Does anyone make their own......
@capirani (2730)
United States
January 8, 2009 10:48pm CST
....hamburgers and cheeseburgers anymore? There are so many discussions about fast food burgers and fries that I thought I would ask if anyone still makes their own? I think homemade burgers are much better tasting and healthier especially if you broil them or grill them. I love homemade cheeseburgers being able to put my choice of cheese and size of slices on the burgers. However I haven't made any in a long time because I have stopped buying ground beef. I have been buying only ground turkey and have not tried to make burgers with it. One of these days I will try. I am not into putting a lot of ingredients into a burger no matter what kind of meat it is made out of. But as I get older, I am getting more curious to try some different things.
So, with all the options available, do you still make your own or do you prefer to go to the fast food restaurants to get your burgers and fries? Oh yeh...I like my home made steak fries best too. Or at the least, the big ridged frozen fries you stick on a cookie sheet and bake. Much healthier than those you go out and buy.
5 people like this
25 responses
@grandpa_lash (5225)
• Australia
9 Jan 09
Well I certainly do, but I can't imagine what today's McDonalds trained kids would make of them lol. I use a little garlic, tomato paste, sage leaf, and stock paste in the mix, and my partner says they are the best hamburgers she's ever eaten.
Add bacon, cheese, and the normal tomato and lettuce base, and we have hamburgers with the lot chez Philippe.
Lash
2 people like this
@capirani (2730)
• United States
9 Jan 09
Sounds good. Where does the egg go? On the sandwich or on the side?
@Seppy1984 (2145)
• United States
9 Jan 09
Hello, I have been making my own cheeseburgers alot now. Ever sense I started my diet. We use turkey burger because I think it taste to much better and it is so healthy for you. When I make turkey burgers I put just put a little bit of seasonings to taste and then I grill them on the George Foreman grill. I love these better then the fast food ones anymore. Plus I feel good knowing that I can control what goes into the cheeseburgers and how much grease is left in the burgers. Plus I love turkey burgers better then beef burgers.
Happy Mylotting
1 person likes this
@capirani (2730)
• United States
9 Jan 09
I got a George Foreman grill for Christmas and can't wait to use it. What kinds of seasonings do you use on your turkey burgers? The only things I have ever used in regular beef burgers was salt and pepper and occassionally garlic. Once in a great while I would cut up onions and mix with the meat before making the burgers. Years ago when they first started coming out with ground turkey as an alternative, I tried making burgers with it and none of us in the family liked it. I am a little afraid of trying it again. Yet my tastes have been changing so I might like it.
1 person likes this
@capirani (2730)
• United States
9 Jan 09
Sounds good. I am looking forward to trying it on my Foreman grill now.
@earthsong (589)
• United States
9 Jan 09
We very rarely eat out, with a family of 6 and a limited budget its just not something we bother to budget in. My hubby keeps a few dollars on him in case, so does stop every once in a while, but the last time he did he got a disgusting burger and swore fast food off. We have a Foreman grill, so we can make everyone a burger at the same time, and we know what's in it. Try the turkey burger, they are really good!
1 person likes this
@capirani (2730)
• United States
9 Jan 09
I totally agree! Lately when I have resorted to getting MacDonald's food, it ends up going in the trash as I cannot even make myself finish it. The only thing I really like from there that I can't see changing is their hot chocolate.
@bookreadermom08 (5614)
• United States
9 Jan 09
that has been and issue with us as well, you dont have the money to spare but decide hey we havent eaten out in a while....and when you get the food it is such a disappointment that you wish you stayed home and made your own food that would have been better!!!! LOL
@jillmalitz (5131)
• United States
9 Jan 09
I don't care what others say, there is nothing as good as a homemade burger!. I really like them when they are cooked on the grill outside but I even like them if I fix them inside. I know there are good hamburger places but for "comfort food" nothing beats homemade. At least for me.
1 person likes this
@capirani (2730)
• United States
9 Jan 09
You are right. Homemade is best. And there are so many ways you can make them.
@sonusd (1547)
• India
9 Jan 09
ya i cook my self own because i am staying out of my home and i do not have money to hire a cook and also where i am living i am not getting food what i like at hotel so i am cooking on my own as per my choices menu with our traditional receipe and i enjoy my own food
@capirani (2730)
• United States
9 Jan 09
Well I have to say that if we had hotels around where I live, their food would be better than the fast food places. We have some nice restaurants and there are some things I like there better than what I can make. But those fast food hamburgers and cheeseburgers just don't sound good to me anymore.
@cheryltippett (231)
• United States
9 Jan 09
I do still make home made cheeseburgers . My growing teenagers love them. I put a little salt, pepper and onion in my hamburger meat , patty them out and sprinkle a little house seasoning on each side and grill them . They are so juicy . I to have been wanting to try a burger with the turkey meat . HHmmmm might try it this weekend . Thanks for giving me an idea .
@capirani (2730)
• United States
9 Jan 09
You reminded me of when my kids were still at home. My daughter would get mad at me for squishing down the burgers and not letting them stay juicy. Now that she is an adult and cooking for herself, she squishes them down too. She understands that the grease needs out so they won't be as fatty.
@mslovely101 (177)
• United States
9 Jan 09
Yes. WHy not make your own hamburgers or cheesburger.I think its tastier and cheaper. I just don't like my burger too greesy.
@capirani (2730)
• United States
9 Jan 09
I agree. I don't even buy the ground beef for hamburger anymore. I use ground turkey in all the foods I used to use ground beef for including meatloaf. So I haven't even had a homemade burger for a long time. I need to come up with some recipes for the ground turkey.
@capirani (2730)
• United States
9 Jan 09
As much fast food that has ended up in my trash can lately, I am definitely back to not wanting any of it at all. I have a helper/friend who runs errands for me and will stop in at the MacDonald's drive thru for our lunch sometimes, but only if we are in a hurry and I have no cash. It is the only fast food place here that accepts my debit card. I have thrown most of what she ends up bringing back away. It is much better to save the money and cook at home.
@fasttalker (2796)
• United States
9 Jan 09
I make my own hamburgers. Yesterday I grilled them on the outside grill although it was quite cold outside it wasn't a big deal to go turn them a few times and they were great! We had baked potatoes and a salad with ours. I don't make my own fries.
I use the frozen crinkle cuts in the oven when I fix them at hom. I like homemade ones much better than fast food. And they taste really good in the winter. A nice switch from all the "heavy" food we fix in the winter time.
1 person likes this
@capirani (2730)
• United States
9 Jan 09
LOL Sounds like you love grilling no matter what the weather. I know some people like that. I think I would be too if I had the grill and the right location for it. Right now, that isn't possible.
@lynnbear (46)
• United States
9 Jan 09
I love home-made burgers also. But my husband and I stopped making it since we had a baby. We just didn't have the time and energy. But now that I am working part-time and our baby is almost 1, we're gonna start making it again.
We make ours with lean ground beef, worcershire sauce, egg to make it stick together, oregano, paprika, garlic powder and any other seasonings. We either grill it outside or use an inside grill.
I love making my own fries also. I usually use red potatoes with skin on, quartered, season it, drizzle olive oil and put in the oven. I want to try sweet potato fries also. Yum...
1 person likes this
@capirani (2730)
• United States
9 Jan 09
My hamburgers were never as seasoned. Just a little salt and pepper sprinkled on top once in the skillet. Sometimes I added garlic powder. It was actually one of the more easy and quick meals I could make when my kids were small. I even had a cookbook that was all hamburger recipes. I don't have it anymore. Wish I did. I am sure all the recipes would work with ground turkey.
I want to try making the french fries on my George Foreman grill. Another thing I have recently seen is making french fried sweet potatoes. I have never tried them yet, but I think they would be good on the grill too.
@zandy985186 (434)
• China
9 Jan 09
I hardly make the bread or something like that by myself.Because i have really no time to do this.But I clearly remembered that i had made bread in one weekend.I think the bread that cooked by myself was very delicious. The mood at that time was very good too.A sentence of old sayings is ,it is most glorious to work.
1 person likes this
@capirani (2730)
• United States
9 Jan 09
Bread? What about hamburgers and cheeseburgers? This isn't about making bread.
@capirani (2730)
• United States
9 Jan 09
I grew up eating only the homemade burgers. We didn't have the fast food chains available. Once they did come, I didn't like them because I am so picky about what I have put on mine and back then you couldn't request changes. Later I started liking the fast food burgers. Now I am back to not liking them at all anymore. They are mostly bread and toppings, but they just do not taste good. Like flavored cardboard and not flavored good. Homemade tastes so much better.
@futuremba (97)
• India
9 Jan 09
similar like u, i also like my home made food ,it is too healthy and cheap. health is one of essential thing in our living ,but some time it quite good to have outside food for enjoyment parpes ,but still u need to care about place, from where r u having food it should be trust worthy
1 person likes this
@capirani (2730)
• United States
9 Jan 09
You make a good point. There have been news reports in the past at different places where employees did bad things to the food before it got to the customer. I won't mention any of them here. It is bad enough just not knowing what might be going into the food, including not knowing if the employees are really washing their hands well even if they do wear the gloves.
@InHindsight (8)
• United States
9 Jan 09
We make these awesome Teriyaki (sp?) burgers...
we mix some "secret ingredients" into the meat and let the sauces and whatnot marinate
then
bbq time!
top with grilled pineapple
little bit of mayo on a toasted bun with lettuce and tomato
so good! so filling no room for fries though!
1 person likes this
@capirani (2730)
• United States
9 Jan 09
This sounds good, but I think I would make a variation of it and not make it into a sandwich but more of something to just eat on the plate. I love the pineapple idea. Never would have thought of that. Thanks.
@ladybug565 (2216)
• United States
10 Jan 09
I make my own cheeseburgers but I usually buy a bag of frozen fries to go with. I use different cheese every time because I like to experiment a little. I like to make bacon cheeseburgers once in a while too. we have canadian bacon and it is soooo good!!!
@capirani (2730)
• United States
10 Jan 09
I have not ever made the bacon cheeseburgers but you are right, they are great! I should try that soon since I have the GF grill to experiment with now.
@shymurl (2765)
• United States
10 Jan 09
I still make our own hamburgers and french fries. I love making homemade french fries. We make burgers several times a month. I will do it on the stove or on the george foreman. During the summer we grill out a lot. The kids love it so much more. my oldest son is taking an interest in wanting to learn how to cook. and thats one of the things he wants to cook.
@capirani (2730)
• United States
10 Jan 09
You just can't compare with homemade. You control the size, the thickness, and how much fat is in them and used to prepare them. And you don't have to add all that filler that I am sure is in those processed mystery meats at the fast food restaurants.
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
9 Jan 09
We do from time to time. Usually in the summer months mostly. It's about 20 degrees outside right now, so hubby doesn't want to be standing at the grill, and we won't have them any other way.
Usually we'll buy the meat patties at the store instead of making the patties ourselves. They're still raw and everything, just they're already made into the patties so we just have to spice them and grill them. For some reason we've found they come out better that way than doing it ourselves. Ours come out misshapen and not as big as the premade patties.
So far as fast food burgers go, we have those on occasion too. Probably more often than the home made burgers. You just can't make a burger as good as a whopper or big mac at home.
@capirani (2730)
• United States
10 Jan 09
I have rarely liked the pre-formed patties from the store as I have found too many of them tasting funny. They do not taste like just plain ground beef. So rather than waste my money on something I will not eat, I would rather buy it and make the patties myself. I make all kinds of different things with the ground beef including salisbury steaks which you cannot do with the pre-formed patties because you cannot get the ingredients inside them.
@capirani (2730)
• United States
10 Jan 09
Oh and it was Big Mac that I threw into the trash today. It was horrible. It was overflowing with the sauce and lettuce and hardly anything else. The meat patties were hardly bigger than a half dollar each. I have been throwing my McDonald's food away almost every time I have had it lately. But I do agree...BK Whoppers are good. But I rarely get them because they cost too much.
@bamakelly (5191)
• United States
9 Jan 09
We usually get them pre made. But sometimes if I have to I will just get some ground beef an roll them up myself and cook them with some cheese. It can turn out just as good as the ready made store bought ones.
Once in a while it is good just to do things from scratch.@earthsong (589)
• United States
9 Jan 09
We do this too, and my hubby can make a pretty good version of KFC fried chicken and biscuits and White castle sliders.
@capirani (2730)
• United States
9 Jan 09
I would love to be able to make some good KFC knock off chicken. I love that chicken. My fried chicken never turns out so good anymore like it used to. But then as my tastes have changed, I don't like mine much anymore...too greasy.
@bookreadermom08 (5614)
• United States
9 Jan 09
oh I agree...making your own version of cooking food from fast food or restaurant food is much better.
last year I actually decided to make a loaf of bread from scratch. It took me a little while to get the hang of it, but wow it was good. LOL
@capirani (2730)
• United States
10 Jan 09
Not to mention, you can go out and buy the ground beef for maybe less than you would spend for your family's sandwich choices at the fast food restaurants, making it cheaper to make at home too. And the convenience of being able to season it as you want it.
@pujagupta (102)
• India
10 Jan 09
Well i am a vegie so i don't eat ham. But much to my delight i do eat and make Veg Burgers. The Indian Aloo Tikki burger is my favorite. I do eat the veg burger from the fast corner that is near my home. I enjoy both. The taste of both is different.
@capirani (2730)
• United States
10 Jan 09
Do you care to share the recipe for the Indian Aloo Tikki burger? I cook Indian food a lot but haven't had that. Hamburger and cheeseburgers are made with ground beef, not ham. I know...but don't ask me why they call it hamburger. LOL
