Neighbors About Town: Cheeseburgers on homemade buns

Monday, March 11, 2013

Cheeseburgers on homemade buns

Patting out hamburgers?

With bare hands?

Ewwww!

Yet, in my continuing attempt to get over handling raw meat and save money, too, I have served hamburgers on homemade buns three times now.

The family loves them.

Hamburger Buns (start about 3 hours before making burgers)

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup olive oil
4 cups flour (more or less)

Combine the first six ingredients and allow to rest for about 5 minutes.
Add the flour.
Knead until the dough is smooth.
Find a warm spot and let the dough rise for 45 minutes to an hour in a greased and covered bowl.
Sprinkle dough with flour and knead a bit more.
Form the dough into 10 bun shapes and place on a greased baking pan.
Let rise for about 1/2 hour.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden and pretty.
To use for burgers, slice the cooled buns horizontally.

Hamburgers and Cheeseburgers

Place skillet on stove and turn burner on medium-high.
Sprinkle some salt in the bottom of the skillet.
Take 2 1/2 pounds of ground beef and pat out 10 burgers.
After skillet is hot, put some burgers in pan.
Cook first side for 4 1/2 minutes.
Flip the burgers. Salt and pepper them if you like.
Cook the flip side for 4 1/2 minutes.
When time is almost up, lay cheese slices on top to melt them slightly.
Use a meat thermometer to make sure the insides of the burgers are 155 degrees or higher. (Don't let the thermometer touch the bottom of the pan)
Use steps 1 through 9 and continue cooking the rest of the burgers.

This is one of those meals you can tailor for each person.

American, provolone or pepper jack cheese? Onions? Jalapenos? Just open the fridge and behold the options!

I just might make these tonight!!

Are you squeamish about raw meat, too?