"The Hungry Fan's Game Day Cookbook" - Cheeseburger Soup - NFL season begins!

Date I made this recipe:  Sunday, September 10, 2017 – NFL Season Begins!

The Hungry Fan's Game Day Cookbook by Daina Falk

Published by Oxmoor House

ISBN: 13: 978-0-8487-4583-7; © 2016

Purchased at: Half-Price Books

Recipe:  Cheeseburger Soup – p. 67

Already?  In these parts, we just finished the annual Minnesota State Fair, and then there was Labor Day and yet despite evidence to the contrary, such as training camps and pre-season games, it's time for our favorite teams to hit the gridiron as pro football season begins.

I'm still stuck in summer mode and even after fall commences on September 22, I'll still be stuck in summer mode.  And then I'll be stuck in "I can't wait for summer" mode for the rest of the year but that's another story for another day.

So right on schedule, high school, college, and the pros all commenced firing on the field last weekend and now we are off and running with our usual and customary hair-pulling, teeth-gnashing, and finger-crossing until February when Super Bowl 52 will be played in Minneapolis.  This is not to say that my rival team, the Vikings, will be in it but it will be played here.

At any rate, faithful readers know that I am a Green Bay Packers Shareholder which is to say, Owner, meaning I wanted to start my guys off on the right foot as this season gets underway.  My goal for using The Hungry Fan's Game Day Cookbook was to find a dish befitting my team and by page 67, I found it:  Cheeseburger Soup (For "Cheeseheads" everywhere, "cheesehead" being the world's nickname for Packers fans.  Wisconsin.  Cheese.  Get it?)

What I really loved about this soup is that it included also some spinach and yes, I could be giddy about it because spinach is good for you, but the green offset the yellow of the cheese and green and gold are the Packers colors.  Signs point to "yes" to this being a good omen.

So far, I've talked about football, but this cookbook is intended for hungry fan's of any sport.  In fact, Ms. Falk's father was an NBA sports agent.  I cannot say that pro basketball floats my boat, but if I was a fan, then naturally, I might want some game day food.  At any rate, she almost followed in her father's footsteps to become a sports agent, but switched it up and created instead, this cookbook and a website called Hungry Fan (www.hungryfan.com) that includes a blog, recipes, and other tips.  She also refers to "Tailgating" as "Fangating" which I have to say is more fitting these days.

Speaking of tailgating,  I have to confess that I've only tailgated a few times, mostly when the Twins or Vikings, or even the former soccer team played in the old Met Stadium in Bloomington, MN, where the Mall of America now stands.

If you are horrified that I went to a Vikings game, you should know that all games I attended (no matter what the sport) were all company-related events and it all happened decades ago. 

In my opinion, tailgating at a company function is boring.  In fact, it's almost non-existent.  If we had food at all, it was usually under a big tent and sometimes even in a special "company"-related section and not with the other fans.  Also?  Imbibing alcohol was often frowned upon even though this was still the age of the three-martini lunch.  I found it somewhat hilarious to be whooping it up at a game with my co-workers whilst sipping a soda.  Also, when the old Met Stadium was torn down, the location of the new stadium (now torn down), the Metrodome, had little land on which to tailgate, defeating the whole purpose of going to a football game...well, besides the game itself!

Now tailgating at Lambeau is an art as the entire parking lot is filled with fans and food.  Stories are rife of tailgaters offering food to passerby's but alas, we never got a morsel.  We didn't care because it was just fun to be there and I'm pretty sure most tailgaters say the same.  For those who party at home, in some ways this cookbook is skewed towards you as some of the dishes seem to require kitchen availability which of course is hard to emulate in a parking lot unless you are a southern school in which case, nothing gets in the way of these fans' tailgating.  Nothing. 

Okay then, hungry fans, here are your chapter choices:

• Starters
• Soups, Salads, & Flatbreads
• Sandwiches & Burgers
• Barbecue & Other Mains
• Sides
• Desserts
• Drinks

Let me just say that while there is nothing wrong with salads at a tailgate or game-day party, I expected to see at least one coleslaw "salad" recipe in this book and there weren't any; that's a demerit, folks.

And Flatbreads?  No.  Flatbreads on game day are just too precocious.  In my mind's eye, I'm trying to picture a bunch of hockey fans eating flatbreads but my brain just won't go there.  Yet another demerit awarded.

Okay, so let's back up a bit to see what fare she features in these categories.  In the Starter chapter, we have  "Shepherd's  Pie Quesadilla Bites" (Hmmm....not sure about that one); "Wisconsin-Style Fried Cheese Curds  ("On Wisconsin!")," plus your basic wings and things, some of which though, are prefaced with the word "healthy" in front of them, as in "Healthy Jalapeno Poppers."

Healthy?  On game day?  Surely, she jests?  Demerit!

In the Soup, Salads, & Flatbread category we have this dish:  "Bacon Brussels Sprouts Soup."

I want you to let that sink in for a minute.  Bacon = good.  Soup ("is good food") = good.  Bacon + soup = tasty!  Even Brussels sprouts on their own = mostly good (depending on how they are prepared), but in a soup?  Never.  Never!  Takes some kind of balls to put that recipe in this book, that does!

Can you imagine hosting a party at your house and offering up "Bacon Brussels Sprouts Soup" to a group of hungry fans?  Aside from the fact that Brussels sprouts are green and the Packers' colors are green and gold, this dish has zero appeal and then there's the smell.  I'm definitely going to have to ding the author for this; we are now up to four demerits.

Happily, she has other recipes of interest:  "Baked Potato Soup" (Now that's more like it!); chili, or even "Kentucky Tomato Bourbon Soup," (When is bourbon in something not good?) but then she goes off-road again with recipes for "Chilled Avocado Soup," which is no doubt delicious unless it is -10 outside; lentil salad (Merciful heavens...no), or my favorite (not really) "Kale Quinoa Salad."

Let me explain something to you:  I have plenty of friends who would love some of the above recipes, and would probably celebrate the "Brussels Sprouts Soup," but you are as unlikely to find these people in my house at game day as you would seeing a moose waltzing down my city street. (Alaskan cities though, are another matter.)

Moving on, in the Sandwiches & Burgers chapter, we have a recipe for a "Bologna Cheesesteak" which honestly sounds pretty good, some hero sandwiches and some decent burgers and then this:  "Bite-Size Cucumber Sandwiches."

Hahahahahahahahahahaha.....Might as well have friends over for high tea if you're going to make that crap recipe.  Total demerits:  five.

Let's see how we fare in our next category, Barbecue & Other Mains, shall we? 

I am happy and relieved to report that she was back on track with recipes for ribs, more ribs, pork, pulled pork, and even fish and chips, not that I ever associate a sports event with fish and chips, but whatever.  (Exception:  sporting events in England and the rest of the British empire.)

The Sides chapter is not bad although my eyebrows raised at the inclusion of "Cassava Pie," a Bermudan recipe that calls for 4 pounds cassava which is apparently, a "woody shrub," similar to a potato or carrots although don't quote me on that.  I just have to say this though: "shrubs?") This dish might have been okay, except it called for 2 cups sugar, some nutmeg, and some vanilla extract.  Thank you, no.  Also?  How is this a side dish? 

 Finally, I do not have any complaints for the last two chapters, Desserts and then Drinks except again, I'm not picturing most sports fans sipping a "Watermelon Cooler" unless they are at Wimbledon, or a polo match.  Just sayin'.

This brings me back then, to the perfect choice for my Packers and hopefully your team as well:  Cheeseburger Soup.   What is not to like about cheese and burgers?  (Well, except for those who are vegetarian or vegan in which case, you are exempted from this quiz.)

Assuming you are a person with whom this recipe resonates, let's continue on.

For once, I decided to make a full recipe (Serves 6) and was glad I did because the leftovers were great.  As you might imagine, you cook ground beef, add in some other things, make your creamy broth and ta-da!  Just think of this as a deconstructed cheeseburger and you'll be good.

Let me just observe that I don't think you need a sporting event to make this soup as it was mighty tasty, game or no game.

Cheeseburger Soup – Serves 6

1 ¼ pounds ground beef

4 slices bacon

4 tablespoons butter

½ medium onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, diced

8 ounces sliced baby portobello mushrooms

2 cups tightly packed baby spinach

4 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried parsley, plus more for garnish

¼ cup all-purpose flour

6 slices Monterey Jack, cheese (Ann's Note:  I substituted Havarti.)

¼ cup ketchup

1 cup half-and-half (Ann's Note:  I had milk and cream on hand so I mixed them together.)

¼ cup sour cream, optional

1 ripe tomato, chopped for garnish, optional

Cook the beef in a large Dutch oven over medium-high until it browns evenly, about 6 minutes.  Drain and transfer to a plate.

Cook the bacon in the same Dutch oven over medium until it gets crispy, 5 to 7 minutes.  Transfer to a cutting board to cool, and drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan.  Chop the cooled bacon into small, crunchy bits, and set aside.

Using the same Dutch oven, add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the remaining bacon fat (reserve the other 3 T), and stir in the onions and celery.  Sauté until the onions become translucent, about 4 minutes.  Add the mushrooms, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.  Add the spinach.  (It will start to wilt amid the hot veggies.)  Pour into the broth; add the beef, salt, pepper, and parsley, and bring to a simmer.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a small skillet over medium.  Add the flour, and cook for 1 minute while stirring.  The roux should start to bubble, signaling that it's ready.

Add the roux to the soup and bring to a boil for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring well to incorporate the roux.  Reduce the heat, and simmer for another 10 minutes.  Add the cheese, ketchup, reserved bacon, and half-and-half.  Stir well, and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Remove the soup from the heat, let sit for 3 to 5 minutes, and then stir in the sour cream, if desired.

Serve with a sprinkle of additional parsley and the chopped tomatoes for a little color, if you like.

"The Hamburger Cookbook" - Bleu Cheese Burgers - in observance of National Hamburger Day

Date I made this recipe:  May 29, 2017 – the day after National Hamburger Day

The Hamburger Cookbook (paperback) by Ethel Mayer

Published by Ventura Associates

© 1981

Purchased at BCPA (Bloomington Crime Prevention Association) Annual Sale

Recipe:  Bleu Cheese Burgers – p. 64

Well shut the front door, it's National Hamburger Day – hooray!

Once again, yet another "Who knew" food "holiday" was upon us and once again I was prepared with this tiny paperback book – The Hamburger Cookbook.

Lest you think that I can find easily these books when I need them, let me tell you that all my books are catalogued in an Excel and so all I need to do (in theory) is search for some key words like – in this case – "Hamburger" and then I can see what I have.  I think this book with "hamburger" in the title, may have been the only one I have not cooked from yet.  Time to restock!

Although I'm pretty sure that National Hamburger Day is all about burgers in buns, it is not against the law to cook something else with hamburger in it and this book gives us a wide range of options in these categories:

• Loaves for Loafers – includes meatloaf recipes
• Case That Casserole – includes hamburger casserole recipes
• Serve It In One Dish – includes dishes containing hamburger that aren't necessarily casseroles e.g. stuffed tomatoes
• Shades of the Lord of Sandwich! – includes traditional burgers as well as a couple Sloppy Joe recipes
• You're in the Dough – includes things like pasties and meat dumplings
• Department of Interior Surprises – includes recipes for things stuffed with burgers and burgers stuffed with things!
• Soup's On – includes soups that contain hamburger
• Meat Balls Galore – includes meatball recipes
• Lamburgers – apparently, lamb rates its own chapter!

 I must say that I chuckled at the inclusion of lamburgers because lamb isn't exactly ground hamburger, now is it?

After considering, briefly, going all rogue and making something other than a hamburger, I stuck to the script and made these yummy Bleu Cheese Burgers.  We love blue cheese in this house and so it seemed pretty fitting.

This turned out to be a great choice for National Hamburger Day but I must say that once again, the cooking instructions gave us pause because we weren't sure if we were to stuff this burger with the cheese or not; you'll see why below.  Andy decided on "or not" and so he broiled as directed and they were very yummy.   We also cut the recipe in half as is usual and customary and ended up with 4 good-sized burgers instead of 6; a full recipe makes 12.

This then, concludes our observance of National Hamburger Day with one confession and that is that we made them the day after National Hamburger Day.  I know, right?  The thing is though, the next day was Memorial Day and so why not make a picnic out of it?  So we did and so check my blog for two side dish posts, one for baked beans and the other for a macaroni salad.

Enjoy!

Bleu Cheese Burgers – yield 12 half buns, or 2 portions per person

1 pound ground chuck

1 medium onion, chopped very fine

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon Accent

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

¼ cup tomato sauce or ¼ cup chili sauce

6 hamburger buns

6 tablespoons soft butter or margarine

½ cup Bleu cheese mixed in ½ cup mayonnaise

Mix the ground meat, onion, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, Accent, mustard and tomato/chili sauce very thoroughly.  Set aside to allow the flavors to blend.  This meat mixture can be made several hours before serving, or even the day before.

Butter the hamburger bun halves and place under the broiler until they are toasted a golden brown.

Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the cheese and mayonnaise mixture in the center of each bun half.  Form the meat into ½" thick patties the size of the buns; place the meat patty over the Bleu cheese mixture.  Press the edges of each patty so that the cheese mixture is completely sealed inside.  Put under the broiler for 15 minutes, or until the meat is completely browned.  Serve piping hot.  Ann's Note:  What you're basically making here is an open-face sandwich.  The burgers are not stuffed but rather, the burger patty is stretched to the edge of the bun so as to seal in the bleu cheese and mayo mixture.  It took us a minute to figure this out during which time, I ranted once again about confusing cooking instructions!  I also questioned the 15 minute broiling time but when you think of it, stuffed burgers, like Minnesota's famous Jucy Lucy[1], are cooked longer so that you don't end up with raw burger surrounding the napalm melted cheese inside.

This will yield 12 half buns, or 2 portions per person.

---

[1] A Jucy Lucy is a burger that is stuffed with cheese.  Depending on who you ask, it originated at either Matt's Bar or the 5-8 Club, both located in Minneapolis.  It is an awesome thing to eat but do be careful because the cheese is really, really hot, such that you are warned to let it cool or suffer the consequences!

"The New Hamburger & Hot Dog Cookbook" - Chuck Wagon Western Bean (and weenie) Casserole

Date I made this recipe:  April 28, 2013

The New Hamburger & Hot Dog Cookbook by Mettja C. Roate

Published by:  Weathervane Books

©1965 (Hamburger) Part I through page 152; © 1975 (Hot Dog) Part II through Chapter XXI

Recipe:  Chuck Wagon Western Bean Casserole – p. 28

Okay, I know I’m a little weather obsessed, but when temperatures hit the high 70’s, then it’s about time we have some picnic food, am I right?  Right!  That said, I do believe I jinxed the weather by making this dish when the weather was warm two days ago, because today, May 1^st, the day I am writing this recap, it is fixing to snow.  It is actually fixing to snow another 6 to 8 inches.  On May Day.  Nature hates us.

But for one, brief shining moment there, it seemed like spring and if you listened carefully, you could hear the “whoosh” of grills firing up all over the Twin Cities.  When you’ve had enough, you’ve had enough and we had had enough and so dam the torpedoes, the grills are coming out! (Well not my grill because it needs a few tweaks but you get my drift.)

Now silly me thought that a book featuring hamburger and hot dog recipes would somehow have one that combines hamburger and hot dogs but sadly, there was only one recipe that did so and it was a Hot Dog and Beef Loaf. One look at my husband’s face suggested no way was that gracing the dinner table.  It sounds like it is similar to a meat loaf but nuh uh, nope, he was not buying it.  I refrained from mentioning that there was a Jellied Hot Dog recipe that we could have, mostly because even I didn’t want to eat that thing. 

Part of the problem, if it is a problem, is that the hamburger section of this book was written in 1965 and the hot dog portion in 1975, so it sounds like these two sections were never meant to be together.  But some crafty marketing person at Weathervane Books did what many people do – throw the word “New” in the title and you have yourself a whole new product.  But this only solved part of the problem, right because I was still looking for a recipe using both meats. 

And so dear reader, I created my own version of Chuck Wagon beans using both hamburger and hot dogs and ta-dah – instant hit!  And it was so easy – make the recipe as directed and then fold in hot dogs (diced small so they fit in the casserole dish) and what the heck – throw some sliced hot dogs on top for good measure and decoration. 

The other reason I selected this recipe is for pure nostalgic reasons:  I cannot remember a potluck in my childhood that didn’t feature some sort of beef and bean bake.  My mother made doctored-up baked beans but never added beef and so getting this at a potluck was a real treat.  Several grocery stores now carry a version of this dish so if I need to satisfy my craving in a hurry, I just head right to the deli.  But if you want to take a moment to make a picnic in a bowl, this is the dish for you: it’s got ketchup, mustard, beans, hamburger and, compliments of Ann, hot dogs.  Perfect!

Now…if only I could do something about this weather…. (Breaking weather update:  It is now May 3^rd and it is snowing.  That is all.)

Chuck Wagon Western Bean (and Weenie) Casserole – serving size not given

1 pound hamburger

1 #4 can pork and beans (*see notes below)

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 large onion

½ cup catsup

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

*a #4 can is roughly equivalent to 5 cups. 

The author suggests variations as follows:

• Substitute 1 #2 can butter beans and 1 #2 can pork and beans for the #4 can of pork and beans. (a #2 can is roughly 2.5 cups or 1 lb 4 oz.).  I used this substitution.
• Substitute 1 #2 can black-eyed peas and 1 #2 can pork and beans for the #4 can of pork and beans.
• Substitute 1 #2 can chicken peas and 1 #2 can pork and beans for the #4 can pork and beans.
• Substitute 1 #2 can lima beans and 1 #2 can pork and beans for the #4 can of pork and beans.
• Substitute 1 #2 can pork and beans and 1 #2 can macaroni and cheese for the #4 can pork and beans.
• Substitute 1 #2 can pork and beans and 1 #2 can spaghetti for the #4 can of pork and beans.

Sauté the hamburger until quite brown and separated.  Drain off any excess fat.  Add the beans and the other ingredients.  Stir well, taking care not to mash up the beans in the process.  Place in a 1 ½-quart covered casserole dish in a preheated 350F oven for 40 minutes.

"It's All American Food" & "The American Regional Cookbook" & "The Best in American Cooking" (Paddleford) - 4th of July dishes

Date I made these recipes: 4th of July weekend 2008

It’s All American Food by David Rosengarten
Published by: Little, Brown and Company
ISBN: 0-316-05315-5 © 2003
Recipe: New York City Pushcart Onions for Hot Dogs – p. 265

The American Regional Cookbook – Recipes from Yesterday and Today for the Modern Cook by Nancy & Arthur Hawkins
Published by: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
© 1976
Recipe: Hamburgers – p. 58

I Hear America Cooking by Betty Fussell
Published by: Elisabeth Sifton Books VIKING
ISBN: 0-670-81241-2 © 1986
Recipe: Bean Town Beans – p. 287-288

The Best In American Cooking – recipes collected by Clementine Paddleford
Published by: Charles Scribner’s Sons
© 1970; originally published as part of How America Eats © 1960
Recipe: Donna’s Potato Salad – p. 190


People, I had a very relaxing 4th of July weekend, the first in years, and had plenty of time to make all these recipes celebrating American cooking but finding time this week to write up my review was a challenge. So here it is, a week after the fact, and I’m just now getting going.

Now I’m sure many of you are like me and grew up in a very “traditional” family when it came to holiday picnic food. Mine was a mustard and ketchup (hot dogs and burgers) and Miracle Whip family (never Hellmann’s—that was what the east-coast cousins used) and potato salad was made with potatoes and celery (never relish) and Miracle Whip with sliced eggs as garnish.

Picnics were held down at the lake (as in Lake Superior, back in the day when beach bonfires were still allowed) and all the food was brought down in a newspaper-lined wooden bushel basket that my parents got at the local farmer’s market (yes, my small town had a small farmer’s market when I was growing up). To this day, there’s something about the smell of the newspaper and wood that brings me right back to the beach. Dad usually brought our little hibachi grill (we never had a big kettle grill in our family, likely because dad got used to using a hibachi during WWII). We grilled our hot dogs until the skins popped open (or roasted them in a bonfire), slathered them with mustard and ketchup and washed it all down with lemonade from the thermos. After waiting a suitable time after eating (an old-wife’s tale but we usually adhered to it, we took a plunge into the frosty waters – even in July – of Lake Superior and stayed in until our lips were blue and our teeth chattered. Those were the days.

On the 4th of July, my home town had a big parade followed by a pet parade for the kids and then around 4:30 or so, the fire department staged a water fight on the main street of down, dousing all of us excited children who deliberately came in bathing suits, hoping to get wet. Down at the boat docks, the Lions club had pie-eating contests and other assorted kiddie fun events going on and then at dusk, the fire works exploded over Munising Bay.

So in sticking with the 4th of July theme, I pulled several “American” cookbooks off my shelf just for the occasion. One recipe, for blueberry buckle, didn’t get made that weekend (darn that whole butter-softening process) but I’ll be making it shortly and posting those results separately. I must say, given all the cookbooks I have, it was challenging to find something that reminded me of my childhood—nothing too fancy yet something that sounded like it would be good when I made it, and (as you’ll see) one that didn’t take days to make. After all, there was a long, holiday weekend to enjoy!

Now, the entire menu almost unraveled due to lack of a potato salad recipe, something I neglected to select during the initial selection round. Talk about a gross oversight on my part because what’s a 4th of July picnic without potato salad??! But people, finding a recipe that wasn’t too weird turned out to be a huge challenge. (Can you believe some cookbooks that include “American” in the title, didn’t even include a potato salad recipe?! That’s just wrong, wrong, wrong on so many levels!).

I found recipes using horseradish (too modern), recipes using cream (??) and a couple recipes using, of all things, beef broth. Um….no. I was all set to throw in the towel when I read through the original baked bean recipe I selected and discovered that it needed to cook for 10-12 hours and that was just too long on a hot summer day. So after mixing and matching and reselecting some recipes, the 10-12 hour baked bean was substituted for one taking 4-6 hours and a potato salad recipe was in! Whew.

All the recipes were good, all were easy to make and hit the spot on a very lovely 4th of July. The hamburgers didn’t quite stay together as I expected (and so I really ended up with a loose-meat sandwich) but the flavor was there.

Speaking of flavor, one of my favorites of the weekend was the New York Pushcart Onions for Hot Dogs. If you’ve ever been to Gray’s Papaya in New York, you’ll know the joy of using this condiment. I could have eaten the entire pot of this stuff…but I didn’t! So much for traditional mustard and ketchup!

I hope you all had a Happy 4th of July!

New York City Pushcart Onions for Hot Dogs – yields enough for 12-16 hot dogs (yeah, right!)
1 T. vegetable oil
4 firmly packed cups of thinly sliced onion (about 2 large or 4 medium onions)
2 tsp. mined garlic (about 2 medium cloves)
1 T. flour
8 ounces canned, smooth tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 T. light corn syrup
2 tsp. white vinegar
2 bay leaves
½ tsp. dry mustard
Pinch of cayenne
Pinch of ground cloves

Place the vegetable oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and the garlic. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 20 minutes the onion should be softened but not browned.

Add the flour and stir well to distribute evenly among the onion slices. Cook for 1 minute, stirring to make sure the flour doesn’t burn. Add the tomato sauce, water, corn syrup, vinegar, bay leaves, mustard, cayenne, and cloves. Stir well to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and cook very slowly over low heat for 45 minutes. If the mixture has become too thick, add a little water.

Hamburgers – 4 servings
1 ½ pounds chopped round steak
1 onion, chopped
1 T. chopped shallots
4 T. butter
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Dash Tabasco sauce
1 tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 T. sour cream
4 large hard rolls, buttered

Saute the onion and shallots in 2 tablespoons of the butter, add the seasonings. Mix with the chopped steak and the beaten egg, suing your hands, not a fork.

Roll loosely into 4 balls the size of tennis balls and drop onto the kitchen table to flatten. Pan-broil on both sides in a heavy skillet with 2 tablespoons butter. Transfer to a heated platter.

Heat buttered rolls. Place a hamburger on each. To the pan juices, add the sour cream, simmer a minute or two, and pour a spoonful over each hamburger.

Bean Town Beans – serves 6 to 8
2 cups dried beans (pea, navy, or soldier)
½ pound smoked slab bacon, with rind on
1 large onion, chopped
¼ cup blackstrap molasses
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 bay leaves, crushed
½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper, or dash Tabasco
Boiling water to cover the beans before baking

Pick over beans to remove grit or stones. Cover beans with cold water, bring to a boil, and boil one minute. Remove from the heat, cover pot, and let the beans sit 1 hour. Drain.

Score the bacon in squares without cutting through the rind. Put half the beans in the pot in which you will bake them and add onion, molasses, and seasonings. Add remaining beans and bury the bacon, rind up, in the top layer. Add just enough boiling water to cover. Cover the pot tightly and bake at 300 for 4 to 6 hours or more to melt the pork fat and melt the flavors. Add boiling water from time to time if needed. Remove lid for the last 30 minutes to make a brown crust.

Note: a big shout-out to Clancy’s Meat Market in the Linden Hills neighborhood of Minneapolis for being the only place to carry a slab of bacon. A slab is just what it sounds like – a slab of bacon that has not been cut into strips. The slab of bacon is usually the very top piece to appear when you open a can of pork and beans. Several people asked me if salt pork would work but I had no idea. And the best thing was that the pork slab (I only got a quarter of a pound) only cost me $1.71. Of course, the cost of the gas it took to get there from my house was another story….


Donna’s Potato Salad, submitted by Donna Hansen, Idaho Falls, Idaho – yields 2 quarts
6 medium potatoes, boiled and diced (2 quarts diced)
6 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
½ cup minced onion
1 T. chopped parsley
¼ cup chopped dill or sweet pickle (I used sweet)
1 T. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 T. prepared mustard
1 T. mayonnaise
1 T. French dressing
1 T. dill-pickle juice
¾ milk or light cream (about)
Paprika

Toss together lightly: potatoes, 5 of the sliced eggs, onion, parsley, pickle, salt and pepper. Combine mustard, mayonnaise, French dressing, pickle juice, and enough milk or cream to make 1 cup dressing. Toss with potato mixture. Arrange in a bowl. Place the remaining egg slices around top and sprinkle with paprika.