Mmmmonday

Here's another recipe for this Monday after Easter!

Girls, I have SOOOO many original recipes.  My husband is encouraging me to write a cookbook, which I think would be loads of fun to see if anyone wanted to publish it.  I would just be over the moon if the Food Network discovered me!

So the recipe for today is the main dish we had for Easter on Sunday.  I was kind of stumped for what to make for Easter, and what's more, I didn't get to go to church on Sunday because Sofia was sick during the night! So everyone else went and I stayed home with Sofia and Pennie stayed with me too.....yep, it was a total bummer and my heart was so grieved to not be able to be with my family at church! But that's another post altogether.....suffice it to say that I managed, with the Lord's help, to keep my heart light and somewhat joyful!

This main dish was the result of not knowing what to make for Easter and wanting to be a bit different and also not having the resources to make a huge, fancy dinner.  This Easter was so good because we were just together with each other! So here you go:

Merlot Hamburgers

2 lbs ground beef
1/3 C merlot (this is a type of red wine)
3 TBSP brown sugar
2 TBSP worcestershire sauce
2 TBSP Frank's Red Hot Sauce (or you can use Tabasco)
2 tsp garlic powder
3 tsp black pepper
1 TBSP salt

Place the ground beef in a huge bowl.  Add all of the ingredients on top of the ground beef.  Being very gentle with the ground beef, mix this together with your hands.  Yes, your hands.  I guess the method I use is more like tossing than squishing, and the reason why is that the less you handle the mixture, the more tender and juicy your burgers will be.  So, GENTLY mix this stuff together thoroughly.   Fry these in a pan on both sides till brown, then put them in the oven to bake for 20 minutes.  But you can grill them or broil them too!  Serve with buns and your favorite burger toppings.  Makes 8 large patties.

With this recipe, I served the patties without the buns and with a gorgeous, thick and rich gravy and sauteed Chardonnay onions.  When the patties were just about done baking, I put a thick slice of cheese over the top of each patty and let them melt and cascade the gooey, cheesy goodness down the sides of each patty! Ohhhh we thought we were in HEAVEN!! This makes fantastic meatloaf too, with the addition of 1 C bread crumbs and two beaten eggs.  I also made a homemade tarter type sauce for those of the family who don't like gravy (imagine not liking gravy!!!!)

This recipe is copyrighted by leeswords 2011.  Please do not reprint this recipe without permission.  Thanks so much!!