As I type this post, I can feel my mother shaking her head.
Growing up in our household, dinner was a simple affair. I think my mom tried to keep it simple for my brothers and I because between the three of us and our seventeen after school activities, it was a time to sit down, chill for a few seconds, chat, and eat something nourishing.
Some of my favorite memories as a child center around sitting at that oval, scratched wooden table and conversing with my immediate family about each other’s day. I fondly remember eating big bowls of chicken noodle soup, tuna casserole, and beef chili. Is it me, or do simple dishes create the most conversation? Whether or not that was my mother’s strategy or not, it worked!
It worked so well, that my brothers and I would flip out when she would take us to McDonald’s for a burger and fries. We only got to go when Dad was out of town so it was a real special treat. I remember savoring each and every fry like it was my last, especially the one perfectly, golden fry that falls out of the box and into the bottom of bag. Score!
So we didn’t eat decadent food all the time as kids, which in hindsight, is probably the best thing (thanks, ma!). Could you imagine three kids hopped up on Mountain Dew and fried Twinkies? Yikes. Anyways, I thought it would be fun to take the simple concept of a burger, but put a more decadent spin on it. I never thought in a million years I would ever put peanut butter on top of a burger. But not just any burger, a “cheeseburger” meatball sub burger. Wait. Does that even make sense?
My goal on CGM is to push the food limit, but that doesn’t mean it has to be complicated. When I am creating recipes for y’all, I try to think of different ways food can be presented and eaten, and often times, it takes on a life of it’s own. Once I started thinking of different ways to eat a burger and the fact the new wave of burger eating craze is putting peanut butter on things, well, it all just sorted to snow ball from there into a decadent, mouth-watering burger sub. Add a little mayo and crispy bacon to the mix, and you have yourself one heck of a special treat.
I think my mom would approve of this sub. All it needs is a little lettuce.
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground veal
couple dashes Tabasco or any hot sauce
salt and pepper
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
6 pieces bacon, cooked, diced
4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 brat buns
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, veal, Tabasco, and salt/pepper. Make 12 mini meatballs and place on baking sheet. Bake for about 7 minutes. Then pull baking sheet from oven and place about a tablespoon of cheese on top of each meatball. Place the meatballs back in the oven for about 3 minutes or until golden brown and done. Set aside to cool.
Take a brat bun and place a tablespoon of mayo on one side and a tablespoon of peanut butter on the other. Place three meatballs in the middle and garnish with bacon pieces. Repeat process until you have four subs. Serve with a big ol' beer!