June 22, 2023thetipsyhousewife
A Retro Hamburger Treat
These secret ingredient hamburgers are straight out of my Mother In Law’s 1960’s cookbook. I made them for my Mr. the other night and he said they are the hamburgers he also remembers his grandma making.
Made with just a few simple ingredients, these burgers came out juicy and flavorful. Grill this on your grill or make it inside in a pan.
The full, printable and Pinterest Pin(able) recipe is linked at the bottom of this page but first I’ve got some vital tips you’ll want to read.
If you like Pinterest like I do, give me a follow over there!
The Secret Ingredient
Are you sure you’re ready for this? I’m about to divulge a secret more than half a century in the making.
The secret ingredient for these secret ingredient hamburgers is this Tennessee Pride Mild Country Sausage. The mild version was great but you can also use the HOT version or the sage.
I really liked the texture and flavor this added to the burgers. I also liked how it added flavor without me having to add a bunch of seasonings and other things to the meat mix.
Why Mustard?
This mustard, honey, and Worcestershire sauce mix that you brush on the burgers adds a delicious tanginess and helps caramelize the burgers. I was taught this trick years ago at a diner I was a waitress at and I have never looked back.
Even if you don’t like mustard, you will like this.
Yield: Makes 8 Large Burgers or 12 to 14 Sliders
Secret Ingredient Hamburgers
These surprise ingredient hamburgers are straight out of my Mother In Law's 1960's cookbook. I made them for my Mr. the other night and he said they are the hamburgers he also remembers his Grandma making. Made with just a few simple ingredients, these burgers came out juicy and flavorful. They can be grilled or made inside on a pan.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 lbs of ground beef, I used the 80/20 blend
- 1 lb Package of Tennessee Pride Breakfast Sausage ( you can also use the hot version, I used the original)
- 2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire (can use soy sauce if allergic to fish)
- 1/2 of a medium sized yellow onion, minced
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of celery salt
- black pepper to taste
- cheese slices of choice
- For the Glaze
- 2 tablespoons of yellow mustard
- 1/2 tablespoon of honey
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire
- Buns and Burger Toppings Of Your Choice
Instructions
- Combine the Ground Beef, Tennessee Pride Sausage, Onions, Worcestershire, Black Pepper, Celery Salt, Garlic Powder. Combine well, but do not over mix. Over mixing causes the burgers to be tough.
- In a bowl combine the mustard, Worcestershire, honey and black pepper in a bowl.
- I roll the meat into loose balls, and set aside on a sheet pan for 30 minutes. Since it is just us two, I freeze some of these balls to use at a later time that we can easily throw on the grill for a quick dinner.
- I make the balls into 4 inch balls approximately. I like to serve these as sliders.
- Heat your grill or pan until it is very hot, but not smoking. If cooking inside you may want to add butter or oil to the pan.
- Add the burgers in their ball form and cook for about two minutes. Then use your spatula to gently press down on them until they are the thickness you want. Press a little thumbprint size divot in the center of each burger patty. This helps keep the burger flat.
- Cook the burger for about 4 minutes, flip and brush the one side with the mustard mixture. Cook for about 5 minutes, flip, brush the other side with the mustard mixture. Cook for another five minutes. I cook my burgers to medium or medium rare. The cook time will depend on the thickeness of your burger, your pan type and your personal grill. Get a meat thermometer until you learn how your meat cooks and for how long to the doneness you like. I cook my burgers until they are 125 degrees in the middle. They also feel firm all around except slightly soft in the center. This is for medium rare.
- I add the cheese, and turn off the heat and let the cheese melt and the meat rest for about 3 minutes before I take them off.
- Use your favorite buns and toppings.
The Perfect Side Dish
We ate these burgers with my Beefy Baked Beans. This is another recipe my mother in law left us with. I recommend baking these beans and letting them sit overnight in the fridge and then reheating.
If you like burgers, might I also recommend my popular recipe for Mini Big Macs?
