Cheeseburgers

Well, Independence Day is nearly upon us. What better food than hamburgers for the 4th?! To be honest, for years I didn't know how to make a good hamburger. They always seemed to puff up into balls that were far too small for the buns. I picked up a trick from my American Classics Cookbook (from Cook's Illustrated). Now, I can make hamburgers that actually fit the buns...and they taste pretty good too.

Cheeseburgers
(Makes 9 burgers)

2 pounds ground beef (I usually just use the cheap kind)
3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
4 ounces grated cheese (I use cheddar, but I think a blue cheese would be yummy too)
waxed paper


Mix ground beef with the seasonings and cheese. Divide into 9 balls (about 4 ounces each).

Lay a small piece of waxed paper on the center of a plate. Place a ball of meat on top and cover with another sheet of waxed paper. Press the back on a plate on top to smash the meat into a patty.

Then, remove the top sheet of waxed paper and make a depression in the center. If your patty is about 3/4 thick, make the depression about 1/4 deep. (This is the trick that I learned from Cook's Illustrated. It helps keep your burger from puffing up like a tennis ball!)

Grill until desired doneness.

For other recipes for the 4th, check out Ultimate Recipe Swap at LifeasMOM.