The Hamburger Chef

Have you ever wondered if you might be the owner of a secret talent that not even you know you have? I don't have any glaring talents so I kind of always hope one day I'll wake up and be able to draw beautiful, life-like pictures, sing like a female version of Josh Groban, or craft Martha Stewart right under the table. I'd even settle for being able to solve the Rubics Cube or complete an entire crossword puzzle in the Jasper Journal in ink. I'm still looking for secret superpower...however, I have discovered Kevin's hidden talent (other than mopping - he is wonderful at mopping and vacuuming)....

He is an AMAZING hamburger chef. Now anytime we're having burgers for dinner he takes over the kitchen. All I have to do is put the french fries in the oven and get out the ketchup! This all started recently when we had watched one too many episodes of Man vs. Food on the Travel Channel and he watched the host attempt and succeed at eating a cheeseburger with 12 patties and 12 pieces of cheese (Yes, its his backup plan if this pastoring thing doesn't work out). While some might think eating that much is just plain ridiculous it actually makes for some interesting late-night television. Anyway, the inspiration was instantaneous. Immediately after that Kevin decided to try his hand at being a Burger Artist and while the results were delicious...the initial burger making process was hilarious. I really never thought I'd have to explain that using the actual lid for my skillet is much more beneficial for the cooking process than laying a cookie sheet on top of the pan. Then again I have to remember that in cooking years he's still a baby. :) I don't have his recipe exactly right (because its different every time and we don't measure stuff very often) but we'll give you the gist and you can try it at home with your own unique twists:

**NOTE** We're not responsible for any accidental weight gain or broken New Year's resolutions created by the following recipe.**

1 lb 80/20 lean ground beef

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Big dash of hot sauce (or more if you like it spicy!)

Big dash of worchestershire sauce

Form your beef into 3 big patties (or in our case 2 Kevin-size ones and 1 - Mandy size one) and put your skillet on medium high heat so it sizzles when you put the burgers in. Let it sear well on both sides then turn down the heat and put a lid on your skillet for about 5 minutes. Add your favorite toppings and some french fries and you'll be set! Enjoy!

Expecting a call from Throwdown with Bobby Flay any day now,

Mandy and Chef Kevin