sauce and Hickory Smoke BBQ Sauce, mixed
*I like it spicey*
#3. Butter and salt
#4. Wishbone Robusto Italian Dressing
#5. Butter w/ Lemon pepper Seasonings
#6. Dipped in Hot Sauce and butter mix *Franks' Red Hot Sauce*
#7. A rub of taco sauce on the chix and sprinkled taco seasonings,
lightly grilled, **The taco seasonings' burn slightly, so grill low and slow**

And we love to soak chicken WINGS in the Chivetta's sauce,
(we keep them frozen, and right into the Chivetta's for soaking) then grill...
Yum
*for those who eat them, I don't, I only do the boneless/skinless breast of chicken.*

I do frozen chicken breasts in BBQ sauce in the oven,
*the container covered with tinfoil for spatters..*

Here is a side note for those that grill.

For better tasting food use lump charcoal instead of the typical briquettes. Lump charcoal is pure charred wood and weighs about a third as much as the briquettes. It burns hotter and cleaner and produces little ash. (use a third the amount for the same heat) Briquettes are made with ground up charred wood, sawdust, binders, and other additives. :p

I start my charcoal using a charcoal chimney and a piece of newspaper. I don't use lighter fluid so I never have to worry about making that mistake of cooking to soon and eating food that taste like it was marinated in lighter fluid. :p :p

In addition to finding lump charcoal and a charcoal chimney at a specialty store, Lowes (in this region at least) carries them. They carry a brand of charcoal called "Cowboy Charcoal" which comes in a brown bag.


Piece of newspaper.........................$.15
Boneless chicken breast.................$3.15/pound
Lump charcoal..................................$5
Charcoal starter..............................$10

Better tasting food and compliments from the family....Priceless




(locally known as "The Grill Meister")

so true!!

i agree, the real charcoal makes a BIG difference in the taste of what you're cooking!!

and the mesquite things are good for certain meats and vegys, too.

How do I get the chicken to not stick to the grill? That was such a mess!

Make sure the grill is good and hot..Don't turn it right away after putting them on...let 'em cook a bit.....
I turn mine in 4~5 minute increments....

Or you can turn the burner on, heat it up and scrape the grill down..*burns off all the stuff left over from the last grillin'* and spray it with some PAM like stuff..

But for me, times' always behind, and I have to let it warm up first, so I heat it up, and scrape and then add the stuff..

I am going to have to make something on the grill with allll this chattin' about grillin' stuff..
Yummmmmmy, my mouth is watering!!!

I burn off the grill real well and spray it with the cooking spray.. you can also try putting olive oil right on the chicken before grilling it ... You can also layer the bbq sauce .. don't clump it on it works for me...

Nice tips Mator!!

Weezie that is funny!!

I made the beer can chicken once, and it was FABULOUS! But then the bbq chicken flopped. ALSO... chicken gets waaaay smaller when it's cooked. I felt awful for giving my husband a drummie-sized piece after a long day in the fields. Thank heaven for salad!

I only get the boneless/skinless kind,
easy to cook, no grease, no flare ups and huge fires inside the grill and it's healthier,
much~much healthier and if you cook it slow and
kinda low, it won't shrink up too badly!!!!

Keep tryin' that chicken, you'll get it!!!

***I am an almost total vegetarian, and don't even eat alot of the meat I cook... so if I can do it, pretty much anyone can..***
My mother still is flabergasted when she thinks of me cookin'... cause I was THE most terrible eater in the whole wide world when I was little..

Stick with it.. and have patients....
And read alot of recipes, and look at pictures..
I used to combine recipes.. if I liked this ingredient and that ingredient, I choose what I liked.. and made my own recipe...

Wow. I don't have the confidence for making my own recipes yet... talk to me in the next year or two. My mother is the same way... totally shocked I'm trying, since I once ate oatmeal for a week to get out of cooking something!

I was fortunate enough that I had a big family and one of my chores was to help mom in the kitchen.. I have my big sisters ask me about cooking all the time.. hahhaa I am 10 years younger than the oldest kinda makes me feel good.. I am only 31 but I was married at 16 so I have a lot of cooking hours under my belt.. the best recipes are the ones you figure out on your own..
I am with Weezie on the white meat diet..(has to be boneless too) Don't really like beef and such that often!
But things like Rice and potatoes salad are all great fill ins for a slighter than expected peice of meat!
Also if you list you and hubbys favorite foods that will make it easier for us to give you some recipes!

firsttimer, have you gone and checked the website i told you to go too?

I saved that website under favorites, it was so cool. My husband will eat anything as long as it's covered in garlic, and I LOVE mexican, but not tortillas. Wierd, I know. What would be great is something he could eat cold the next day in the field, which limits me as far as casseroles. And we only have a small grocery store, so simple ingredients is a must. The closest supermart is over an hour. (We really are in the middle of nowhere!) You all are so fabulous, I can't even express my gratitude. And I'm sure Kyle wouldn't be able to, either!!

i'm glad you liked it, it was actually my husband who found that site, its got everything in it, i was on there for hours the first time i went on it, i havent typed it on here because when i go to do it, it wants to link me to it right away and i know thats a no no here, so i just have people pm me and give it out that way.
Again, i am glad you both like it.\
Happy cooking!!!!

Most meatloaf recipes make great sandwichs the next day if you can get the meatloaf to last that long. I'm alone in the house and even I have trouble deeping it around for more than a day. My neighbors have very good noses. And yes the ones that use dry lipton onion soup are definitely some of the best. Loooooooooove that stuff. It's great for stuffings too. But that's just my opinion.
Bakes are also great the next day because they are like sandwiches where the bread is baked right in. Of course I usually heat those up but that's just preference. There is a taco bake made with the homemade biscuit that gives you meat mexican and no tortillas you might want to try. Have you seen the recipe. I'm sure it's on this site somewhere.

There are a couple things to keep in mind when grilling. Keeping a clean grate and to cook the food sufficiently before turning. The true test is to cooks a piece of salmon on the grill. If you try to turn it before it is done it will not release from the grate and will fall apart if your pry to much.

I clean my grate by placing some aluminum foil over it while the coals are good and hot. Just leave it on for 5 to 10 minutes and all the stuck on meat, sauces, and such will be a powdery ash that will easily brush off with a grill brush. Then, using a piece of paper towel that has been folded twice (quartered) and covered with olive oil. I either grab the paper towel with tongs or a heavy grilling glove and wipe the grate. DO NOT SPRAY OR TRY TO DUMP OIL OVER HOT COALS! You will get a big flare up! I also use a half of a potato to lube up my grate. I stick a grilling fork in it and rub it across the grate to get the starch from the potato on it. It works well for me.

Lastly, another suggestion when grilling. I keep a small spray bottle of water handy near the grill in case there are any flare ups. Just mist the coals to knock down the flames and reduce the heat of the coals.

If you ever have any left over mashed potatoes,
you can make potato Patties..

I just ball it up, like the size of tennis ball,
and then put them in a lightly greased *spray Pam* skillet/pan
and flatten them with my spatula.

Fry til golden brown on each side...

hi there and congrats on getting married!

i like to cook extra chicken and use the leftovers for chicken salad for sandwiches. i just chop the meat toss with Mrs Dash and mayo and done. hubby likes it too. i actually buy extra big steak so i can have steak sandwiches the next day too- just chop the meat and toss with mayo and that's it. that's my fav "leftover the next day meal". as far as hamb this is my families fav----

mom always called it "Italian Dish"- how italian it is i have no clue but we all love it. BTW- we are a family of 4 so it might be extra for ya'll to eat the next day.

1 lb box of elbow noodles cooked and drained (while noodles are cooking and about 1/2 done i toss in water 1 onion chopped and 1 green pepper chopped and then just drain together)
2 lbs hamb browned and drained

in a pot dump:
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 12 oz can tomato juice (or V-8)
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
oregano to taste (i like a lot)

cook over low/med until cream cheese is melted then add in browned meat and noodle/onion/g pepper and stir till well mixed. done- enjoy.

This is about the only thing I got from my ex's mom that I actually enjoy!

Chicken casserole
1 whole chicken- cut up
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 small to medium onion- chopped
2 cans of chicken broth
1 medium bag of pepperidge farm stuffing

Boil chicken and remove from bone. While chicken is cooking- mix together mushroom and celery soups, 1 can of chicken broth, and onion.
Sprinkle some of the bread crumbs on bottom of casserole dish and reserve enough to sprinkle on top. Layer ingredients (chicken, soup mix, bread crumbs...etc) until all are used. Top with bread crumbs and pour remaining chicken broth over entire thing. Bake at 350 for about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.

Another favorite is :

Brown about a pound of HB meat, add a small onion chopped, garlic to taste, oregano to taste, add a medium container of sour cream and serve over noodles of some kind. Very tasty!

A tip for easy marinating- before freezing meats pour marinade in bag, squeeze out the air and freeze. The meat will be marinating while it thaws and the flavor is better. Just make sure to lable the bags as far as the flavor...I made that mistake before.

Does anyone have a recipe for salsa that is thick and chunky? I don't like the liquid. Also, I planted Big Beef, Super Fantastic, and Celebrity. Will these work for salsa?

My hubby does one with:
Onion
tomatoes (roma)
tomatillo( little green tomato looking things)
jalepeno
garlic
cilantro
salt
lime juice

Just chop them up and enjoy. We usually make it as a snack and end up skipping dinner for it!

An easy ground beef recipe

brown your ground beef with some chopped onions about 1.5 to 2lbs add a can of chili beans some chili powder and a can of tomato sauce. Make this somewhat thick. pour it in a casserole dish make it at least 2 inches thick, make a box of jiffy corn muffin mix spread this on top of the ground beef mixture and bake till corn bread is done, take it out of the oven adn while its hot add a cup or so of sharp shredded cheddar cheese. place in oven till its melted, shouldn't take long at all. Let cool for 20 minutes and eat! We call it chili casserole. Hubby loves it and its great on a cold day.

firsttimer if you feel like doing some reading http://users.tpg.com.au/rgb05/ Then go Food & Drinks
have a look around I have a decent list of websites.

Hello. I have a super simple supper recipe for you using hamburger:
Chow Mein Noodle Casserole
1-1.5 lbs ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can vegetable beef soup
1 bag (16 oz) of Chow Mein Noodles

Brown your hamburger, add a little onion if you'd like, some salt and pepper, etc. add your soups. Cook until hot. In a 9 x 13 cake pan, layer the bottom with about 3/4 of the bag of noodles. Place your hamburger mixture on top, then top it with the remaining noodles. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 1/2 and hour. Our family loves it and its super cheap, quick and easy. Hope you enjoy!

Hey Firsttimer! Congrats! (A little late, I know)

There are a couple of great food magazines that I subscribe to, that you might find helpful. Reiman Publications puts out Taste of Home (the best!) and Simple and Delicious (used to be called Quick Cooking). They are great, no ads, and inexpensive compared to some magazines. AND...they are bimonthly, but are mailed in different months, so if you subscribe to both, you get one or the other every month!