Mushroom Burgers & Short Method BBQ Beans

Sunday afternoons are a time when we are guaranteed to have the kids at the dining table, chattering away about the events of the past couple of days.  Often we find ourselves snorting, belly laughing and pretty much losing any signs of being dignified.  It is a good idea to drink any liquids furtively, because there are silly parts of the meal, and it does not feel good to have milk squirt out your nose. Today, the kids came by for what might be the last BBQ of the year.  Even though Brian thinks we can cook on the grill in the winter, I do not think it’s worth facing the freezing Michigan weather for a grilled burger.  So, I have no problem keeping the outdoor meals in the proper months of the year, where I can’t get frost-bite from flipping burgers. 

            Today’s meal consisted of mushroom burgers and special baked beans, although I used “short method” for the beans.  With such dishes, it should be noted, the longer the cook time, the better.

            Mushroom Burgers

            I am sure that it is not necessary to explain how to cook a burger, so choose your favorite method, be it pan fried, grilled or broiled and cook up your patties.  In a frying pan add a tablespoon of butter, one package of fresh sliced mushrooms, half an onion diced up into small pieces and salt and pepper.  Sauté until the mushrooms turn a bit brown and the onions get translucent. When putting the burger together, place a scoop of mushroom mix on the bottom bun, add a slice of your favorite cheese, patty, BBQ sauce and mayo on the top bun.  If you have any bacon, add a slice or two.  “Everyone knows” that bacon improves even the tastiest of meals.

            Short Method BBQ Beans

            Place one 28 oz can of baked beans and a 16 oz can of kidney beans into a pot that can go into the oven.  Add to pot half a chopped onion, one crushed clove of garlic, ½ cup of ketchup, two tablespoons of mustard and a ¼ cup of brown sugar.  Heat on the stove top until bubbling; make sure to mix beans so that they do not burn on the bottom.  If time is short, keep cooking until the sauce has thickened up, and then eat; these are “immediate beans”.  Otherwise, place in a 350 oven for about one hour or until the liquid has cooked down.  For extra flavor add pre-cooked pieced of smoked bacon.