Cheeseburger Stromboli From the Home Kitchen

So I am more than long overdue for a post, but rest assured that I am about post a ton of entries from my travels in the not so distance past. This post comes straight from my home kitchen. With four little kids bouncing off the walls of my house, we need good options for dinner. I am sure there are plenty of versions of something similar to this out there, but we really enjoy making Cheeseburger Stromboli as a family.

   

Cheeseburger Stromboli Topped with Mustard and Ketchup

This recipe is simple to make with kids, tasty and it looks cool. For kids it is all about the look of the food lot's of the time. So while this won't be a post about a great, independently owned restaurant to check out. Instead, it will be a guide to making a quick homemade meal that tastes great. Who doesn't like a cheeseburger? If you have little ones at home, then you understand the cheeseburger landmark. The cheeseburger is the gateway food drug that weens a child off of a diet solely made up of french fries and chicken nuggets. A new protein is introduced and once a child breaks through to eating cheeseburgers, their food journey is officially launched. Much like the Pinot Noir to Merlot to Cabernet Sauvignon journey many wine drinkers follow, the chicken nugget to cheeseburger landmark is a significant one.

 The Cheeseburger Stromboli is a fun way to introduce the kids to cheeseburgers. The ingredient list is fairly simple.

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (leaner is better to keep the crust from getting soggy, but not too lean to dry the meat out)
1/2 yellow onion finely chopped
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 pkg Phyllo Dough
1 egg beaten
Shredded cheese of your choice to top
salt and pepper to taste

 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

To prep the meal, pull out the frozen phyllo dough and let it thaw according to the package instructions. This will usually take 3-45 minutes. Unfold the thawed dough and roll it out thin with a lightly floured rolling pin.

Dice the yellow onion to desired size. I am a fan of onion flavor, but not so much on the texture many times and my kiddos aren't big fans either yet so I tend to dice the onion very small. While it sautes in the pan, this will keep the flavor, yet make the onion itself virtually disappear. Put the onions in a saute pan over medium heat. When the onions begin to become translucent, add in the ground beef and and garlic powder. Be careful not to overcook the beef, especially if you are using a lean mixture. It is perfectly alright to still have a little bit of pink in the meat since we will be putting it in the oven. Drain the meat and onion mixture.

Once drained, spread the onion and meat mixture evenly over the dough. Top the meat mixture with a healthy coating of your favorite shredded cheese mixture.  Roll up the dough and pinch the ends to seal the dough. Beat the egg and thin it lightly with water if desired. Brush the exterior of the dough with the egg. Place it in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. 

The Completed Stromboli

Slice and enjoy.

One tip I like to do is to dot the slices with ketchup and mustard. Aside from the flavor, it looks colorful and like so many other eaters, kids really eat with their eyes. Enjoy a tasty and simple dish to make with your kids.