A twist on the hamburger

Today I’m breaking all my own guidelines for recipes for this weekly blog. The recipe I offer is neither easy nor quick; you cannot cook it on your hot plate and doing it in the toaster oven will require some adjustments. And no, it’s not something I just cooked. I haven’t fixed it for years but looking for a particular recipe—barbecue for Mother’s Day—I came across several old friends, recipes that I fixed for my kids, years ago, and now want to make again. This is one of them.

My sister-in-law, Amy Alter, sent me this. At the time she lived in an apartment in the Bronx and did not have a grill. So she cooked it in her oven. Now she has a lovely house and probably can grill outdoors. My copy of the recipe, a bit battered and stained, is in her handwriting on a 5x8 notecard which makes it a treasure. We call it Aunt Amy’s Giant Hamburger.

Just to point out how old it is: it calls for a small can of sliced mushrooms. I don’t know about you, but it’s been years since I bought mushrooms in any form except fresh. Here they are optional, and I will omit them—we have a non-mushroom person in the family. It’s that texture thing again. I have also omitted margarine as a possible substitute for butter.

Aunt Amy’s Stuffed Hamburger (six servings)

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. butter

1-1/4 c. herbed stuffing mix, crushed (3/4 cup)

1 egg, beaten

1 3-oz. can chopped mushrooms, drained (1/4 cup)

1/3 c. beef broth

¼ c. sliced green onions

¼ c. chopped almonds, optional

¼ c. snipped parsley, optional

1 tsp. lemon juice

2 lbs. ground beef

1 tsp. salt

Directions:

Melt butter in medium saucepan and remove from the heat. Add stuffing mix, egg, mushrooms, beef broth, onions, almonds, parsley, and lemon juice. Mix well.

Separately season beef with salt and divide in half. On sheets of waxed paper or aluminum foil, pat each half into an 8” circle.

Spoon stuffing mix over one circle of meat to within one inch of the edge. Top with second half of the meat. This is best done by keeping it on the paper or foil, flipping it into place, and then peeling off the covering. Use your fingers to seal the edges of the meat.

The easiest way to do this is to invert the patty, bottom sheet of covering still in place, and flip it into a grilling basket. Peel off the remaining paper or foil and grill over medium coals about 10 or 12 minutes on each side or until done. Let it sit to “collect” itself and then cut into wedges. (At least one member of this household will want ketchup, which is fine. Aunt Amy suggests warming it.)

No grill? The grilling basket will not fit in your toaster oven, but all is not lost. I hope you have a jellyroll pan for your oven—like a cookie sheet with a rim. Instead of a circle, make your two patties to fit your pan. (This may take a little figuring.) Broil each side until done. (You will have to watch it and cook longer, as I’ve found my toaster oven does not broil things very fast.)

A bit of trouble, yes, but this is so good. Serve it with a green salad, and you’ve got a meal. Enjoy, and drink a toast to Aunt Amy.