Cooking . . . It's a Family Thing!

First of all let me warn you, no part of this dinner was low fat or low calorie, except the steamed veggies! But once in a while you just have to "go for it" and this was worth every calorie and fat gram! I got this recipe from the "Tasty Kitchen" site. The Pioneer Woman posted it on her site and she made it look so good (as happens with most every recipe she posts) I just had to make.






MURPHY'S HOT HAMBURGER

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1 T onion powder
• 1 t seasoned salt
• 5 T flour (all purpose)
• 2 cans beef broth which is about 2 cups maybe a little more
• 5 whole potatoes (next time I'm gonna use the frozen, crinkle cut; that's the consensus of my family and it will be a lot easier)
• 1 T oil, or as needed (I used Canola)
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to425 degrees
2. If you use whole potatoes, wash, dry and slice into fries. Place them on a large baking sheet and pour about a tablespoon of oil over them and toss with fingers to coat evenly. Sprinkle fries with seasoning of choice. I used seasoning salt. Place in the oven & bake for approx. 45 minutes or until golden and crispy. Just be careful not to over cook them. That's what I did. I turned the oven off after 45 min but just left them in the oven; they got too done.
3. If you decide to use frozen, crinkled french fries, just follow the directions on the package.
4. In a mixing bowl, mix hamburger, garlic, seasoned salt, onion powder, pepper and a little more salt if you want to (I didn't add anymore salt). Mix this well with your hands and divide in for portions.
5. Form 4 large patties. They really don't need to be uniform in shape. Make them look kinda rustic!
6. Place patties in a large preheated skillet over medium heat. Brown burgers on each side until they are done.
7. Remove burgers from the skillet and place on a plate covered in paper towels. Do not drain the grease from your pan. Place the plate of burgers in a warming drawer, if you have one, or cover with foil or another plate to keep them warm. I started cooking my hamburger patties when the fries had about 15 min. left to cook.
   
8. Now, add the flour a tablespoon at a time to your skillet, stirring with a whisk. You know you have added enough flour when the grease is all absorbed and the flour mixture gets thick and bubbly. Slowly add the broth, a little at a time, whisking constantly (you're making a gravy here).
   
9. Bring to a simmer and allow to thicken. If it seems to thick just add a little water.
10. To serve, place an ample amount of fries on the plate. Place a hamburger patty on top of the fries and cover it good with the gravy.

I served with a bag of those vegetables that you steam in the microwave. To be honest you really don't need anything else. Also, Katie added a slice of cheddar cheese to her hamburger before we put on the gravy. She said it was really good that way!

Total Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 min if you make your own fries; less if you bake frozen ones.