The first of new recipes for the Whip It Up Challenge.

I’m all about simple right now, plus using up leftovers from our 4th of July picnic. Sooo… I tried French Onion Burgers with Oven-Baked Onion Rings. (I also reheated some beans from the 4th and decided that recipe is definitely a keeper!) Another thing I’d like to get out of this challenge is to improve my food photography skills. (I’m open to comments and critique!)

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First the burgers…

The French Onion Burgers came from an old Campbell’s soup recipe booklet I had. We have a LOT of frozen hamburger patties in the freezer from last week so I decided to just use the premade burgers, which were 1/3 pound each. Since I was making onion rings, I also decided to cook some onions in with them. I also had the chance to use my fancy grill press for my grill pan. I don’t know if I’ve ever used it in the 2 or 3 years I’ve had it!

Was the recipe easy to follow?

Yes! Especially since I eliminated the step of making my own burgers!

Did the dish taste good?

Yes! Chad really liked it! They were a nice change up from a plain hamburger and moist with the reserved soup for dipping. Plus easy to make on the stove top.

Would you make it again?

Definitely! Super simple and easy to have everything on hand for a quick weeknight dinner. They are nothing fancy, but I need more simple recipes for weeknights!

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Next the Onion Rings…

I just checked out a Weight Watchers cookbook from the library and found this and decided to try with some of our leftover burgers.

Was the recipe easy to follow?

Not Really – Messy. I should have known from everything I’ve ever made that needs to be dipped in a liquid and then dredged in bread crumbs. The first 3 turned out OK, but once you dredge something in egg, and then in bread crumbs, it seems impossible to not have huge lumps of sticky bread crumbs, so future dredging is almost impossible and VERY messy! Anyone have any suggestions on this?

Did the dish taste good?

Only 3 turned out. I gave them to Chad. He ate them, but wasn’t impressed at all. He said there wasn’t much flavor, and they weren’t really like the “real thing”.

Would you make it again?

NO. They weren’t very good, and hard to make and messy.

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Here is the burger recipe with my changes…

French Onion Burgers

1 lb. premade frozen hamburgers, thawed or partially thawed
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) condensed French Onion Soup
1/2 large onion, sliced
4 slices cheese (we used colby jack)
4 round hard rolls, split

Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook until they’re well browned on both sides. Remove the burgers and set aside. Pour off any fat.

Stir the soup into the skillet. Add the sliced onion. Heat to a boil. Return the burgers to the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the burgers are cooked through. Top with cheese and continue cooking until the cheese melts. Serve burgers in rolls with soup mixture for dipping.