7.13.2009

Welcome Home Hamburgers

2 lb. ground beef (or 1 lb. ground beef and 1 lb. ground turkey) 1 package dry Lipton Onion Soup Mix 1 c. grated cheddar cheese 1 Tbsp. worstershire sauce Mix all ingredients together in large bowl with your hands if you're adventurous or with a wooden spoon if you're not. Let set 30 minutes (or up to 8 hours) ... according to my dad, this time allows the meat juices to rehydrate the soup mix and make it tastier... Divide the meat mixture into 8-10 sections. Make into hamburger patties. Cook on grill over medium heat until desired doneness. Serve with the usual lettuce, tomato, and onion on a bun, or with the unusual fried egg, chips, and ranch on a bun. Welcome Home Hamburgers are exactly what they sound like: the meal that celebrates any homecoming, big or small. I believe that my grandfather Marvin (who I never had the privilege of meeting) began the tradition of grilling burgers for his children (my dad, aunt, and uncle) when they came home from college. Dad has perfected the recipe over the years. We just celebrated a pretty big homecoming this past weekend: my youngest brother Will is home on leave from his Army station in the Middle East. His 15 days at home began with the announcement that he was not going to make his bed. (Mom winced). We were all at home: older brother, wife, me, husband, younger brother, youngest brother, and parentals. Oh yeah, and five dogs. We're working towards a one-to-one family member-to-dog ratio, I think. Side note about the dogs: Honey (a 75-lb German Shepherd) doesn't know she's as big as she is and likes to chase her tail in the grass; Ginger (50 lbs of friendly mutt) lived at my parents' house for a year and so used this visit to re-establish her neighborhood circuit; Salem (our 25 lb Australian Shepherd/Beagle mix) tried to play with the "big kids" but didn't really know what to do with himself when faced with 11 acres of play space and crotchety old dogs; Max (13-year-old lab-something mix) laid on the porch and gave the occasional bark to confirm his alpha position; and Prince (9-year-old, 25 lb rat terrier) hid under the porch and gave a great show of pouting. Who needs kids when you've got dogs? Back to the point. Great family time. Awesome food (I'm going to post another recipe from the weekend soon). Lovely memories. Can't wait for the next reunion ...

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