Want to try a different type of burger next? Go for my Turkey Burgers or Black Bean Burgers to switch things up sometimes.

An Easy Classic Burger Recipe

Burgers have long been a staple food in our family. So I guess you can say we are a typical American family.

Growing up we had them cooked to that hockey puck doneness, overly well, but as a kid I didn't care it was a burger. One thing my mom never got wrong though was that she never used the pre-formed patties. That's burger mistake number one in my mind.

Shaping your own burgers from fresh ground beef will give you a fair superior result.

Helpful Tips

After 20 years of experience making hamburgers I've learned several other things along the way to create the perfect burger:

• Use a high quality bun for the base as this makes up a huge portion of the completed burger. Homemade or bakery fresh is best.
• Go for a good fat ratio within the beef for tenderness (personally I prefer 85%).
• Adequately season the meat with salt, this is a big one people often miss.
• Careful not to overwork the beef as you shape the patties so it's not tough.
• Use a food thermometer to cook to the right temp so it's not undercooked and dangerously rare, or over-cooked and dry and rubbery.
• Preheat pan/grill and maintain that proper temp. Otherwise you'll end up with a pale steamed-like patty or overly charred burger.
• Cook at a fairly high temp without disturbing as it cooks, this helps create a beautifully brown crust. The only way I could achieve this in the oven was to start that pan out super hot and not turn the burger until the end, for one nicely browned side at least.
• Slice toppings fairly thin. For texture and this allows the flavor of the beef shine if we don't go overboard on toppings.
• Toast the buns so they don't get soggy and they hold up better.
• If grilling burgers don't leave them unattended. Grills can have dangerous flare ups if you don't keep an eye on things. You should also be cleaning the fat from the grill regularly.

Over the years I've also tried different things like seasoning the beef to build in other flavors, creating various sizes of burgers, and trying various toppings.

I've settled on simple, and freshest is best but you are always welcome to change things up and go more bold (unique toppings, hot sauce/ peppers, blue cheese, etc).

And of course if you are a cheeseburger fan don't forget to add the cheese after turning the burger (during cooking) for perfectly melty cheesy goodness.

If you are wondering what my personal favorite method of cooking is here it's easily the cast iron stovetop method. But the others are nice for convenience as well and I use all three.

Homemade Chicken Burrito Bowl Recipe

This is my go-to recipe when I’m craving Chipotle but want to eat at home. Made with fluffy cilantro-lime rice, tender chicken, and all the best toppings, it’s nutritious and delicious recipe the whole family will agree on. 

Plus, it’s easy to customize and great to make ahead of time for meal prep. You’ll find this chicken burrito bowl recipe is the perfect option to feed a crowd, pack for lunch, or whip up for a quick weeknight meal. 

In fact, these burrito bowls are so tasty you may never go back to restaurant versions again! I’ll show you how to cook, assemble, and store them for easy meals whenever a craving hits. 

Easy Crockpot Mac and Cheese!

This is hands the absolute easiest way to make macaroni and cheese! And believe it or not and it's unbelievably creamy, no broken curdled sauce, and the taste is simply perfect.

My tricks to a good crockpot mac and cheese are to use a combination of cream, water, and evaporated milk - instead of regular milk so it doesn't curdle. Then also waiting until closer to the end to add the cheese so that doesn't overheat and separate.

And another important key is to use a combination of cheeses for great flavor and texture. Sharp cheddar builds up the best traditional macaroni and cheese flavor, while each American cheese and Monterey Jack cheese create a velvety sauce.

The starches of cooking everything together in one pot (or slow cooker insert technically) also helps create a smooth sauce.

This is a family favorite! It has a well balanced flavor that isn't too harsh so people of all ages love it, and the cook will love the ease of preparation.

It's jam packed flavorful goodness in every bite and undoubtedly worthy of the holidays, but yet simple enough for a weeknight side dish!

Watch the Video!

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One Pot Chili Mac

This is the perfect sweater weather recipe! It's hearty, homemade comfort food that's brimming with flavor and it's just the dinner friends and family of all ages will love on a cold day.

One thing I think you'll really appreciate about this recipe is that many of the ingredients are things you may likely already have on hand, especially if you keep a pack or two of ground beef stashed away in the freezer.

And just like regular chili it's so versatile so you can swap in other ingredients you have on hand for those you don't (see ideas below for substitutes). I've added carrots to chili before so really just about anything goes.

Then top it as you'd like with all your favorite toppings. You can't go wrong with a sprinkle of green onions and more cheese!

Breakfast Egg Muffins

Welcome to what may likely be your new go-to breakfast! Our family loves these egg muffins for a quick before school and work breakfast (we serve them with freezer friendly healthy blueberry muffins or oat flour pancakes with blueberry syrup).

They are a nutritious option to start out the day, and there are countless ways you can make them by swapping in your favorite mix-in blends (see some ideas below).

They also store well in the fridge and freezer making them such a tasty make-ahead side dish. In other words it’s a good time to swap out those boring granola bars for this flavorful homemade breakfast instead!

What is a Tuna Melt?

A tuna melt is similar to a classic hot grilled cheese sandwich but with the addition of tuna salad included.

It's layered with a tuna filling made from canned tuna, along with shredded or sliced cheddar cheese, optional tomatoes and it's all sandwiched between fresh bread slices that are slathered in butter. From there the sandwich is pan fried until cheese is melty, the filling has warmed and the bread has taken on a gorgeous golden brown, crisp exterior.

It makes one of the best lunches or a quick and satisfying dinner. And you'll love that it's made with simple ingredients, most of which you likely already have on hand.

Serve it with fresh fruit or vegetables and crisp, salty potato chips for the perfect finish.

Fresh Tomato Basil Soup

This is how you do comfort food. A vibrant, healthy soup with a grilled cheese to accompany it.

This soup will likely become a highlight of summer dinners, and it's a great way to use all those garden fresh tomatoes.

It requires minimal ingredients but yields such amazing results! The key ingredients include several pounds of gorgeously red ripe tomatoes, lots of flavorful fresh basil, and a fair amount of garlic for a perfectly fresh tasting soup.

Though there may be several steps the process is quite simple. You roast the tomatoes and aromatics, then simmer the soup on the stove, and finish by blitzing it all together with immersion blender. And then you've got yourself an undeniably delicious homemade tomato basil soup!

Want to make it creamy? Simply add 1/2 cup to 1 cup cream to the soup at the end. And feel free to toss in some parmesan cheese too if you can't resist.

Many of you have had classic stuffed peppers and these are similar but with a Southwestern flavor and poblano peppers (aka pasilla peppers) are used instead of bell peppers. Plus these are a bit of a healthier option too.

They come together easily and no boiling is required beforehand. You'll just bake the peppers until they start to soften and while they bake you make the filling in a skillet on the stovetop. Then stuff the peppers and finish them off in the oven.

You really don't need much else to serve with them, though if you wanted something else you can't go wrong with tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole.

The key here is just to find the larger poblano peppers at the grocery store (those little ones wont fit much filling), and I like to find some that will sit flat on each side if possible.

Homemade Breakfast Tacos

Breakfast tacos are best when they're homemade and made fresh from scratch! Beginning with fresh tortillas and piled high with plenty of meat and eggs, and loaded up with all the best breakfast taco toppings.

Yes making them from scratch is more of a labor of love but easily worth it in the end. Once you get the hang of homemade tortillas they are a breeze. And fresh pico de gallo easily beats out bottled salsa.

Weekends and even weeknight dinners were made for these breakfast tacos! They may even take the place of your favorite pancake breakfast that many of us have on repeat. So much to love about these hearty, flavor packed tacos!

Easy Breakfast Hash

This is a fantastic savory breakfast but also makes an excellent dinner too! It's incredibly easy and perfectly hearty and satisfying.

Truly it's just stick-to-your-ribs good food!

It's also a versatile recipe with lots of options to swap out ingredients (such as using cooked sausage in place of ham) or add seasonings you enjoy (such as cajun seasoning).

It may soon become one of those recipes that you're family enjoys so much you'll have it memorized. And there's really not a whole lot to it, just some basic ingredients you can always keep stashed in your fridge.

If you really want to go all out pair it with buttermilk pancakes - finished with blueberry syrup and whipped cream of course!