Hamburgers

recipe

Ingredients

Ground chuck
crushed crackers or panko bread crumbs
Worcestershire sauce
Egg
Milk
Seasonings

steps

First, set out a large mixing bowl and add in the ground beef, crushed crackers, egg, Worcestershire sauce, milk, and spices.
Use your hands to combine until the mixture is throughly smooth.
Next, press the meat down in the bowl into an even disk. Use a knife to cut and divide the hamburger patty mixture into 6-1/3 pound grill or skillet patties or 12 thin griddle patties. Like so:
set out a baking sheet lined with max paper or foil to hold the patties. One at a time, gather the patty mix and press firmly into patties of your desired thickness. you typically want hamburger patties to be slightly larger than the buns they will be served on since they will shrink slightly during in the cooking process.
place the formed patties on the baking sheet. With thick patties, press an independation in the center of each patyy, so they do not puff up while cooking.
You can stack the patties with sheets of wax paper between layers if needed.

Then, preheat the grill or a skillet to medium heat, approximately 350-400 degrees F.
Hamburger patties with dents on top before being cooked
Hamburger patties being cooked in a cast iron skillet.

For Thick patties: Grill or fry the patties for 3-4 minutes per side for a medium burger.

For thin patties: cook on the griddle for 2 minutes per side.

Calzone

recipe

How to make a Calzone

Divide pre-made pizza dough into equal portions and roll into a circle.
On one half of the dough, spread the ingredients. Fold over and crimp the edges.
Cut air vents, brush with oil and bake (per recipe below).
Serve calzones warm with a marinara dipping sauce.

Tips

Dough Use homemade pizza dough or store bought/canned. Either works well in this recipe.
A lot of local pizza places (or Italian markets) sell fresh homemade dough and it can be stored in the freezer. I always pick up a couple of packages to have on hand!

Fillings I use a bit of pizza sauce and always serve with extra for dipping. The sky’s the limit for fillings. Make sure your meats are cooked and any watery veggies (like mushrooms or pineapple) are cooked and/or well drained.

Cheese Mozzarella (and a bit of parmesan if you like) add the perfect flavor.

Ricotta is both a traditional and delicious addition (but not something I usually have on hand). Sub in whatever you have on hand.
Be sure to allow the calzones to cool a few minutes as the fillings will be hot. A couple of minutes of rest will keep the cheese from being too runny.

Leftovers

The best way to keep leftovers is to put them in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To freeze calzones put them in a zippered bag labeled with the date. They should keep for about a month.

Homemade Mac and cheese

Recipe

Ingredients

Elbow macaroni
butter
flour
Salt
ground black pepper
milk
Half and half
shredded cheddar cheese

Perfect Mac and cheese in 5 steps

Preheat the oven. Preheat to 325 degrees and lightly grease a square baking dish.

Cook the macaroni. Slightly undercook your noodles (about 1 minute under al-dente). Drain and set aside.

Make the roux. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Blend in the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes.

Add milk and cheese. Stir in milk and half and half, slowly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add 1 cup shredded cheese to the sauce and stir just until melted. Add the cooked macaroni noodles and toss to coat them in the sauce.

Pour into baking dish. Pour half or the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle ½ cup cheese over the top. Pour remaining pasta over it and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

To bake or not to bake

You don't have to bake the mac and cheese in this recipe. Everything gets fully cooked and is essentially ready to eat after the cheese and noodles are added. However, I love the extra gooeyness that comes when the cheese is baked and I think baking it adds a level of sophistication you just don't get without.