What You Should Have Eaten #56

Super Marsala Burgers

There’s quite a bit going on here, things I changed and/or added to the recipe/meal.

First off, I had a coupon for Johnsonville Italian Sausages, and they were on sale, so I decided to pick up a pack. The kids are a little iffy about burgers sometimes, so I figured some good “hot dogs” on the grill would go over well. I wasn’t wrong.

My local Kroger Marketplace had neither ground chicken or veal, so I opted for turkey. I never have a problem with it until I eat the leftovers later in the week, then my stomach seems to disagree with various choices I’ve made.

I cut out the shallots and onions, and I went with dry herbs/spices that I’ve already got in my pantry. I actually did have a McCormick’s grill seasoning in there, but it was for chicken, not steak. I thought it would work well since I was using ground turkey, not beef. I also didn’t buy any Fontina cheese since I had some perfectly good Sargento (bought on sale with a coupon) in the fridge.

The marsala was the biggest expenditure. The liquor store I frequent had two bottles, both by the same maker. One was sweet and the other was dry. The guy at the counter suggested I go with the dry since I was cooking with it. At $15/bottle, I was planning on enjoying a glass or two while cooking and eating this grilling feast. After the first sip, though, I knew the first glass would be my only one. I did not like it. The dry was too sweet, so I can’t even imagine what the sweet would have tasted like. The bottle is in my fridge waiting to be used in a recipe again. I can’t bear to just get rid of it. Maybe I’ll have a glass on the rare occasion when there isn’t any beer in the fridge.

For the sausages, I boiled them in beer (one bottle of Blue Moon Agave Blonde Ale, one bottle of Blue Moon Belgian-Style Pale Ale, and a bottle of water) then put them on the grill with the burgers. The burgers were good, but these were damn tasty. For the fries, I dumped them on a cookie sheet, sprinkled some Lawry’s Seasoned Salt on them, and popped them in the oven.

I forgot, again, to take a picture of the recipe, so click on the title and you’ll be taken to another blog with the recipe. In the book, there’s also an arugula-tomato salad that the link doesn’t provide. If I remember correctly, it’s just arugula, plum tomatoes and some olive oil.

This dinner was a winner. Really, how can you go wrong with burgers and dogs on the grill with fries and salad? Sure, the marsala was a bit of a stumble, but a bottle of Blue Moon set me straight, and it complemented the sausages!

What You Should Have Eaten #51

Chili Dog Bacon Cheeseburgers and Fiery Fries

Pernod. Gah. It’s like death. If I hadn’t spent so much on this bottle, I’d dump it in the sink. The vodka and the cognac don’t help. It’s all yellow licorice death.

I was looking forward to this. Chopped up hotdogs mixed in with ground beef? Plus bacon? Oh my God.

I’m starting to do these recipes on somewhat of a smaller budget, so I might be making some substitutes with various ingredients in the recipes to come. I got thick-cut bacon, but my budget bacon didn’t come in a center-cut or smoky option.

I went with these cheapo Kroger frozen shoestring fries. This giant bag, which usually lasts about three weeks between me and the kids, costs less than a buck fifty.

I had a difficult time with the hot dogs. I wanted to get all-beef ones, maybe even brats, but the budget didn’t allow it. Next time, though, and I promise there will be a next time for these burgers. And rather than getting some super-special deli cheese, I went with some generic pre-packaged slices.

Hot sauce, no. Chili powder, yes.

I didn’t follow the directions 100% when it came to the fries. I baked them like the package said. I melted some butter in the microwave and mixed it with the garlic. When the fries were done, I poured the butter over the fries, mixed everything up a bit, then popped them back in the oven for a bit. I’d never made garlic fries before, but these were awesome.

It may not have been pretty, but this was a damn fine meal. It’s burgers and fries, so what more do I need to say? This is enough of an American staple that you know if you like them or not. Adding bacon or hot dogs probably won’t change your mind, even though they do make a tasty regular burger into a super-tasty awesome burger.

Y’know, maybe that’ll be my new thing. Rachel Ray on a budget. If you’re reading this and have any thoughts, please leave them in the comment section. These are mostly extremely good recipes, but sometimes my heart stops, just for a second, when I see that grocery bill. Let’s see what I can do with these recipes on a budget.

Also, in case you've forgotten: When I can remember to add this to the bottom of my posts, I’m going to whore myself out with an impassioned plea: click on the ads. PLEASE click on the ads. I don’t care if you exit out of it immediately or actually look around. This isn’t some professional blog where I believe in the products I’m shilling. These are automatic ads placed by Google. But when you click ads, I get a little bit of money, and as a single father of three, every penny from every source helps...especially with Christmas bills here and an unsure/shaky work situation. So I’m going to keep this tiny bit of begging at the bottom of my posts, and I hope you’ll take an extra 10 seconds after reading my blog to click on an ad. The only thing it costs you is time. :) Thanks so much!