by Mindy Obenhaus
Last week I talked
about being in a food rut. Making the same old things over and over again until
I was just plain bored. So this week, I decided to go back to some classic
recipes and, perhaps, even tweak them a bit.
What makes a recipe a
classic? It’s something that has withstood the test of time. Nothing trendy,
although it may have been at one time before easing into its little black dress
and pearls.
The “Impossible”
recipes were all the rage back in the late 70s, early 80s when Bisquick came
out with them. I remember my mom making Impossible Pumpkin Pie and Impossible
Taco Pie. But there was one she didn’t make that somehow became my favorite. I
don’t recall when I first had it, probably at a friend’s house, but made its
way into my classic recipe file.
Impossible
Cheeseburger Pie
It’s a quick, easy
and inexpensive meal. Nothing fancy, but seasonings lend a wonderful flavor
that satisfies your taste buds as well as your appetite.
Start with one pound
of ground meat. Whatever you like. Ground beef, turkey, venison… I used venison
because, well, I have a freezer full of it. Brown the meat with 1 cup chopped onions.
This is where I
decided to change things up just a tad. I mean, even the classic little black
dress needs a new pair of earrings every now and then. Keeping in mind that
this is cheeseburger pie, I began to
think. What do people like on their cheeseburgers? 
Bacon!
So I cooked up three
slices of bacon until crisp, chopped them up and added those along with ½ teaspoon
of salt and ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
Stir that together
and spread into the bottom of a greased pie plate. 
Sprinkle with 1 cup shredded cheese (I use sharp or extra sharp) and jalapeño slices, if desired (hubby’s request) and set aside.
Now come the part that makes this “Impossible.”
Bake in a 400 degree oven 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Allow to cool 10 minutes before cutting/serving.
This was the perfect quick meal for a Sunday night. I didn’t spend forever in the kitchen, everybody loved it and there weren’t a ton of leftovers.
Signs of spring
continue to emerge here at the ranch. The calves continue to come. This little
gray one is hubby’s favorite.
And look who’s
finally returned.
The hummingbirds found us at our new house.
While we were
watching the hummingbirds, we heard a squirrel chattering up a storm nearby. We
spotted him/her in a tree, scolding a couple of birds who got too close to her
nest. (I’m not 100% sure it was a she, but considering the way it was going all
mama bear, it’s a pretty good bet)
Later, she emerged.
Now it’s your turn. What are some of your favorite classic recipes? Do you like to play with them or prefer not to mess with perfection?
Three-time Carol Award nominee, Mindy Obenhaus, lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com
Mindy, I'd forgotten all about cheeseburger pie! What a fun reminder!!!!
ReplyDeleteGosh, one of our go-tos is chicken paprika.... or red sauce... and pots of soup. But if the weather is actually going to swing towards summer, then we tend to keep a bowl of pasta salad in the fridge, hot dogs and hamburgers and chicken to throw on the grill.... If I could add brisket to that list, I'd be a happy camper!
And hey, our NC barbecue was full of choices... I had my first hush puppies (so good, whatever they are! Fried cornbread, maybe????) and chopped brisket on Texas toast.... and it was so good! I was happy, Mindy!!!!! :)
Ruthy, I love hushpuppies. They are cornbread based, generally with some onion and seasonings. There are good hushpuppies and bad ones. There's a brand I buy at the store, frozen, that I usually cook up when I fry up some catfish.
DeleteAnd YES to the chopped brisket sandwich.
I hear you about throwing stuff on the grill in the summertime. Same here, except we tend to grill year round. But summertime is just different. Perhaps that's why I'm in this food rut. I'm in between winter and summer.
Ruthy, I LOVE hush puppies!! I can't believe you haven't had them. I thought those were something everyone ate all over the U.S.! :)
DeleteI used to make them when I worked at Long John Silver's. We made a thick cornmeal batter and then dropped them by the scoopful into the deep fryer.
I can't wait to start using our grill again! I thought I might yesterday...but then a rainstorm rolled in right around 5:00. Not good grilling weather.
ReplyDeleteA favorite recipe that I don't mess with is hamburgers. I played with different ways of fixing them until I came up with a combination of the way my dad makes them and the way my mother-in-law does. Since my dear husband says they're perfect, I'm not going to change a thing.
Yes, Jan, once you reach perfection on something, you definitely don't want to mess with it.
DeleteWhere's the Yankee Belle Cafe?
DeleteThe Yankee-Belle Café is right here. It's a virtual café, run by a group of authors who write for Love Inspired Book and love to cook. We gather here to share recipes, as well as snippets of our lives. So glad you dropped by.
DeleteMindy, I love this recipe! I'm always a lover of hamburger casseroles. :) That's kind of a quiche as well. haha
ReplyDeleteI sometimes change up my spaghetti by adding greens or olives to the sauce. But mostly, I'm pretty predictable. :)
Missy, hubby said the same thing about quiche. Different texture, though. This is much heavier on the meat. Part of what makes it so good.
DeleteBTW, I love that photo with just the squirrel's tail sticking out. LOL
ReplyDeleteThat was the funniest thing to watch. I'll see her slinking across the yard every once in a while, but no more peeking out of her hole.
Delete