Jiffy Burgers and Potato Wedges with Ranch

In my first recipe post I shared the recipe for a delicacy from my childhood—Cheese and Taco Frenchies. I had to come up with my own version since the restaurant that served them—Peter’s Dairy Creme—closed in 1994.

Well, Peter’s had another delicacy called the Jiffy Burger. Basically, a Jiffy Burger is seasoned meat with a special mustard/mayo/ pickle/onion type of sauce on top. I personally think the sauce tastes like mustard potato salad without the potatoes.

When Peter’s closed they sold the Jiffy Burger recipe to Sehnert’s Bakery & Bieroc cafe (local bakery) so it still is possible to get a Jiffy Burger in my hometown McCook. The local grocery story also used to sale the jiffy sauce, but I’m not sure whether or not they still do. Disclaimer:  It is possible that the Jiffy Burger name is trademarked. If it is, I hope someone will let me know. I am not trying to claim the name or the product. I just had a craving and therefore came up with my own version. :-)

Unfortunately, I don’t get back to McCook very often and was very happy when my mom came up with her own version of the jiffy sauce and passed it on to me. I made a few of my own changes and now am able to re-create my own version of my favorite Peter’s meal. . . Jiffy Burgers and Potato Wedges with Ranch.

Jiffy SauceIngredients: Yellow mustard, real mayonnaise (no substitutes), dill pickles, and white onion

Mix 1 cup of mayonnaise, 1/4 cup of yellow mustard, 1/4 cup of finely chopped dill pickle, and a little more than 1/4 cup chopped onion.

The sauce should be light yellow in color. After mixing, place in the refrigerator to chill. The longer it chills, the more the flavors mix together.

Jiffy Burger MeatIngredients: Ground beef, white onion, Worcestershire sauce, and Cream of Wheat

I do not recommend using lean ground beef for the jiffy burger meat mixture. For it to taste right, you actually want that extra fat. I used 80/20 ground beef and it was the perfect mixture.

Brown the ground beef with 1/4 cup of the finely chopped/minced white onion.

I actually add some dry minced onion along with the fresh onion because the flavor is more concentrated, and I like how it seeps into the ground beef. 

Do not drain grease. Add a splash of  Worcestershire sauce and some Cream of Wheat to the ground beef.

The amount of Worcestershire sauce and Cream of Wheat you add will depend on how many pounds of ground beef you are using. I used 1 pound of ground beef and added approximately 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce and 2 tablespoons of Cream of Wheat. I also added a little bit of water (approximately 1/2 cup) to further break down the meat.

 Make sure you taste the meat mixture and salt to taste. It should have a nice onion-seasoned flavor. The beef itself should be broken down and the Cream of Wheat and water will make it stick together (similar to the consistency of a sloppy joe).

Potato Wedges with Ranch Ingredients: Potatoes and 1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (plus 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of mayonnaise).
Mix the dressing and place in refrigerator to chill.

The Ranch dip that Peter’s served with their wedges was so tasty. I like that it was runny rather than thick. Hidden Valley Ranch “Dressing” is very close to what they served. Who knows!? Maybe that is what they used.

Honestly, my desire for the “right” dressing drives my family crazy. While at my parents house this summer, my mom grabbed the bottled of Ranch out of the fridge. I said, “no way, it’s not the same.” If we would have been in Denver, I would have just dealt with it. But, since the grocery store was less than 5 minutes away, I mixed up the mayo and milk and had it ready for my hubby to get home with the seasoning packet. Hard-headed? Yes! But, no one could argue with me that it didn’t taste good. ;-)

Cut potatoes into wedges and place on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with PAM (or other nonstick cooking spray). Spray the tops of the wedges and sprinkle lightly with seasoning salt (eg, Lawry’s). Bake at 375* for approximately 20-25 minutes or until soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.

I like to make sure the potato wedges are completely coated. If you don’t have cooking spray, use vegetable oil and just coat the pan and wedges really well. Make sure you turn the wedges at least once during cooking. For crispier wedges, turn the broiler on low during the last 5 minutes. Just make sure you keep an eye on them unless you want ‘em really crispy. If desired, you can fry your wedges in a deep fryer. I like to think of this as the “somewhat” healthier alternative. Ha!

  Assembling the Jiffy Burger . . . Place about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture onto the bottom half of a hamburger bun. Add a spoonful of the Jiffy sauce on top of the meat mixture.

Comfort food at it’s finest . . .

I know there are a few  of my classmates and other “McCookites” longing for a Jiffy Burger. Let me know if you try this out and what you think. Enjoy!!!

Jiffy Burgers                                                   Printable Recipe

Ingredients:        1/4 cup of yellow mustard    1 cup of real mayonnaise (no substitutes)    1/4 cup of finely chopped dill pickle    1 White onion (1/4 cup chopped for sauce and 1/4 cup finely              chopped/minced for meat)    Ground beef     Worcestershire sauce    Cream of Wheat    Salt (to taste)    Hamburger buns Jiffy Sauce Directions: 1. Mix yellow mustard, mayonnaise, dill pickle, and onion. The mixture should be light yellow in color. 2. Set in refrigerator to chill. Jiffy Burger Meat Directions: 1. Brown the ground beef with onion. Do not drain the grease. 2. Add a splash of  Worcestershire sauce and some Cream of Wheat. 3. Add some water (approximately 1/2 cup) to break down the meat a bit further. The beef itself should break down and the Cream of Wheat and water should make it stick together (similar to the consistency of a sloppy joe). To Serve: Place about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture onto the bottom half of a hamburger bun. Add a spoonful of the Jiffy sauce on top of the meat mixture. Notes:  Use ground beef with a little extra fat, such as 80/20. You do not want to use lean ground beef. For added flavor, add some dry minced onion. You can use it alongside the fresh onion or in place of it. The amount of Worcestershire sauce and Cream of Wheat you add will depend on how many pounds of ground beef you are using. For example, if using 1 pound of ground beef you will add approximately 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce and 2 tablespoons of Cream of Wheat.

Potato Wedges with Ranch                            Printable Recipe

Ingredients:    Potatoes     Nonstick cooking spray (eg, Pam) or vegetable oil    1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix     1 cup of milk     1 cup of mayonnaise Directions: 1. Mix the dressing ingredients and place in refrigerator to chill. 2. Cut potatoes into wedges and place on cookie sheet that has been sprayed with PAM (or other nonstick cooking spray). 3. Spray the tops of the wedges and sprinkle lightly with seasoning salt (eg, Lawry’s). 4. Bake at 375* for approximately 20-25 minutes or until soft on the inside but crispy on the outside. Notes: For crispier wedges, turn the broiler on low during the last 5 minutes. Just make sure you keep an eye on them unless you want ‘em really crispy

RunZa Casserole

Being from Nebraska, one of my favorite things to eat is a swiss cheese mushroom runza. If you've never heard of runzas than I would say that you are missing out. It's actually a surprise to me just how many people have never heard of such a thing. But, I guess that's because it's a Nebraska thing. . . ha ha!

According to Wikipedia, a Runza (also called a bierock, fleischkuche or Kraut Pirok) is a yeast dough bread pocket with a filling consisting of beef, pork, cabbage or sauerkraut, onions, and seasonings. They are baked in various shapes such as a half-moon, rectangle, round (bun), square, or triangle. In Nebraska, the runza is usually baked in a rectangular shape. The bierocks of Kansas, on the other hand, are generally baked in the shape of a bun. 

According to the Runza restaurant website, a runza sandwich is homemade dough made from scratch everyday — stuffed full of choice ground beef, onions, cabbage, and secret spices—and then baked fresh and served hot. MMMmmmmmm yes...pure heaven! I thought that the Runza restaurant chain had patented the "runza" name, but don't quote me on that. Even when we make them ourselves, we still call them runzas. 

When I was growing up, my grandma would make a big batch of runzas and share with us. My mom has also made them a time or two. I'll get around to making my own runzas someday. For now I have a quick fix  . . . RunZa Casserole.

The basic ingredients . . .

1-1/2 lbs ground beef, 1/2 onion (chopped), salt, pepper, minced onion, minced garlic, garlic salt, 1 bag of shredded cabbage (approx. 4 cups), mozzarella cheese (shredded), 2 tubes of crescent roll dough.

Variation: replace the mozzarella with swiss cheese . . . so good!!!

The extras . . .

Cheddar cheese and sliced mushrooms.

Putting it together . . .

Brown the hamburger and onion. If you're not a big fan of onion, and because the recipe also calls for minced onion, you may want to skip the fresh onion. 

We LOVE onions so the more the better!

 The next step is to season the meat/onion mixture. I used lean beef so I really didn't have any grease to drain, but be sure to drain if you have too.

Add minced onion, minced garlic, garlic salt, pepper and salt.

The key to flavor is really in the seasonings so make sure you have a taste.

Add the shredded cabbage to the meat mixture. 
This particular bag mixture had carrots.

Cook the mixture until the cabbage shrinks down. I added more seasonings, especially salt.
At this point you may want to have another lttle taste test.

Assembly at it's (uh) finest . . .

Place one tube of crescent roll dough in a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

Flatten out the dough with your hands or  use a baker's roller (Pampered Chef plug).
It doesn't have to be pretty, but knock yourself out if you want it to be perfect.

  

 Add the meat/cabbage mixture on top of the dough.

 Optional: Add one can of sliced mushrooms

Here comes the love . . .

Sprinkle one package (2 cups) of mozzarella cheese on top of the mixture.
Variation: Substitute swiss cheese for mozzarella.

 

Optional: Add some more love (aka cheddar cheese). I used about 1/4 cup.

Topping it off . . .

Place the second tube of crescent dough on top. 

You may want to make it look prettier than I did. But, if you don't care and you just want to eat it then you will end up with a top crust that resembles Frankenstein!

Bake according to directions on the crescent roll dough. Since you are using two tubes of dough, you will more than likely double the time. Just keep an eye on it. It should be golden brown when done.

Voila!

Fresh out of the oven.

Ready to eat! 
We like to eat with ketchup and mustard, but it's good by itself too.  

My husband had a big smile on his face when I served this to him for dinner. I told him that I thought it looked ugly (ie, Frankenstein), but he said, "who cares...it tastes good!" Yay! That's what I like to hear. I hope you enjoy it as much as he did.

RunZa Casserole
Ingredients:
  1-1/2 lbs Ground beef
  1/2 onion (chopped)
  salt
  pepper
  minced onion
  minced garlic
  garlic salt
 1 bag of shredded cabbage (approx. 4 cups)
  mozzarella cheese (or swiss cheese slices)
  2 tubes of crescent roll mix
Additional (optional) ingredients:
  1/4 cup cheddar cheese
  1 can of sliced mushrooms

Directions:
1. Brown the hamburger and onion. If you're not a big fan of onion, and because the recipe also calls for minced onion, you may want to skip the fresh onion.
2. Season the meat mixture with minced onion, minced garlic, garlic salt, pepper and salt.
3. Add the shredded cabbage to the meat mixture.
4. Cook the mixture until the cabbage shrinks down. I added more seasonings, especially salt. *
           **At this point, make sure you've had a little taste*
5. Flatten out one tube of crescent roll dough into the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish. It doesn't have to be pretty, but knock yourself out if you want it to be perfect.
6. Add the meat/cabbage mixture on top of the dough.
7. If desired, add sliced mushrooms.
8. Sprinkle one package (2 cups) of mozzarella cheese on top of the mixture.
9. If desired, add cheddar cheese.
10. Place the second tube of crescent dough on top of the cheese/meat/cabbage mixture.
11. Bake according to directions on the crescent roll dough. Since you are using two tubes of dough, you will more than likely double the time. Just keep an eye on it. It should be golden brown when done.