The amount of ground beef needed will depend on the number of people served, as well as on their appetites. For seven people, I usually use three pounds of meat: one pound gets divided into four burgers, the other two pounds combine to make six burgers.
If you’re short on beef, it can be stretched by mixing in fillers: cooked rice, bread crumbs, rolled oats, or egg. Season the meat with one teaspoon of salt per pound of meat. Shape into patties and place on the grill. If no grill is available, broiling works well.
The key is to fill the eye as well as the stomach. Provide all fixin’s you like to make deluxe burgers:
- bacon (if you eat hamburgers a day or two after having had bacon with breakfast, the bacon can be made ahead)
- lettuce
- avocado slices
- tomato slices
- pickle slices
- ketchup, mayo, bbq sauce, etc.
- cheese, if desired
Variations:
- mix a handful of diced peppers into the meat before grilling burgers
- for a Hawaiian burger, omit aforementioned fixin’s, instead offering Canadian bacon and pineapple sauce
