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.

The Cow Palace - Shelbyville, IN

Just southeast of Indianapolis, Indiana, lies the small town of Shelbyville.  While it is the county seat for Shelby County, it is a distinctly working class town without much to offer beyond a historic movie theater and a collection of industrial employers.  This is certainly not to say there aren't great people living and working in Shelbyville because there are, but it isn't exactly a tourist destination.

Like the factories that are the lifeblood of the town, the food mirrors that utilitarian theme.  Restaurants serve simple, diner-style food among the number of familiar fast food and casual dining options in town.  Just north of the downtown square, a local eatery came up on my radar screen.  The Cow Palace is a restaurant and ice cream shop that serves up diner fare with a unique spin on some dishes.

The restaurant sits on the site of the former homesite for noted local author, Charles Major.  Major lived from 1856 to 1913 and is known for writing When Knighthood Was In Flower and The Bears of Blue River.  A plaque at the entrance to the restaurant recognizes the site in his honor.

On my visit, I scanned the menu filled with traditional diner selections like the cheeseburger, pork tenderloin sandwich, soups, salads, and other sandwiches.  One particular item caught my eye.  It seemed to advertise a most delicious combination of two classic diner dishes.  Just as the Labradoodle transfigured two distinctly different large breed dogs, the Cow Palace has transformed the sandwich by pairing a cheeseburger with a BLT club sandwich.  Snuggled between three slices of bread this sandwich boasts a cheeseburger patty, lot's of crispy, hickory-smoked bacon along with fresh lettuce and sliced tomatoes.  Mayonnaise completes the sandwich.  Naturally, I had to order this.

What arrived at my table looked exactly like a club sandwich with the exception of the sliced deli meat being substituted for the cheeseburger.  I can readily say the sandwich was all that I hoped for.  It was equal parts tasty BLT and juicy cheeseburger.  I truly enjoyed every delicious bite.  The french fries served alongside were alright, but needed a dose of salt to make them have some flavor.  I also indulged myself with a strawberry milkshake that was very thick and rich.  In traditional diner fashion I got a tall glass filled with my shake and the metal mixing container with all the extra shake mixture.  It was the perfect compliment to my meal.

If you ever find yourself in Shelbyville, Indiana, I would encourage you to drop in to the Cow Palace and sample their fare.  I can assure you that the Cheeseburger BLT will exceed your expectations.  The prices are very fair and on par with small town pricing.  My total bill for this meal was right around $10 before tip.