Sloppy Joes

From Eating Well



Ingredients:
12 ounces 90%-lean ground beef
1 large onion, finely diced
2 cups finely chopped cremini mushrooms, (about 4 ounces)
5 plum tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup chili sauce, such as Heinz
1/4 cup ketchup
8 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted if desired

Directions:
Crumble beef into a large nonstick skillet; cook over medium heat until it starts to sizzle, about 1 minute. Add onion and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables are soft and the moisture has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes and flour; stir to combine. Stir in water, vinegar, chili sauce and ketchup and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and the onion is very tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve warm on buns.

Comments:
A different spin on sloppy joes, and I've got to say these are MUCH better than the usual ground beef + prefab spice packet deal. I didn't even mind the mushrooms. Much. I'm still working on actually liking them. I think I went a little crazy with the chili sauce and it burned a little, but it was still good. Leftovers were great with tortilla chips too!

Inside-Out Cheeseburgers

From Eating Well



Ingredients:
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1 pound 90%-lean ground beef
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat grill to medium-high or preheat the broiler.
2. Combine Cheddar and Gruyere in a small bowl.
3. Gently mix beef, Worcestershire, paprika and pepper in a large bowl, preferably with your hands, without overworking. Shape into 8 thin, 4-inch-wide patties. Mound 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture on each of 4 patties, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Cover each with one of the remaining patties. Crimp and seal the edges closed.
4. To grill: Lightly oil the grill rack. Grill the stuffed patties over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes per side for medium-well. (Be sure not to press the burgers as they cook or they’ll split open and the cheese will ooze out.) To broil: Cover a broiler pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. Broil the stuffed patties in the upper third of the oven, about 4 minutes per side for medium-well. In either case, let the burgers stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Comments:
I know I've made some version of this before. Seems to me like it was probably Rachael Ray's recipe. I can never seem to get the burgers to seal completely and I end up with cheese all over my grill pan. Anyway, nothing spectacular here, just meat and cheese. Yummy, yummy cheese.

Mama's Meat Loaf

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 (1-ounce) slice white bread, torn into small pieces
1 1/2 pounds ground round
Vegetable cooking spray
1/3 cup ketchup

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl, tossing to moisten bread. Crumble meat over onion mixture, and stir just until blended. Pack mixture into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Spread ketchup over top of loaf. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until meat loaf registers 160°. Let loaf stand in pan 10 minutes.

Remove meat loaf from pan; cut loaf into 6 slices.

Comments:
I obviously opted to turn these into individual sized meat loaves rather than one big loaf. This cut the cooking time in about half. That was nice, but I think if I do that again the future I'll pre-cook the onions and peppers a little. They were still mighty crunchy. Other than that, I'd deem this a success. Pretty standard meatloaf, but tasty just the same.

Tacoritos

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 pound ground beef
1/4 pound bulk pork sausage
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1/4 cup refried beans
2 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:
In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Stir in chili powder and garlic salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the beef, sausage and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in refried beans; heat through.

Spread 1/4 cup sauce in a greased 8-in. baking dish. Spread 1 tablespoon sauce over each tortilla; place 2/3 cup meat mixture down the center of each. Top each with 1/4 cup cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in prepared dish. Pour remaining sauce over the top; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Comments:
I'm not sure these are so much tacoritos as they are tachiladas. It's quite obviously an enchilada sauce we're making here and if you forget to fold the bottom... enchiladas. So there you go. Mexican food according to Martha.

Anyway, pretty simple assembly and quick baking time. Adam really liked these and I didn't mind them.

Poblano Popper Sliders

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
2 large poblano chiles
1 small red onion, thinly sliced into rings
Juice of 2 limes
Salt and pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
1 small ripe avocado
1/2 cup sour cream
A handful cilantro, finely chopped
1 fresno or jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped
3/4 pound ground beef sirloin
3/4 pound ground pork
1/2 palmful each ground cumin, ground coriander and sweet smoked paprika (about 1 1/2 teaspoons each)
Pinch ground cinnamon
1/3 cup beer, such as Negra Modelo
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
Sliced pepper jack, hot-pepper cheddar or sharp yellow cheddar cheese, folded or cut to top burgers
8 white, potato or whole wheat slider rolls, split

Directions:
1. Preheat the broiler to high. Broil the poblanos (with the oven door ajar to allow steam to escape) to char them all over. Place the chiles in a bowl, cover and let cool. Peel and seed the chiles, then, using a food processor, puree them.

2. Meanwhile, season the red onion rings with half of the lime juice, salt, pepper and a little EVOO to coat. In a second bowl, mash together the avocado, sour cream, cilantro, fresno chile and remaining lime juice; season to taste with salt.

3. In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, pureed poblano, cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, salt and lots of pepper. Mix in the beer and worcestershire. Form the mixture into eight 3-inch patties (a little thinner in the center and thicker at the edges). Drizzle a little EVOO in a large skillet or nonstick griddle over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook, turning once, for about 7 minutes for medium-rare. Top with the cheese and tent loosely with foil during the last minute or so of cooking.

4. Place the burgers on the roll bottoms. Top with the onions and sauce and set the roll tops in place.

Comments:
These were really good. Not really that spicy, and that's coming from the world's biggest wuss. There's some prep involved with the poblano pepper and sauces, and I ended up skipping the red onion, but I don't think either of us missed it. The one thing I would change is I'd omit the cinnamon. It was too much and I didn't like it against all the other flavors.

Papas Rellenas

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
2-1/2 pounds potatoes (about 8 medium), peeled and cut into wedges
1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 small green pepper, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup sliced green olives with pimientos
1/2 cup raisins
1-1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1-1/4 teaspoons pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
Oil for deep-fat frying

Directions:
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, green pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomato sauce, olives, raisins, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and paprika; heat through.

Drain potatoes; mash with garlic powder and remaining salt and pepper. Shape 2 tablespoons potatoes into a patty; place a heaping tablespoonful of filling in the center. Shape potatoes around filling, forming a ball. Repeat.

Place eggs and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Dip potato balls in the eggs, then roll in bread crumbs. In an electric skillet or deep fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry potato balls, a few at a time, for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Comments:
I followed the Editor's Note and baked these for 20 minutes at 450 instead of deep frying them. This definitely results in a dryer end product, which was really Adam's only complaint. They were ok reheated the next day with some ketchup too.

Terrific Teriyaki Burgers

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
SAUCE:
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened crushed pineapple
1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

BURGERS:
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
3 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons unsweetened crushed pineapple
3/4 pound ground beef
3/4 pound lean ground turkey
6 slices unsweetened pineapple
6 hamburger buns, split and toasted
6 lettuce leaves
6 slices tomato

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, pineapple, ginger, garlic and sesame oil; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the egg white, bread crumbs, onions, crushed pineapple and 3 tablespoons reserved ketchup mixture. Crumble beef and turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into six burgers.

Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. Grill burgers, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 165° and juices run clear, brushing occasionally with remaining ketchup mixture.

Grill or broil pineapple slices for 2-3 minutes on each side or until heated through. Serve burgers and pineapple on buns with lettuce and tomato.

Comments:
I didn't read the recipe too well prior to making these so I didn't have any turkey thawed. So these are all beef. I also thawed a whole pound instead of the half-pound I thought I had pulled out so they were ginormous. And they fell apart. But they tasted good! That's what counts, right?

Pimiento Cheese Sliders

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
16 slices good-quality white bread
1 1/2 pounds ground beef sirloin
2 to 3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
3 to 4 tablespoons grated onion
1 tablespoon paprika or sweet smoked paprika
1/2 cup lager beer
Salt and pepper
A drizzle of oil (olive or vegetable)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded sharp yellow cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons well-drained chopped pimientos
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
Several drops hot sauce
8 slices good-quality dill pickle chips or bread-and-butter pickles

Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 350°. Cut the bread into 3-inch rounds or trim into slider-size squares. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted and golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Combine the meat with the garlic, onion, paprika, beer, salt and pepper. Mix and form 8 burgers (about 3 ounces each) and drizzle with oil. Heat a griddle pan or large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the patties for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

3. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and milk and simmer to thicken for about 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Melt in the cheese and stir in the pimientos, mustard and hot sauce.

4. Divide the patties among 8 toast slices and top with the cheese sauce and another slice of toast. Garnish with the pickles and secure with toothpicks

Comments:
How do I not have any round cookie cutters or a biscuit cutter? With the mountains of kitchen crap I have it seems almost impossible that I don't have these. But, alas, I don't, so we all get to see my shoddy knife skills at work in that picture. *sigh*

Anyway.

Not bad, can hardly taste the pimientos, Adam thought the cheese was nacho cheese from a can. Not sure I'd do these again, but they didn't suck.

Knife 'n' Fork Steak Burgers with Blue Cheese Potatoes

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
6 blue potatoes, peeled and quartered
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup crumbled stilton cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
2 pounds ground beef sirloin
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves garlic, grated
1/4 cup grated onion with juice, plus 1 onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
1. In a large pot, add the potatoes and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, add salt and cook until tender, 15 minutes. Drain, return to the pot and mash with the cheese, cream and chives; season with salt and pepper.

2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the beef, Worcestershire, garlic, grated onion, parsley, salt and pepper. Form 4 large patties.

3. Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef patties and cook, turning once, for 10 minutes for medium-rare.

4. While the burgers are cooking, heat a medium skillet over medium heat; add the butter. Add the sliced onion and cook until softened, 16 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Divide the patties among 4 plates; top with the onions. Serve with the potatoes.

Comments:
I don't know about these ones. The potatoes were really dry - I couldn't find blue potatoes so I just used some reds, but I don't think that made a big difference. The burgers were ok, but nothing spectacular. It sounded much better on the page than it tasted.

Hearty Backyard Burgers

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup beer or nonalcoholic beer
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef
6 rye rolls or whole wheat hamburger buns, split
6 lettuce leaves
12 tomato slices

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into six patties.

Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack.

Cover and grill over medium-high heat or broil 4 in. from the grill for 4-5 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160° and juices run clear.

Serve on rolls with lettuce and tomato slices.

Comments:
I totally screwed these up. Forgot the beer! How could I forget the beer! Oh well, still a tasty burger.

Jalapeno, Avocado, and Bacon Burgers

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
6 jalapeño chiles
6 slices bacon
3 pounds ground beef chuck
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) crumbled queso fresco
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 avocados, pitted and thinly sliced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
6 hamburger buns, split

Directions:
1. Preheat a grill to medium and place a cast-iron skillet on top. Add the chiles and cook until softened and the skin is charred, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chiles to a bowl, cover and let cool slightly. Remove and discard the stems, skin and seeds; finely chop the chiles.

2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in the skillet until crisp. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat; chop the bacon.

3. In a large bowl, combine the chopped bacon, the reserved bacon fat, the beef and half of the chiles. Form into 6 patties; season with salt and pepper.

4. In a medium bowl, combine the queso fresco, mayonnaise, buttermilk, 1 tablespoon olive oil and the remaining chiles. Season with salt and pepper, cover and refrigerate.

5. In another bowl, toss the avocados, cilantro, onion and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil; set aside.

6. Grill the burgers, flipping once, for about 10 minutes for medium-rare. Just before the burgers are finished cooking, grill the buns until toasted, about 1 minute. Place a burger on each bun bottom, top with some of the avocado salad, drizzle with some of the queso fresco dressing and set a bun top in place.

Comments:
These take some time to assemble and there are a bunch of parts. I skipped the grill completely and did the whole thing inside on the stove (I charred the jalapeno under the broiler since our range is electric.) The burgers are really moist (and huge) and a little spicy for my liking. Adam liked them and the queso sauce. Neither of us really dug the onion/avocado mix. I don't know that I'd make this again in this incarnation, but perhaps a variation.

Mini Meatloaves Smothered with Onions

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1/2 cup pitted dried dates, chopped
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 1/3 pounds ground beef
3 onions, 2 thinly sliced and 1 finely chopped
3 slices cooked bacon, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:
1. Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 375°. In a bowl, combine the dates and breadcrumbs, working the mixture through your fingers to separate. Mix in the beef. Mix in the chopped onion, bacon, egg, worcestershire and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Divide into 4 mounds and, on a baking sheet, shape into loaves. Place on the upper rack and bake for 45 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, on another baking sheet, toss the sliced onions with the butter and season with salt; spread out evenly. Bake on the lower rack, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 30 minutes. Serve the meatloaves with the onions.

Comments:
These are really good. I mean, Really. Good. I even got dates and honestly you won't even know they're in there. I think they might add a little sweetness, but I can't be sure. On my first try I forgot to put the bacon in the ground beef mix so I had to dump everything back in the bowl and start over. Believe me, I was tempted to just say "screw it" and eat the bacon plain, but I resisted and did the right thing. :)

Barbecued Meatballs

From Slow Cooker Magic in Minutes



Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
1 1/3 cups ketchup, divided
3 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 tbsp dried onion flakes
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Combine ground beef, 1/3 cup ketchup, bread crumbs, egg, onion flakes, garlic salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Mix lightly but thoroughly; shape into 1-inch meatballs. Place meatballs in two 15 x 10 jelly-roll pans or shallow roasting pans. Bake 18 minutes or until browned. Transfer meatballs to slow cooker.

Mix remaining 1 cup ketchup, sugar, tomato paste, soy sauce, vinegar, and hot pepper sauce in a medium bowl. Pour over meatballs. Cover and cooke on low for 4 hours.

Comments:
These were really good. For someone who doesn't particularly like barbecue, I loved these and plan to include them in the menu at our Christmas party. Just the right balance of sweet and tangy, and the seasonings inside the meatballs themselves is definitely a plus as well.

Cowboy Casserole

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1/2 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 can (8-3/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
2/3 cup condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/3 cup 2% milk
2 tablespoons sour cream
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups frozen Tater Tots

Directions:
In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Stir in the corn, soup, 1/4 cup cheese, milk, sour cream, onion powder and pepper.

Place 1 cup Tater Tots in a greased 3-cup baking dish. Layer with beef mixture and remaining Tater Tots; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

Comments:
This was good, but 20-25 is definitely not long enough. The middle was still cold when I took it out. Other than that, a good mix of flavors. Just cook it longer.

The Lure Burger

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
6 slices bacon
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large white onion, chopped (2 cups)
1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
4 slices American cheese
4 crusty rolls, split and toasted
4 dill pickles, shaved into ribbons

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, mayonnaise, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce; season with salt and pepper.

2. Preheat a grill pan to high. Preheat the oven to 375°. Arrange the bacon on a parchment-paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake in the oven until crisp, 30 to 35 minutes; drain. Finely chop, then transfer to a medium bowl.

3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden-brown, 15 to 20 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add to the bacon.

4. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Shape into 4 patties. Grill, turning once, for about 10 minutes for medium; during the last 2 minutes of cooking, top each patty with a cheese slice. Place each patty on a roll bottom, then top with some of the onion-and-bacon jam, ketchup-mayo sauce, pickles and a roll top.

Comments:
Changed the prep on this a bit - I cooked the bacon in a pan and then used those drippings to cook the onions. Yum, grease! This burger has a lot of stuff going on with it, but it's very good. That onion-bacon jam is amazing. Like you can eat it with a spoon right out of the pan. Not that I did that. Just saying you could.

Anywho. Nothing too complicated - just a lot of parts that take a juggling act to have done at the same time. But totally worth the effort.

Hamburger Noodle Bake

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked egg noodles
1/2 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
Dash pepper
1/4 cup cream-style cottage cheese
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onion
1 tablespoon chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon sour cream
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook noodles according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Remove from the heat; stir in the tomato sauce, sugar, salt, garlic salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the cottage cheese, cream cheese, green onion, green pepper and sour cream.

Drain noodles; place half of noodles in a greased 1-qt. baking dish. Spoon half of beef mixture over the top. Layer with cottage cheese mixture and remaining noodles. Top with remaining beef mixture; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Cover and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Comments:
This was ok. The mixture of cottage cheese and the noodles and beef was kind of weird. Maybe it's just that I don't like cottage cheese that much in the first place. The scallions really added a good secondary layer of flavor though. I don't know that I'd make this again.

Tapas Meatballs with Orange Glaze

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
MEATBALLS:
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup ketchup
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
3 teaspoons paprika
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
2-1/2 ounces feta cheese, cut into sixteen 1/2-in. cubes

GLAZE:
1 jar (12 ounces) orange marmalade
1/4 cup orange juice
3 green onions, chopped, divided
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well.

Divide into 16 portions; flatten. Top each with a cheese cube; form beef mixture around cheese into meatballs. Place on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until no longer pink.

In a small saucepan, heat the marmalade, orange juice, half of the green onions and the jalapeno.

Place meatballs in a serving dish; pour glaze over the top and gently stir to coat. Garnish with remaining green onions.

Comments:
These actually weren't bad. I don't like oranges at all and I didn't mind the glaze that much. Adam didn't like it though. He liked the meatballs, but not the glaze. That doesn't surprise me too much - he's never one for "sauces" much. He suggested skipping the sauce next time and putting the jalapeno in the meatball itself. We'll see...

Spicy Poblano Burgers with Chipotle Cream

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
2 poblano chiles
1 tablespoon 1% low-fat milk
1 (1-ounce) slice white bread, crusts removed, and torn into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 pound ground sirloin
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
Cooking spray
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns, toasted

Directions:
1. Preheat broiler.

2. Place poblano chiles on a foil-lined baking sheet, and broil for 8 minutes or until blackened, turning after 6 minutes. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel chiles, and discard the seeds and membranes. Finely chop.

3. Combine milk and bread in a large bowl; mash bread mixture with a fork until smooth. Add poblano chile, 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, cumin, coriander, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and beef to milk mixture, tossing gently to combine. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, gently shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Press a nickel-sized indentation in the center of each patty. Cover and chill until ready to grill.

4. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

5. Combine the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in sour cream, shallots, and juice. Remove 1 chipotle pepper and 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from can; reserve remaining chipotle peppers and adobo sauce for another use. Chop chile. Stir chopped chipotle and 2 teaspoons adobo sauce into sour cream mixture. Set aside.

6. Place patties on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes or until grill marks appear. Carefully turn patties; grill an additional 3 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun; top each serving with 3 tablespoons chipotle cream.

Comments:
These were good. Not too spicy for wussy me, not spicy enough for Adam. I used chili powder in the cream instead of chipotle and that seemed to work out. We'd try these again - Adam suggested adding a jalapeno pepper into the mix to up the spicy. I don't know about that...

Baked Sloppy Joe Biscuit Cups

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 clove chopped fresh garlic
1 pound ground round
1 cup no-salt-added tomato sauce
3/4 cup Heinz 57® Sauce
2 tablespoons Heinz ketchup
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon Lea & Perrins® Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons water
1 Pillsbury Grands!® Reduced Fat Buttermilk Biscuits

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat;
add olive oil. Add first 4 ingredients; cook until beef is
browned, stirring to crumble. Remove fat from pan.
Stir in tomato sauce and the next 10 ingredients (Heinz
57® Sauce through water); reduce heat to medium-low.

Cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Refrigerate and chill about 1 hour.

Spray muffin pan lightly with cooking spray. Remove
biscuits from packaging and press dough into each
muffin hole, using your fingers to ensure it’s properly
pressed into each cup.

Fill each cup evenly with chilled sloppy joe mixture.
Bake for 22 minutes and serve hot.

Comments:
These instructions are a little off, I think. Why would you preheat your oven first if you had to let the filling sit in the fridge for an hour after you made it? Doesn't make sense. Good thing I ignored that chilling step! Heh. These were easy enough to make, but weren't "fall off your seat fabulous" or anything.

A Better Burger

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
Salt and pepper
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons tomato paste or finely chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
Four 3-inch potato rolls, split
1/2 head romaine lettuce, shredded
2 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
3 dill pickles, thinly sliced

Directions:
1. Preheat a grill to medium. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms; season with pepper and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water and cook, turning the mushrooms once, until the water is evaporated. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool; reserve the skillet. Finely chop the mushrooms and transfer to a bowl.

2. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil and the onion to the reserved skillet. Season with pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the onion is tender and golden, about 3 minutes; let cool. Add half of the onion and the ground beef to the mushrooms; season with salt and mix well. Form the mixture into a ball, transfer to a board and cut into 8 portions. Form each into 3- to 4-inch patties.

3. Transfer the remaining onion to a small bowl, then stir in the mayonnaise and tomato paste. Spread the sauce on both faces of the rolls and arrange open-faced on each of 4 plates. Divide half of the lettuce among the roll bottoms.

4. Add the patties to the grill and cook for about 2 minutes. Flip, divide the cheese among the patties, cover with foil and cook until melted, about 1 minute. Stack 2 patties on each roll bottom, top with the pickle slices and remaining lettuce and set the roll tops in place.

Comments:
First off, two burger patties is way too much for one sandwich. Both Adam and I had to take one off in order to even fit it in our mouths. Secondly, the burgers fall apart on the grill really easily. Other than those two issues, this was pretty good. We skipped the lettuce, but otherwise kept things according to the plan. Yes, even the mushroom part.