Colorado Peach Burger

I thought of this nifty little entree while wondering what I was going to do with the few peaches I had left towards the end of peach season. After giving it some thought, I hit upon this idea, and it was even better than I thought it would be. I liked the way the sweetness of the sliced peaches offset the savory burger and the sharp cheddar cheese; this is one I made more than once, much to my own pleasure and that of my family.

This goes well with fresh cut french fries seasoned with sea salt, and a good medium-bodied beer. :-)

COLORADO PEACH BURGER

1 lb. ground beef
1-2 fresh (not canned) peaches
cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

• Form the burgers into patties, season with salt and pepper, and place on the grill.
• While the burgers are cooking, peel, pit, and slice the peaches. Be sure to slice the peaches vertically rather than into wedges.
• The last few minutes of grilling, place the peach slices on the burger and cover with the cheese (the cheese keeps the peaches from sliding off), leave on just long enough for the cheese to soften and begin to melt.
• Once the burgers reach desired doneness, remove from grill and let rest for 2-3 minutes.
• Place on roll, add condiments (but do so lightly...remember, you want to enjoy the mix of the peaches and burger!) and enjoy!

Bacon cheeseburger casserole!

I've pretty much come to the realization that whenever I get creative in the kitchen, it often tends toward "heart attack on a plate" land. Tonight's dinner was no exception.

My son and I both enjoy macaroni and cheese, and I've been making it from scratch (versus a box mix) for a few years now. I often add in various things from tuna to peas to chicken to tomatoes...whatever happens to strike my fancy and call it "______cheesy casserole."

While I've added in ground beef before and called it "cheeseburger casserole," tonight I decided to go the extra indulgence and added bacon....voila! Bacon cheeseburger casserole!!

It was amazingly simple to make. Start by making basic macaroni and cheese. While waiting for the water to boil and for the pasta to cook, brown the ground beef then cook a few slices of bacon. I cooked up a pound of pasta and a pound of ground beef, then a half pound of bacon.

After the cheese sauce is done, add in the pasta and ground beef, stir to mix well. Put in a two quart casserole dish, top with sliced cheese; break up the bacon and add it on top, then pop it all in the oven at 350 for about ten minutes. I topped mine with mesquite ketchup, which tasted more like barbecue sauce, so in essence I had a barbecue bacon cheeseburger casserole...or something like that anyway.

Simple, super basic comfort food (well, sort of). It may not be gourmet, but it sure was tasty.