Larry McBrayer's Burgers

 Larry McBrayer‘s burgers

Prime ground burger meat from Publix. Kosher salt. And very thinly sliced onions. On the grill lay a patty of meat or a ball of meat. Sprinkle with salt. Cover with onions. Smash it down. Let it fry until almost brown on top. And then flip. This gives you a nice crusty burger.

September 27, 2021 - did this with Beyond Meat and it was also very very good! Used olive oil.

Microwave Meatloaf

•  2 lb hamburger
• 1 egg
• 2 Tb Parmesan
• Parsley, thyme, pepper, salt to taste
• Ground onion, zucchini, carrot, garlic, etc.
• Could use some brown sugar
• Could add oats, or applesauce, or whatever

Spray casserole dish, dump in meat mixture. Spread with ketchup, Worcestershire, sugar mix. Cook high 3 min, then on 50% for 15 min.

Miracle Skillet Lasagna

•  2 Tb butter
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 envelope spaghetti sauce mix
• 1 lb creamy cottage cheese
• 3 cups broad egg noodles, uncooked
• Fresh parsley
• 2 tsp basil
• 1 tsp salt opt
• 1 c water
• 1 lb can tomatoes
• 8 oz can tomato sauce (i have a note here that says too much tomatoes)
• 8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded or in thin slices

In large 12” skillet, melt butter. Add beef and brown. Remove to counter. Sprinkle on half the spaghetti sauce mix and stir in well. Spoon cottage cheese over top evenly. Scatter dry noodles all over cheese. With scissors, snip up parsley fine, about 2 Tb. Sprinkle it and basil evenly over everything. Now pour the tomatoes plus juice, the rest of the sauce, salt and water over the noodles. Return skillet to stove, bring to bubbling on high heat. Quickly, turn heat down to low and cover. simmer 35 min. Remove from stove and uncover, top with cheese, cover again. Let stand 5 min or until cheese melts.

Something Gary Likes

 Brown 1 lb hamburger with some chopped onion

Add 1 can tomato sauce, some water, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and macaroni. Simmer till macaroni is done.

Busy Day Burgers

 Family staple!

Cook in a skillet until browned:

1 lb hamburger

3 Tb flour

Add a can of onion soup; don’t add more water. Stir and simmer 10 minutes.

Corned Beef

 From America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook

Corned Beef

• ½ c kosher salt
• 1 T cracked black peppercorns
• 1 T dried thyme
• 2.25 tsp ground allspice
• 1.5 tsp paprika
• 2 crumbled bay leaves
• 1 beef brisket, flat cut, trimmed with some fat left on, 4-5 pounds

Combine salt, pepper, thyme, allspice, paprika and bay leaves in a bowl.

Using metal skewer, poke about 30 holes on each side of brisket. Rub each side with salt mixture. Place in a 2 gallon zip-lock bag, forcing out as much air as possible. Put in 13x9 dish, cover with a second, similar sized pan, and weight with 2 bricks or heavy cans. Refrigerate 5-7 days, turning once a day.

Rinse brisket and pat dry. Place in Dutch over and cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to boil over high heat, skimming an scum that rises to the surface. Reduce heat to med-low, cover and simmer until skewer inserted in thickest part of brisket slides in and out with ease, 2 to 3 hours.

Adjust oven rack to middle and heat 200 deg. Transfer meat to large platter, ladle 1 c cooking liquid over, cover with foil and place in oven to keep warm

Fix the vegetables.

• 1.5 lb carrots
• 1.5 lbs small red potatoes
• 1 small rutabaga
• 1 small head cabbage 2 pounds un-cored, cut into 8 wedges

Add veggies except cabbage to liquid in Dutch over and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce to med-low, cover, and simmer about 7 min,

Add cabbage, increase heat to high and return to boil, reduce to med-low, cover and simmer 13-18 min. 

Slice meat and return to platter, add vegetables, and moisten with additional broth.

Seven Layer Bean Dip

 from True Comfort by Cavallari

1.5 lb ground meat

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

salt

14-oz can refried beans

• 2 cups guac
• 1 c spiced cashew crema (see below)
• 1 c diced tomatos
• ¼ c diced onions
• ¼ c chopped cilantro
• ⅓ c chopped jalapeños
• chips

Cook meat until browned, drain and season with cumin, chili, and salt. Set aside to cool. In a glass loaf pan layer the beans, guac, beef, and ½ c of crema. Top with tomatoes, onions, cilantro and remaining crema and jalapeños if using. Chill covered for a couple hours or serve right away with chips.

Spiced Cashew Crema

• 1 c raw cashews
• 1 T avocado oil
• 1 T lime juice
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp cumin
• Add everything to blender with ⅓ c water. Keeps up to 5 days.

German American Hamburgers

1 large potato (cook, drain, mash, and cool)
2 T butter
1 small chopped fine onion
1 lb lean ground beef
1 T sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 T flour
1/2 c beef broth

Saute 1/2 the onion in 1 T butter until golden about 5 min.
Mix these into potato, beef, sour cream, salt and pepper. Divide into four patties.
Melt remaining butter into skillet and cook patties until browned on both sides and just cooked through 3 to 4 min per side. Transfer to a large plate and wrap tightly with foil.
Add remaining onion to skillet and cook until golden. Stir in flour and brown. Stir in broth and bring to simmer, until broth thickens about 3 to 5 min. Pour over the burgers. 

One Pan Taco Skillet

FAST One-Pan Taco Skillet
Make this a complete meal by serving in lettuce leaves, wrap-style.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
2 tsp avocado oil, or olive oil
1lb ground beef, grass feed if possible
1 yellow onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
sea salt to taste
2 cups red kidney, OR black beans, rinsed well if using canned
2.5 cups fresh, diced organic tomatoes
1/2 cup high quality grated colby-jack cheese (optional)
2 ripe avocados, diced
fresh chopped cilantro leaves, or parsley
1 red chili, finely sliced
Instructions:
Heat oil in a large pan, add onion, garlic and cook until translucent.
Add beef and cook until browned, for about 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Season the meat with paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, sea salt to taste and stir in the chopped tomatoes and beans. Reduce the heat to low and cook for approx 15 mins.
Sprinkle the grated cheese on top and cover with a tight lid. Cook for about 5 more minutes, until all the cheese is melted.
Remove the lid, top with green onion, avocado slices and chili.

http://cleanfoodcrush.com/fast-taco-skillet/

IP Smoky Beef Brisket

3 qt pot
2-3 lb beef (sliced thin is good)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp chili powder or cayenne
1 c broth
1/2 Tb Liquid Smoke

PRESSURE at 60 minutes, 65 if frozen. Natural release (about 30 min)
adapted for my pot from http://strivetothrivenutrition.com

I served this with colcannon (which I was going to do in the IP, but I got in a hurry.)

Our Virgin Adventure - Day 16

Breakfast: Three bear's oatmeal
Lunch: Shake
Dinner: Sloppy Joes, Green beans, sweet potato, leftover broccoli.

Started out today getting up late. Then we worked on weedeating the hill behind the house - got nearly 2/3 of it completed. But bushed!! So we weren't very hungry for lunch and had the Virgin Shake. Then Gary went to work for awhile and I swept out the garage and washed the car inside and out. Now I'm on the couch and don't know if I can move to make the supper I've planned.

Sitting in the woods taking a break. So beautiful!	One side of the hill all shorn.
Betsy all clean.	Dinner tonight.
Sauerkraut is DONE! Smells good. We'll have it for dinner soon.	The Sloppy Joe recipe didn't get real thick, so I added leftover black beans to it and we had chili! GOOD chili!!  Broke up some rice tortillas I made to use as crackers. Gary said they were chewy but edible.I got the recipe from You Won't Believe It's Gluten-Free! and share it below. I used some of my newly homemade tomato paste in it and some tomato juice so because I didn't follow the recipe exactly... No walk tonight. Gary and I are both beat to pieces. Watching the sad news about Malaysia Flight 17 on TV.
Sloppy Joes (p. 217) 1 lb ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped finely 1 small green pepper, chopped finely (I used about 1/6 of a pepper) 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste 2 (6 oz) cans water 1 T cornstarch or potato starch 1.5 tsps chili powder 1 tsp salt (I used less) 1/2 tsp black pepper (I did not use) 1/4 tsp cayenne (opt. - I did not use) 1 tsp sugar (I used stevia)	In large skillet over medium heat, brown beef, onions, and peppers. Once no pink remains in meat, add tomato paste and 1 can of water. In small bowl, mix the starch with remaining can of water. Stir well and add to pan. Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes.  Serves 6.

Raw Sauerkraut (I modified this recipe)

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NOTE: You’ll need to have a large pot or mixing bowl, 2 wide-mouthed 32oz sterilized glass jars, and two pinch bowls or shot glasses that fit inside the top of the glass jars on-hand for this recipe. If you have a sauerkraut crock or other fermentation containers you won’t need the glass jars.

Yield: 2, 32-oz jars.

• 1-2 jalapeño peppers
• 1 large head of green cabbage, sliced into thin strips (set large outer leaves aside)
• 1 Tbsp unrefined sea salt (I like Redmond Real Salt)
• 2 large carrots
• 2-4 cloves of garlic (2 if large, 4 if smaller)
• Black pepper to taste – a few grinds will work

Preparation:

1.   Place the jalapeño(s) over an open gas flame or on a grill, turning every minute or so until the skin is blackened and blistered. Remove the pepper from the heat and peel the skin off under cool running water.

2.   Slice the peeled pepper(s) and remove the seeds to your taste. The more seeds you leave, the spicier the recipe will turn out. Set the peppers aside.

3.   Place 1/3 of your sliced cabbage into your large bowl and sprinkle 1 Tsp of the salt over it. Using your hands squeeze and stir the cabbage until some of the water content begins to come out of it and the cabbage seems wet.

4.   Repeat this process adding the remaining cabbage and salt 1/3 at a time to the bowl. Squeeze and stir the mixture until you can see water running off of the cabbage. This will take time and elbow-grease, so be ready to get your hands involved.

5.   Peel and then grate the carrots on a box grater or in a food processor.

6.   Peel and then finely slice the garlic.

7.   Add the shredded carrots, garlic, jalapeños and black pepper to the mixture and combine with your hands.

8.   Fill the 2 jars evenly, pressing the mixture down so that water releases and raises above the line of the vegetables. Continue doing this until the jars are filled with about 2″ of space remaining at the top.

9.   Wedge the large outer leaves of the cabbage you had set aside into the top of the jars so that the mixture is underneath it and the water level raises above the flat cabbage leaf. You will want to use a small pinch bowl or a shot glass as additional weight to keep the mixture down.

10.  Set the filled jars aside on a cookie sheet or in any other large, flat container with an edge so that if there is any spillover you keep it contained. Set the jars/cookie sheet aside in a secure place at room temperature where they will not be disturbed.

11.  Check on your raw sauerkraut every day or two to make sure that the water level has remained above the vegetables and that no vegetables are touching the surface and coming into contact with air. The fermentation process happens under water, so if you do see anything touching the surface, use a clean spoon to remove it. You may also see some growth or mold form around the top of the liquid- this is normal but it’s best to remove it when you see it. If you need to add liquid to the jars, add some fresh water to make sure that everything is below a water line. The weights should a lot help with this.

12.  After about one week, remove the weight and top piece of cabbage from the kraut, remove a thin layer of the top of the kraut and give it a taste. It should be sour but probably not “there” yet. Allow the sauerkraut to sit for at least 2 weeks and taste it periodically as you wish to check on it.

13.  Once the sauerkraut tastes as you like it, place the lid on it and store it in the refrigerator. It will last for several months while refrigerated and will not continue to ferment further.

Variations:

• Plain raw sauerkraut: use just cabbage and salt. (This is what I did - I used my small white crock and filled it with one head of cabbage).

Individual Meatloaves

Making this again for supper tonight.
Oven 350 degrees for 45 minutes, but you CAN microwave this. See below.
8 oz ground beef
1/3 cup oats
1/4 cup applesauce
1 small shredded summer squash
1 small shredded carrot
1.5 Tb ketchup (a squirt of mustard is good, too)
1 egg
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Also good with this side:
about a pound of sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch circles
1 T olive oil
1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1. Heat oven, oil 2 small loaf pans.
2. Mix together beef, oats, applesauce, squash, carrots, ketchup, egg, seasonings, salt and pepper. Spoon into loaf pans. Bake.
3. Toss together sweet potatoes, olive oil and paprika. Place on baking sheet and bake with meat loaf for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with a bit of salt.

To microwave, shape into a round loaf in a greased microwave safe pie pan, etc.  Cover with wax paper and cook on high for 15-17 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and a thermometer reads 160. Turn dish every 5 minutes. Drain, top with sauce mixture - see below. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Another one to try:
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp mustard (prepared)
1 egg
1 medium chopped onion
1/4 c cracker crumbs
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 and 1/2 lb lean ground beef.

Make sauce with tomato sauce, brown sugar and mustard. Use over half of it in the meat mixture, and use the rest to spread on top after cooking.
this one from tasteofhome.com

Classy Casserole

I don't make this so much anymore since I've stopped using so much processed food, but man, this recipe got worn out when I had a bigger family!

1 lb. hamburger
1 C uncooked rice
1 can mushroom soup
1 package onion soup
1 C water

• Crumble hamburger in a buttered casserole or crock pot.
• Sprinkle rice and soup mix over. Blend mushroom soup with water and pour on top of rice.
• Cover and bake at 350º for one hour.

Easiest Beef Roast

I was completely overwhelmed with the kindness and love from the folks at Mitchell Wesleyan Church in Mitchell, SD, when I was going through surgery and radiation for cancer. They brought me and Gary so much food we couldn't eat it all. This was my favorite and one I've made using the crock pot countless times since.

1. Use a beef roast with as little fat connective tissue as possible. (A rolled roast is the very best, but I usually settle for less). 
2. Put in a crock pot—no preparation other than to unwrap the roast.
   Spread roast with contents of 1 can of chopped green chiles ( 1 can for a smaller roast, 2 cans for a larger roast). 
3. Remove meat from cooker to a large cake pan, etc. 
4. With 2 forks shred the meat, as you go, remove any fat, and salt to taste. That’s it!
   I put the juice in the fridge and later remove the congealed fat and make gravy.

My church-organ-playing friend, Lolly Thomas, Forrestburg, SD

Mac’s Drive Inn Hamburger

5 lbs. hamburger
1 small loaf bread - 32 slices (soak in water)
salt
6 eggs

Mix up and fry.

From my mother, Velma McPheron Daulton. She started Mac’s in West Somerset, KY, with her brother Doyle in the early 50's or late 40's. Buddy Tarter told her this recipe.

My grandfather, Herbert McPheron and sister, Sandra McPheron (probably early 1950's).

Chili Sauce for Hot Dogs

2 big cans tomatoes

½ gallons chopped onions

5 lbs Hamburger

Salt, sugar, chili powder to taste

Cook slowly til done.