The Basic Platform
1 lb. ground beef, browned
1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained
1 11 oz. pkg frozen mixed vegetables
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Add-ons
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 pkg taco seasoning + ¾ cup water
8 oz shredded cheese (whatever kind you prefer)
Tortilla chips
1 jar chunky salsa
Hot sauce to taste
Methods
Top of stove – brown burger, add the rest of desired ingredients, let it heat through for about 20 mins.
Crock pot – brown burger on stove or in microwave, add the rest of desired ingredients, 4 hours on High or 6 hours on Low.
Microwave – brown burger on High 3-5 mins, add the rest of desired ingredients, cook another 3-5 mins.
Some people want their burger drained, some don't.
The Food Basics Usual
I use everything but the chunky salsa most of the time. I mix up everything but the chips and cheese and heat it up.
I spread the chips on individual plates, spoon the burger mixture over that, and garnish with the cheese. If you want to get fancy, you could put a little pile of shredded lettuce, topped with a glob of sour cream and a couple of olives at the edge of each plate.
The Backstory
We first got the core recipe in the early 1960s from a cousin of my dad’s who lived in Albuquerque. Then it was only the burger, veg, and beans. In those days anything with Worcestershire sauce was about as “spicy” as you were going to get and with the addition of garlic – whoo! Spicy to the max. My mother thought it was pretty daring to serve this.
Later on, of course, tastes changed, and so did the recipe. It’s so flexible and versatile, I figured it was worthwhile to make it Open Source and see what other interesting things can happen to this humble dish.
Let me know if you come up with other interesting configurations!
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