Perfect Burger? Part 2

There is always a debate at our house over burgers: Cheese or no cheese? Fried egg on top? Lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise? Additions to the ground beef or simply let it be? Mustard? Pickles? It goes on and on.....
On Memorial Day we continued our quest for the perfect burger with this combination: Plain beef burgers on the grill, Hot Pepper Monterrey Jack cheese melted over them, topped with a Chipotle Ranch Mayo, lettuce and tomato. Here's how I made the mayo:

Chipotle Ranch Mayo
3 T. light Dukes Mayonnaise
1 heaping T. light sour cream
2 T. Ranch Dressing
2 chipotles plus a T. of juice from a can of "Chipotles en Adobo"
Finely chop up the peppers and add to the other ingredients. Let it sit for about an hour to meld the flavors. Can be done ahead and stored for about 3 days in the refrigerator.

Lean ground beef burger with Monterey Jack cheese and chipotle mayo, lettuce and tomato
Perfect?

For those who are not familiar with Chipotles en Adobo, they are a canned item, found in the Hispanic foods section of every grocery store near me, so I bet they are easy to find where you are! Chipotles en Adobo are simply smoked jalapeno peppers packed with a smokey, onion-y type relish on them. The remaining peppers and sauce can be frozen for another use. They are good in chili, scrambled eggs, salsas -- anything you want to give a smokey little kick to!
Let me also comment that I think the best burgers are make with a little dimple in the middle when you form them. This is another ongoing battle in my kitchen, as my grillmaster husband seems to prefer burgers that resemble flying saucers -- fat in the middle, with overcooked tapered edges. The even formation of the meat and the dimple in the center ensures even cooking and the burger won't puff up with juice in the middle,which is what will happen without the dimple. We do agree, however, that 80/20 or 70/30 ground beef seems to make a juicier, more flavorful burger. The leaner ground beef is often dry and doesn't have too much flavor. If you do use that kind, add a T. of olive oil and a T. of Worchestershire Sauce to your ground beef to keep it juicy when grilled! We also agree that the buns ought to be slightly toasted either in the oven or on the grill, 2 - 3 minutes, cut side down. What do you think? Perfect or not so much?

More Comfort Food -- Not my Mom's Meatloaf

When I was growing up, meatloaf was the MOST dreaded dinner my mother served. Where she got her recipe, I'll never know, but it was awful. Terrible. Dreadful. I won't elaborate any further, except to say that for some misinformed reason, she made it with dried onions (not onion soup) and dried green peppers. Think leathery, chewy weird stuff in greasy ground beef. Yuck.

Let me add a disclaimer and say that, for the most part, my mom was a good cook. I made her fried chicken last night, and it simply can not be beat, nor can her chili, which I've blogged earlier. (Search chili at the top if you want to try it.)

Fast forward 15 or 20 years, and now I am the mom, on a budget, trying to figure out another way to serve ground beef. By this time, "hamburger" has progressed, so that you can purchase lower fat versions, and I've been around enough to have eaten meatloaf that actually tastes good. I experimented and finally hit on a recipe that my family loves (with the exception of one son who will remain nameless, like Voldemort). Try MY meatloaf, and forget greasy, nasty extended meat logs with chewy weird stuff.

Meatloaf Your Family Will Love

1 lb. 90% (or higher) lean ground beef

1 egg

1/3 c. minced onion

1/4 c. minced green pepper

1 T. worchestershire sauce

1 tsp. finely minced or grated garlic

1 T. Sauer's* barbeque sauce + 1 more for topping

2 T. V 8 juice

1 T. catsup + 1 more for topping

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 c. dried bread crumbs (use plain, but if you have Italian style, use that and eliminate the orgegano, salt and pepper)

1/3 c. parmesan cheese

pinch salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium to large bowl, mix together ground beef, egg, worchestershire sauce, onion, green pepper, garlic, V8, 1 T. of barbeque sauce and catsup, and oregano. Add in the salt and pepper, bread crumbs and parmesan until the mixture just holds togethera and the vegetables look evenly distributed. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and press your meatloaf mixture into it. Top the meatloaf with the remaining 1 T. of catsup and barbeque sauce.

Bake for about 45 minutes until the juices run clear.

Serve it with some roasted vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes, and don't forget to pass the catsup!

*We like Sauer's barbeque sauce because it is not too sweet, but you can use your family's favorite brand.