Hamburger a la Charlotte

This week we are doing a fun twist at Granny’s Recipe Box! My mother-in-law, Betsy and my sister-in-law, Sarah were in town for Easter, and we thought it would be so fun to do a recipe from their side of the family. So this week, we present to you an original recipe by my husband’s grandmother (Mémère), Hamburger a la Charlotte.

I am in a minority of people who get along very well with all my in-laws, so nearly a week of them descending on my house is actually really fun for me. And our girls love seeing their cousins! Moana and Maui (our adopted children) provided the usual additional entertainment and revelry.

A bit about Mémère: Charlotte was one of ten children and grew up in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. She believes that there is no greater gift than education. In fact, my husband says she bailed him out of several French class grade predicaments (apparently French fluency skips a few generations). Despite being a phenomenal student growing up, she was not able to go directly to college after high school, which was a great disappointment for her. After her 4 boys were born, she went back to receive her bachelor and master degrees and completed all of the coursework for her PhD. She is an incredible mother, grandmother to 13 and now great-grandmother (or Grandmaman, as she is called) to 4.


Hamburger a la Charlotte is certainly Mémère’s signature dish. She perfected this French-Canadian culinary masterpiece over many years to make it a family favorite. It is a regular dish on our family’s menu, and we think Hamburger a la Charlotte should become a regular on your family’s table, too.

The recipe is extremely simple and inexpensive yet absolutely delicious; it is a perfect weeknight meal. Just brown ground beef, sauté onion and mushrooms, simmer in gravy and serve over egg noodles. And we recommend serving with Granny’s Sour Cream and Chive rolls. If you want to be really fancy, top it off with some parmesan cheese!

This extremely quick and easy recipe is the perfect weeknight meal! Although the recipe is simple, the flavors are rich and delicious. It is sure to be your family's new favorite!
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 8 oz mushrooms, chopped
- 1 jar Heinz Beef Gravy 18 oz
- 1/4 c red wine
- 2 T Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- 12 oz egg noodles, cooked to package directions
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Sauté mushrooms and onions in a large skillet until tender. Remove from the skillet and add the ground beef. Add salt and pepper to taste. Brown the beef until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain the fat and return to the pan.
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Add the onion and mushroom back into pan and pour the jar of gravy into the pan. Add wine and Worcestershire sauce to the pan and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
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Serve over cooked egg noodles.
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OPTIONAL: Add parmesan cheese and/or parsley to garnish.
I definitely have to try this! Sounds easy and looks delicious:) Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! You have to let us know if you do make it – we hope you like it!