Recipes for Hamburger Based Meals on a Budget

In today's economy it is becoming ever more necessary to find ways to stretch the almighty dollar a little further. With the increase cost of living, gas, and food, you begin to look for ways to increase what you make out of what you can afford. Hamburger is a regular staple at our home, but let's faces it; you don't want hamburgers every day. So here are a few recipes I have used to make hamburger a little easier to get down.

This first recipe my mom used to make growing up. Now when she made it, she put a little more time and effort into it and used fresh potatoes and made the hamburger into patties. I use a pound of hamburger, two cans of diced potatoes from Wal-Mart, a large can of Cream of Mushroom soup, half of a bag of shredded cheese (or more if desired), sour cream (optional), can of mushrooms. You start by frying the hamburger down into crumbles and draining the grease, add the mushrooms, two cans of potatoes (drained), mushroom soup, sour cream, and cheese. Heat mixture to boiling and serve. You can also season to taste with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper as desired. My mother's version consisted of frying the hamburger in patties and laying them in a large baking dish and covering them with the mushrooms. While the hamburgers were cooking she would cut and quarter several potatoes and boil them until soft. She would then drain the potatoes and pour them over the hamburgers, add the mushroom soup and bake until hot through. Both very similar meals with just a slight difference as the recipe evolve. Both will feed a family of four fairly easily.

The next recipe I learned from my father in law. We went to his home for Green Bean Casserole one night, I went in expecting just that, green beans, mushroom soup and French fried onions, boy was I surprised. He had fried down a pound to a pound and a half of hamburger (drained), added two to three cans of drained green beans, and poured over that a large can of tomato soup, and heated to boiling. This mixture was then served over instant mashed potatoes. My father in law is a confirmed bachelor so easy and quick are always guaranteed when eating at his home, he has the ability to instruct you on the exact time a Styrofoam plate will last in the microwave and exactly what ingredients are needed to make instant potatoes in the microwave, and how long they take, all very important things to know.

For both ideas listed above all of the ingredients can be acquired at your local grocery store. But if these ideas are not to your fancy you can always make chili the favorite past time and use the left over's to make chili hot dogs, or chili spaghetti, and get two to three meals out of one. With a little imagination hamburger doesn't have to be the same old, same old. It can be turned into wonderful ideas the whole family will love.