Meatloaf Patty

Alright so the meatloaf burger patty is so simple my 2 year old niece could make them. Well, she could start them, I don't think anyone wants a two year old cooking with hot oil. But my point remains, these are so fast and easy, and most importantly, they are GOOD!

My boyfriend became a vegetarian almost two years ago. Until then, he ate meat as much as I do, maybe even more, which is quite a bit as I claim I am more carnivore, over omnivore. But anyway, I had to get creative with a great many meals. I was saving so much money on buying meat since I was only cooking it for myself now. But I also was working like mad at the start of 2014, and I needed something I didn't have to think about when I got home from work so tired. I had so much burger, but was sick of regular burgers, and the other usual dishes too. I love my Momma's Awesome Meatloaf, and since I was the only one eating it I could have leftovers for my lunches and other dinners. But I didn't have cream of soup and I wasn't about to leave the store. Then I remember that there had been times when my mother had made meatballs in a similar way to her meatloaf, sh would serve it with a white gravy. So as I was being sleepy and lazy I decided to make it a meatloaf patty that I could fry up. Over the last few months, I've experimented, and even took a cooking method out of what is essentially a pre-teen kid's book that I discovered and still read today (don't judge me.)

The Meatloaf Patties have become my preferred method of making burgers now. They are also great for making extra and eating them cold the next day. They can be cooked medium well and remain juicy and moist, even while cold, for a couple of days. They fry up fast, though I do encourage experimenting with baking in the over like a regular loaf, but I haven't tried it myself. Alright, well lets get to it!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1/2 package of saltine crackers
2 large or jumbo eggs. 3 if eggs are smaller than large
Seasoning of your choice
Olive oil

Alright so to start you want to put your ground beef, in a bowl that is big enough to not let it spill over when mixing. Crush up your crackers over the beef, and then crack in your eggs.

Before you begin to squish it all together, start up your frying pan. Cover the whole pan in a good amount of olive oil. You are essentially going to fry the hell out of these suckers. (I never claimed they were healthy!) I always cover the bottom, well then add what I estimate to be the same amount of oil once more. Heat it up on halfway between a medium and high heat setting. too high and that much oil will spit out and you might get hurt, or worse.

Once that is done you can mix/squish/fold everything in the bowl together. USE YOUR HANDS!!! That is the only way to know it's all really and properly mixed together. Meatloaf is home cooked comfort food. The use of your hands over a mixer or a spatula, or whatever it is you want to use adds to the feeling of cooked with love. So again, hands. Use them.

Once all is mixed well, then add in your seasoning. You can season it however you want, or not at all! Many people use just salt and pepper. The great thing about meatloaf is that you can literally experiment with ANYTHING here. The origins of meatloaf was back in the day the poor needed a way to utilize all the scraps and leftovers they had so no food would go to waste. Meatloaf is the loaf version of stew, you can put anything into it and it will still be meatloaf. SO have fun experimenting, try using ginger or dried onion flakes. I like to use Cavender's Greek Seasoning. It is pretty much my favorite all seasoning. I use it on almost everything.

Use as much or as little as you like, and mix in. Once more, everyone say it with me.... HANDS! USE THEM!

Once you have it all mixed well together, start making your patties. I make a lot  for me so I always wind up with like three huge patties. They will be slimy from the egg and they will feel like they don't want to stick together. You might find yourself trying to press them harder, I know I have, but don't worry about it. They won't fall apart on you. Then, with a spatula, lay them in the hot oil. It will sizzle and spit and the frying will begin.

Cook time depends on how thick your patty is, the thicker the longer it takes. Use this time to start up any sides you might want to have with it. I suggest mashed potatoes and green beans. Once your patty is about half cooked, flip it and let it finish. Because of the egg, the inside texture will feel raw still even though the burger is cooked medium to well all the way through. And yes you do want this patty cooked to at least medium. It will be too mushy feeling as you eat it if you don't. But don't worry. If you are like me and like your meat still mooing, this will seem just that way! Once it is well done take off the heat and serve it up!

The outside, top and bottom will be crispy and so delicious. The inside will be medium to well done, and soft, and juicy! Add your sides and you're done!

Suggestions: Feel free to treat it like a burger and add all the fixings, and bread or buns. It's good. Add cheese, A1, or any other condiments you like. You're going to love this super quick twist to the classic burger patty!

If you have any leftovers, toss them int he fridge, and have them cold for lunch the next day. They stay juicy for a day or two. I don't know if they go tough after that, I always eat mine pretty quick!

That's all for today! Happy cooking!

Alyce Sheahen's Banana Bread

An Introduction to This Recipe:

This recipe started belongs to Cassie's great Grandmother. She never wrote down her recipes. So if a family member wanted it, they had to follow along with her and write it down as she went. Cassie shared this with us on the Simple Cooking Group .

This is actually my third attempt at this recipe, which is why it's taken so long to post a new blog. I have been hell bent on this recipe being the next entry. The first time I attempted it, I cooked it exactly as instructed. The very middle didn't cook at all and the top caved in because of it. The second time I cooked it for longer and on a higher temperature, and it turned into a Banana Brick.

I knew it wasn't my oven, because it cooks everything else just fine. And I was following the recipe exactly. It had to be the pan. Well a few days ago I bought some 9" round pans, and decided to use those instead of the traditional loaf pan. Today I gave it my third try and SUCCESS! I now have banana bread in the shape of round cakes! Enjoy!!!

First, oreheat oven to 350 degrees. Next....

Cream Together:

1/2 cup shortening (See note at bottom of entry on Shortening)

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 bananas

Sift Together:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Little by little add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, mix well, and repeat till all is mixed together well. Don't worry if it is a bit chunky, it doesn't have to be smooth.

Now add in a tsp of vanilla. This is also where you add in nuts if you choose to do so.

Pure dough into pan. If you use a bread loaf pan, as tradition dictates, I suggest splitting it into two pans or cooking half now and half after the first, as the center tends to not cook for me if I place it all in a bread pan at once. Alternately you can use round pans or small casserole/cake pans, they work just as well, and in my experience, the 9" rounds take about half the time to cook.

Whatever your choice in baking dish is, place the dough into it after spraying it with non stick cooking spray.

Place in the hot oven and cook for 40 minuets. If using a more sallow pan like a round pan, keep a close eye on it, it should be ready after about 20 minuets.

When is is all done it make appear slightly under-cooked. This is alright as long as it's ONLY slightly and not drastically under-cooked. You can keep it in the oven for longer, but be careful, because if it gets over cooked it will be dry and not as good. Let it cool for a few minuets then go a head and cut right into it! It's delicious! Especially when its still warm and has butter on it. Hope you enjoy it!

Note on shortening: Shortening and butter were used to replace the use of lard in recipes. The shortening and butter, when melt in the oven, create the little air like pockets we see in cakes, breads, and other baked goods. The most common shortening is Crisco, but you can replace shortening with butter if you like. The ratio for that is..

1 cup shortening + 2 tbs water = 1 cup butter

Roughly a cup for a cup then. It is recommended, however, that if you choose to replace shortening with butter, you chill the batter before cooking it. Butter melts at a lower temperature than shortening does, and in baking, timing is everything. If the butter melts too soon, it can create a problem with the turnout, but chilling the dough and subsequently the butter will help it last a little longer, to melt at a more opportune time.

Who will enjoy this: EVERYBODY! I honestly don't know a single person who doesn't like banana bread unless they have an allergy, in which case, shame on you for eating noms in front of somebody who can't have it!