Kristen's Recipes

Browned Butter Cheeseburgers

1 lb. ground beef

pinch kosher salt approx. 1-1/2 teaspoon

ground peppercorn to taste

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

1 stick butter

3 slices American cheese

Desired Toppings, such as

Turn skillet on to 350 degrees. Mix ground beef, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Coat the electric skillet with the butter. (Approximately 3 Tablespoons.) Patty out the burgers, with the center of the patty pressed in a little bit.  This will let the juices run to the center and the patty will end up flatter instead of bulged up in the center as it cooks.  Place in the skillet covered, cooking for a couple of minutes until the tops of the burgers turn tan and the bottoms are a gorgeous brown. Flip the burgers and cook for a couple of minutes, or until the juices forming out the top run clear and are no longer pink/red. DO NOT mash down the burgers while cooking. This will release the juices that you want to stay in. Turn skillet down to a simmer and place a slice of cheese on each burger. Remove cheeseburgers from skillet and place on a dish close to one another to trap in heat. Dump the grease out of the skillet into a heatproof bowl. Increase the heat to 300 and coat the skillet with butter. Place each bun half on the skillet and toast the buns for about 30 seconds. Once the buns are toasted, you’re ready to assemble the cheeseburgers!

Brown Sugar-Bacon Meatloaf

4 slices bacon, cut in half crosswise

2 tsp. brown sugar, packed

1 lb. lean ground beef

1/2 lb. ground pork

1 onion, finely chopped

1 red pepper, finely chopped 2/3 C. dry bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

1/3 C. grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. Cajun seasoning

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/3 C. milk

1/2 C. barbecue sauce

Toss bacon slices with brown sugar; place in a skillet over medium heat. Cook bacon for 2 to 3 minutes; drain and set aside. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients except barbecue sauce. Form into a loaf and place on a lightly greased, aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Spread barbecue sauce over loaf and top with bacon slices. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for one hour to one hour and 10 minutes, until bacon is crisp and meatloaf is firm. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Serves 6.

Winter Green Market Meatloaf

¾ cup fresh breadcrumbs (about 1 English muffin)

3 T. milk

½ cup ketchup

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 T. brown sugar

1 T. reduced sodium soy sauce

1 T. Dijon mustard

1 large carrot (about 3 ounces), coarsely chopped

1 small onion (about 4 ounces), coarsely chopped

4 large cloves garlic, peeled

1 small serrano pepper, cut into 3 or 4 pieces

2 cups (packed) coarsely chopped kale (about 2 ounces)

2 T. unsalted butter

Kosher salt

1 pound 80 to 85% ground beef

½ pound ground pork

3 ounces crumbled good-quality feta cheese

1 large egg

Freshly ground black pepper

2 T. (lightly packed) chopped fresh oregano

Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a large rimmed heavy-duty baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the breadcrumbs and milk in a small bowl and mix. Let sit. In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, Worcestershire, brown sugar, soy sauce, and Dijon. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the carrots, onions, garlic, serranos, and kale. Pulse until very finely chopped, scraping down the sides as necessary to incorporate the kale. In a medium (10-inch) nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the chopped veggies and ½ tsp. salt. (The pan will be crowded.) Cook, stirring, until gently softened and very fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool (about 10 minutes). In a large mixing bowl, combine the veggies, beef, pork, feta, egg, several grinds of pepper, the oregano, ½ tsp. salt, the breadcrumb mixture, and 3 T. of the ketchup mixture (reserve the rest for brushing on the loaf). Using your hands, mix all of the ingredients together thoroughly without mashing too much. Transfer the mixture to the baking sheet and shape into a long, narrow loaf about 9 inches long and 4 inches wide. Spoon the rest of the ketchup mixture down the length of the top of the loaf and gently spread or brush it over the sides. Bake the meatloaf until an instant-read thermometer registers 160° to 165°F, 55 to 60 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Marmalade Meatballs with Cider Vinegar Glaze

1 pound ground beef, not too lean (80/20 chuck works well) {or sub another ground meat}

1/2 C. panko bread crumbs

4 oil-packed anchovy fillets, minced (optional)

2 scallions (white and green parts), chopped

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 garlic clove, grated on a Microplane or minced

1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. ground allspice

1/3 C. Orange Marmalade

1 T. Cider Vinegar

1 T. Soy Sauce

¼ tsp. Red Chile Flakes

Chives, for garnish

Set an oven rack at least 4 inches from the heat source, and heat the broiler. In a large bowl, combine the beef, panko, anchovies, scallions, egg, salt, garlic, ginger, pepper, and allspice, and mix gently but thoroughly. Form the mixture into 1 1/4-inch balls. At this point you can cover and refrigerate them overnight before cooking. Arrange meatballs an inch apart on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until meatballs are golden all over and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the marmalade, vinegar, soy sauce, and chile flakes, and bring to a simmer. When the meatballs are cooked through, brush them with the marmalade glaze and return them to the broiler. Broil until the glaze is bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with the chives scattered on top if desired.