Week #6: Pizza Burgers

Well, we're at week 6 in our 52 meals project. I am working on 52 more meals along with making the site easier to find past recipes. Here is this weeks menu:

spaghetti with meatballs
Pizza Burgers
Taco Pie
Beef Sandwiches
Pork Carnitas
Pork Chops

Pizza burgers are a favorite at our house. They are so easy to make, and can use your favorite ground meat product (turkey, chicken, pork etc). You could even use a veggie burger. If you purchase Texas Toast Garlic Bread, use that, or if you use a garlic spread, you're good to go also. You can grill the burgers and then put them together, but for the winter months, I prefer to pan fry the burgers. If you have an indoor grill, use it and they would be just as good. You won't use the whole jar of spaghetti sauce, save leftovers and use during the week for pizza bagels (bagel, sauce, toppings, etc.)

Pizza Burgers Makes 8 burgers

2# ground beef
1 package onion soup mix, dry
1/2 c. water
2 T. ketchup (or to taste)
2 T. steak sauce (or to taste)
1 jar spaghetti sauce
6 slices mozzarella cheese (you can use shredded, but it's harder to keep on the burger)
6 slices Texas toast
5 T. butter, softened
1 t. garlic salt

1. Mix ground beef with onion soup mix and water. Mix thoroughly. Add ketchup and steak sauce. Divide meat mixture into 8 equal parts. Patty burgers, set aside while pan heats.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place Texas toast slices (or garlic bread slices) on a baking sheet. If you're using Texas toast, combine butter and garlic salt, spread some butter onto one side of the bread, put that side down onto pan. Set pan to the side while cooking burgers.

3. Heat pan (I use my large skillet), place burgers into pan. Cook to your desired internal temperature. Once burgers are cooked, remove from pan and place one burger onto a piece of Texas Toast, continue until all burgers are used.

4. Place a small amount of spaghetti sauce onto each burger, top with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Place pan with burgers / toast into the oven. Cook until cheese is melted.

These are "open faced" burgers. We don't use another piece of bread on top. If you want another piece of bread, just toast a piece before you assemble. That way, when you're finished with the melting cheese, your top piece of toast is toasted.

You can add pizza toppings, if you want, but we like just cheese on ours. Mushrooms and onions would be a nice addition, especially if you cooked them down to soft.

Week #5 ... City Chicken

This weeks meal choices are easy, easy! The only recipe, in my opinion, that is time consuming would be the City Chicken. I have no idea where this recipe came from, I don't really know why we even call it City Chicken. Since I was young, this was my choice for a birthday dinner. Even now it's still a favorite of mine. The recipe for City Chicken is found below.

Lasagna
City Chicken
Pulled BBQ Pork
BLT Sandwiches
Chili (this week meat, bean, tomato base)
Chicken Fried Rice
Grilled Cheese

City Chicken Serves 4 - 6

6 pork chops, boneless or 1 small pork loin; cut into 1" or 1 1/2" cubes
short skewers / 12 - 14
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c. milk
1 - 2 c. Italian style breadcrumbs
oil for frying

1. Cut pork into cubes, place 4 - 6 cubes onto a skewer, set to the side until all skewers are used.

2. Heat oil in frying pan, you need enough oil so that 1/2 of the pork skewer will be in oil.

3. Into (1) shallow dish, place beaten egg and milk, mix together. In another shallow dish, place breadcrumbs.

4. Roll the skewer of pork into the breadcrumbs, the egg wash and back into the breadcrumbs; place into the hot oil. Brown the city chicken on both sides. Remove after meat is brown; place into a 9 x 13" baking dish, lined with aluminum foil, sprayed with cooking spray.

5. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 - 40 minutes. We serve the City Chicken with a salad, corn, and fried red potatoes (hey, if you're going to eat friend City Chicken, why not add the fried potatoes too). ;)

Week #4: Mexitaly Chicken

A little bit late, but better late than never! I don't know where the week went or what I was doing on Sunday, instead of putting the weeks menu together. I apologize.



Mexitaly Chicken

Pork Loin

Roast Beef Sandwiches

Pulled BBQ Beef

Rowley Chicken Pot (recipe in archives)

Quick Chicken Parmesan

Soup and Sandwiches (Quick Gumbo)



Mexitaly Chicken is sort of a weird thing. I love my crockpot (I think I have said this before). Truly, what other small appliance allows you to put a meal together the night before, start cooking it in the morning and come home in the evening to a yummy meal! This recipe is one of those "it shouldn't be this easy". But, it is. The best part, if you have a Don Pablo's near your house, run in and order a dozen fresh flour tortillas. They make them on the spot and I think I usually pay $2.00. OH MY ... those tortillas make this dish even better. I like that it makes enough for lunch the next day.

Mexitaly Chicken Makes 8 - 10 servings

1 bag frozen chicken breasts (usually 5 - 7 breasts), thawed
1 bottle of your favorite Italian dressing
1 sweet red pepper, sliced thin spears
1 sweet orange pepper, sliced thin spears
1 sweet yellow pepper, sliced thin spears
1 sweet onion, sliced into rings
flour tortillas
shredded cheddar cheese
your favorite toppings (sour cream, jalapenos, guacamole, chopped tomatoes, etc.)

1. Slice all peppers and onions, place into crockpot.
2. Place chicken breasts on top of the peppers and onions.
3. Pour the entire bottle of Italian dressing over the chicken. Cover with crockpot lid and cook on high for 6 hours (or more).
4. Once cooked, shred chicken breasts in crockpot, stir contents to be sure all peppers, onion and chicken are together. Warm tortillas, using tongs, remove chicken mixture and place a bit onto your tortilla. Top with your favorites.

We serve this with rice, a nice salad and of course, we always pick up fresh tortillas chips with our flour tortillas!