Teenager Favorites
This month we begin the fall celebration of birthdays in our house. Our two oldest children will be 14 in and 13 in a few short days and weeks. In honor of their birthdays, I thought this would be a good week to talk all about teenagers and their favorite foods. And since we have all walked through that quirky season of life, I would imagine some of these foods might still be favorites of yours. I know I will surely eat a burger any day!
And the good thing about these foods is that teenagers can easily prepare them with a little guidance from you. Some of my favorite memories come from cooking in the kitchen with my parents and grandparents and I am thankful to share the kitchen with our children. I hope this weeks’ menu offers you a chance to carry on the tradition!
TASTY GRIDDLE CHEESEBURGERS
I could probably live on cheeseburgers if I really had to. They are a comfort food of mine and I always welcome the opportunity to bite into a tasty cheeseburger. With the toasty bun, gooey cheese, and tasty hamburger I am most satisfied. This burger can be cooked on a griddle or in a skillet on the stove top. Just be sure to toast your buns first so you have a place for the burger patties to go once cooked. You will have enough patties for all buns to have one burger and some will have two. Also, I like to start with the ground beef in a ball and smash it on the griddle or frying pan to spread it out when cooking.
Serves 8
Ingredients
2.5-3 pounds ground beef
8 hamburger buns
4-5 tablespoons ghee (or mayonnaise)
6 teaspoons salt (divided)
3 teaspoons pepper (divided)
12 slices American cheese
Directions
Form 3-4 ounce hamburger patty balls. Form them by shaping the meat into a ball in your hands.
Heat the griddle or skillet to medium heat.
Spread 1 teaspoon of ghee or mayonnaise on each inner side of the hamburger buns. Toast on the griddle putting the bun ghee side down to toast. Let the bun toast for 1-2 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown. Pull off the griddle and set aside.
Place the burgers in the skillet over medium heat. Press the patties down flat as you put them out using a spatula or a meat press. Once all flattened, season the top side of each patty with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper. Let that side cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the meat begins to brown and form a slight crust. Flip the patty over, season each patty with another 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook for another 4-5 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through. Once the patty is cooked, place a slice of American Cheese on top and transfer to a bottom side bun. Once all burgers are placed on bottom sided buns, top with the top sided buns and serve immediately.
Enjoy with ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard or eat alone.
PIMENTO CHEESE TATER TOTS
In college, when I would visit my best friend Sally Anne Giles at The University of South Carolina in Columbia, we always went to the Salty Nut for snacks and fun. It’s a local hangout that makes the best pimento cheese drizzled tater tots. I have been a fan ever since. This is my version of that college goodness. Also, I’ll include my pimento cheese recipe. Or, I recommend Palmetto Pimento Cheese from your grocery store. Best when served at room temperature.
Tara’s Pimento Cheese
Yields approximately 3 cups
Ingredients
16 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
7 tablespoons Duke’s mayonnaises
2 tablespoons pimentos, diced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix until well combined. Serve immediately or keep in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Pimento Cheese Tater Tots
Serves 4-6
4 cups tater tots, cooked
½ cups pimento cheese, homemade or Palmetto Pimento Cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pour the tots in an oven proof pan or bowl evenly. Spread the pimento cheese across the top of the tots, trying to spread as evenly as possible.
Place in the oven for 4-5 minutes, or until the cheese begins to bubble. Serve immediately.
EASY PESTO PIZZA
When I stepped off the train in Monterosso, Italy, one of the small fishing villages in Cinque Terre, I first learned of Pesto Pizza. My friends and I had been traveling most of the day to get to Cinque Terre as we were on a backpacking trip around Europe. Starved, we all walked up to get a quick bite as we became acquainted with the village. I ordered a slice of pesto pizza, as pesto is known as a specialty in this part of the world. I’ll never forget my first bite of this slightly sweet, nutty, and cheesy goodness. It has been a favorite from that moment. This version is a simple way for you and your teenager to make a quick dinner or snack in the kitchen. You can certainly make your own pizza dough, marinara or pesto (and I highly recommend trying that sometime), but for this version the store bought options work beautifully.
I recommend making this pizza on a sheet pan.
Easy Pesto Pizza
Serves 2-4
Ingredients
2 loaves Stonefire Naan flatbread
¾ cup marinara sauce, divided,
1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, grated and divided
½ cup pesto sauce, divided
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spread 3 tablespoons of marinara onto each Naan flatbread.
Top marinara covered bread with ¾ cup of mozzarella cheese on each.
Bake in the oven for 2-3 minutes, just to begin to melt the cheese. Once just melted, pull out of the oven.
Then spread 2 tablespoons of pesto sauce onto each of the melted cheese covered Naan flatbreads.
Bake in the oven for 4-5 minutes, just as the pesto begins to cook.
Serve immediately.
LEMON ZEST FRUIT DIP
Our daughter, Isabelle, absolutely loves fruit dip. A few of the moms that I know make this regularly and whenever she gets a bite she raves about how much she enjoys it! This version is easy and fresh with a hint of lemon. Serve it with fresh fruit, graham crackers, or pound cake.
Yields approximately 1 ½ cups
Ingredients
4 ounces Cool Whip
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
4 ounces marshmallow creme (fluff)
3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Mix all the ingredients in a medium size bowl with a hand mixer or counter top mixer. Serve immediately.
May be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Cookies are some of my favorite desserts. I love the crunchy, sweet, and sometimes salty flavors and texture of a cookie. You can play with various ingredients and combinations of your favorite flavors. Plus, they make a great, easy, on-the-go treat. I am sure this simple recipe will be a favorite of yours and any teenager you may know.
Yields approximately 3 dozen
Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ½ cups self-rising flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 cups semi-sweet morsels
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cream the sugar and butter in a mixer.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each egg, and then the vanilla. Mix well.
Add the flour, mixing slowly to incorporate. Add the salt. Mix well.
Slowly mix in the morsels into the batter until fully mixed and combined.
On a greased baking sheet, place heaping tablespoons of batter 1 inch apart.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. After pulling out of the oven, let the cookies cool for 2 minutes before serving.
The cookies may be kept in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
