Honeymoon Hamburger
Submitted by janchip
Retro stuffed hamburger patties cradling a savory bread-and-onion filling, baked in creamy mushroom gravy. A nostalgic mid-century beef casserole that turns ground beef into Sunday-supper comfort.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
55 minREADY
80 minHoneymoon Hamburger is pure mid-century Americana: ground beef patties cradling a savory bread-and-onion stuffing, baked in cream of mushroom soup until the meat browns and the gravy thickens. It turned up in church cookbooks and bridal showers in the 1950s, hence the name. Generous, frugal, and deeply satisfying.
The technique is what makes it work. Instead of mixing the stuffing into the meat (where it gets lost), you build a hollow in each patty and pack it with seasoned bread cubes bound by milk, egg, and soup. The patty edges turn up around the filling like a little crown so the stuffing stays put. As it bakes, juices from the ground beef drip down into the soup-and-milk gravy underneath, which reduces and clings to the meat. Halfway through, you pour the rest of the soup-milk mixture over the top so it bakes into a glossy blanket.
Pro Tips
- Use 80/20 ground beef. Leaner cuts dry out, and the bread filling needs the fat for flavor.
- Cube your bread the night before and leave it uncovered. Day-old bread soaks up the egg-and-soup mixture far better than fresh, which turns to gum.
- Don’t overpack the stuffing or the patties will split in the oven. Pack just enough to mound slightly above the meat.
- Serve with whipped potatoes to catch every drop of mushroom gravy.
Variations
- Swap cream of mushroom for cream of celery or cream of chicken for a different gravy direction.
- Add a teaspoon of poultry seasoning or sage to the bread stuffing for a Thanksgiving-leaning twist.
- Stir grated cheddar into the stuffing or melt slices on top during the last few minutes of baking.
Ingredients
Directions
Mix ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ cup onions in the ground beef.
Pat meat by hand or in hamburger press to ¾ inch thickness.
Set aside.
In bowl, mix bread cubes with chopped onion, celery, salt, and pepper.
Beat eggs, ¼ cup milk, and ½ cup of soup together.
Combine liquid mixture with bread cubes.
Grease a large shallow baking dish .
Put several rounded tablespoons of bread cube mixture into center of beef patties.
Turn edges of ground beef patties up.
Bake 30 minutes at 350℉ (180℃).
Mix rest of milk with rest of mushroom soup.
Pour over hamburgers and stuffing.
Bake for 25 more minutes.
Serve with whipped potatoes and salad.
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