Juicy Lucy with Bacon

If you're looking for a healthy recipe, you're looking at the wrong post.  This is a special treat that we only make once or twice a year.  I'm not even going to calculate the P+ on this one...just know it isn't good for you, but it's amazing!  This is what I classify as a "so good you won't care how bad it is" recipes.

I don't usually give step-by-step photo instructions but in this case I think it's easiest.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 lb 80/20 ground beef

Seasoning (I used Weber Gourmet Burger but you can use salt and pepper or the seasoning of your choice)

4 oz American cheese, cut into 4 slices (I used Velveeta)

10 slices center cut bacon

4 American cheese slices

4 hamburger buns

Directions:

Prepare bacon (see Baking Bacon).  Chop 2 pieces and set the rest aside.

Season beef with desired seasoning.  Separate into 8 pieces and form into patties.  

Top four of the patties with the American cheese and bacon.  Place the other 4 patties on top of the bacon and cheese to enclose the cheese and bacon.

Ok, this is the most important part.  You want to seal the two patties together well so they don't separate when cooking.  Press down the edges of the top burger until it is completely blended into the burger on the bottom.  Flip the entire thing and form into a thick patty.  Continue until you have 4 patties.

Place a skillet over medium-high heat.  Once pan is hot, place the patties in the pan.  Once the first side has a good sear flip to sear the second side.  When second side has seared, flip again and turn heat down to medium low.  Cook and flip until both sides are done (use a thermometer as these take a lot longer than a regular burger).  Let burgers rest for 5 minutes.

 Time for assembly.  Treat the burger as if it were any other burger.  Top with sliced cheese, bacon, and and any other toppings you would like.  Serve immediately.

WARNING!  The cheese in the burger is HOT!  Be careful!

The fun of this recipe is you can use almost any kind of cheese and other ingredients.  What combinations can you come up with?  Try them out and share your ideas with us!

Tater Tot Hotdish (11 P+)

Hotdish?!?  What's a hotdish???

If you are asking yourself that question, you probably aren't from the Midwest.  That's what we call a casserole.  It doesn't include anything special; it's just a bunch of stuff in a pan that's been baked for a while.

This is a great recipe that I made up from what little I know about tater tot hotdish.  It's one of those things where every family makes it their own way.  I actually never had it before I started experimenting but I had a roommate that made it and it looked delicious.

The best thing about this dish is it is EASY!!!  Basically all you do is brown some beef, then open a few cans and throw them in a dutch oven.  45 minutes later you have a meal complete with meat, vegetables, potatoes, and a sauce.  Voila!

Tater Tot Hotdish
6 Servings, 60 minutes
PRINTABLE

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef

½ onion, chopped

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 can green beans

1 can whole kernel corn

Salt

Pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

12 oz frozen tater tots

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a Dutch oven, brown ground beef and season with salt and pepper.  Add onion and cook until tender.  Remove from heat.

Stir in soups, vegetables, salt, and pepper.

Top with cheddar cheese.

Arrange tater tots around the top in a single layer.

Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until tator tots are golden brown.

Notes:

This is a great make-ahead recipe.  It can be refrigerated overnight or frozen for a couple weeks.  Be sure to remove as much air as possible before freezing and allow adequate time for thawing before cooking. 

To make this recipe healthier substitute ground turkey for the beef, fresh vegetables for canned, and use fat free or reduced fat soup (9 P+).

Slow Cooker Beef Stew (5P+)

I love this stew because it's very filling and you can eat a lot of it without using all of you WW P+.  

1 lb Sirloin, cut in ½” chunks

4 Carrots, sliced

2 Parsnips, sliced

4 ribs Celery, sliced

2 Plum Tomatoes, diced

½ Onion, finely chopped

3 c Beef Broth

2 t Fresh Thyme, minced

2 t Fresh Rosemary, minced

1 t Salt

½ t Pepper

5 oz Frozed Peas

Place all items except peas into slow-cooker.  Cook 6-8 hours.  Add peas and continue cooking until the peas are soft.  

Serves 6