It Feels Like the Bottom of the Barrel

I'm down to 2 packages of beef short ribs from our beef deliveries. I had nothing thawed for tonight's dinner. 

Rummaging through the meat freezer, I came across an old package of hamburger patties that no one knows when they were purchased. One daughter thought she might have bought them a couple of years ago. She said she would be thrilled if we used them up. 

There was about 1/2 cup of loose frost in the bag, and the patties themselves were covered with frost. I could just imagine the burgers would be freezer tasting, and the texture might not be great. 

I wasn't sure how to use them, but thought perhaps I could turn them into a meatloaf or meatballs.

After thawing 3 of the patties in the microwave, I ran them through the food processor along with bread, onions, celery leaves, and lots and lots of seasonings. Hiding any off flavors was my mission.

I baked the seasoned meat as a loaf, topped with ketchup. After baking, I added pickle and tomato slices and drizzled 1000 Island dressing over all. Surprise, surprise -- this tasted good!

I have 2 remaining long-in-the-tooth beef patties from this bag that I will turn into meatballs next week, using this same technique of running the patties through the food processor with bread and lots of seasonings.

The rest of our meal tonight also had that bottom of the barrel feeling. I used the last 2 potatoes (1 wrinkly, the other okay) as oven fries, mixed the last of the applesauce with some home-canned spiced figs in the blender for fig-applesauce, and stirred a small container of mayonnaise (from a picnic a few weeks ago) with the last of the sweet relish and some ketchup to make 1000 Island dressing. Man, I need to go grocery shopping soon!

Have you used preformed burger patties not cooked as patties before? What type of dish did you use them in?