Created out of necessity, these "Hamburger Bites" are fun and tasty finger food dippers.

January 7, 2010

Jackson’s Lunch:

• Hamburger Bites (basically meatballs made like a hamburger with garlic and worchestershire sauce instead of the traditional Italian ingredients) with ketchup for dipping
• Romaine lettuce
• Spelt and Veggie Salad
• Apple Slices
• Raisins

When I buy hamburger (which isn’t very often), I buy at least 90 percent lean organic ground beef.  The trouble is, unless I buy it from the butcher counter in the grocery store, it’s always packaged in one pound packages.  That’s 16 ounces for three people.  At three to five ounces a serving for my family members, we inevitably end up with an extra three or four ounces.

I don’t know about your family, but no one here cares too much for leftover hamburgers for whatever reason.  I can’t just throw out what’s left since organic meat is significantly pricier than non-organic (plus, I hate throwing away food), so I came up with an easy use for the leftover ground beef. 

I mix up the entire pound of meat with a clove or two of minced garlic and 1/4 cup of Worchestershire sauce, form three hamburgers, then form two or three “Hamburger Bites” with the leftover meat.  They are essentially meatballs, which are great finger food when dipped in ketchup and easy to package for Jackson’s lunch.  I just cook them while I cook the burgers, refrigerate or freeze them, then reheat for the Thermos when they’re sent for lunch.  They’re fun and tasty, two appealing features when you’re feeding a five-year-old.