A Family Favorite from the Newspaper Clippings

As part of our 2026 Synod Assembly under the theme Rooted in God’s Story, we are creating a community recipe book — Rooted at the Table. Submit your recipe by Friday, May 1, 2026, and learn more here.

Submitted by Mark and Jan Myers (Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, Las Vegas)

This recipe began as a clipped newspaper idea—and became a family favorite.

It’s a reminder of how simple meals can become lasting traditions.

Fancy Pants

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of hamburger or ground turkey (we prefer ground turkey)

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 8 slices of American Cheese

  • 1 20 oz can Tomato Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon Natures Seasons Seasoning + seasoning for meat to your preference.

  • White rice

Instructions

  • Season meat with Nature’s Seasons and form into 8 thin patties. Place of slice of cheese (folded into 4’s) on 4 of the patties. Cover patty with the remaining 4 patties and pinch the edges together to enclose the cheese. Add Natures Seasons to the tomato sauce to taste. Approximately 1 tablespoon and be sure to mix into the sauce well.

  • In a skillet brown the patties on one side in the olive oil. Turn the patties over and pour the can of tomato sauce over the patties. Tear up the remaining 4 slices of cheese and add to the tomato sauce around the patties in the pan. Cover and simmer until patties are cooked through. 

  • The cheese will melt into the sauce as it simmers. Stir occasionally and also baste the sauce over the patties if they are completely exposed (this will help prevent from them drying out).

  • Serve over white rice.

Story

My mom got this recipe out of the Chicago American newspaper when I was growing up. She routinely cut recipes out of the paper to try and this one was a huge hit with our family. It quickly became my favorite meal.

Brian FlatgardRooted at the Table, Recipes, 2026 RecipesComment