Hamburger steaks

This was a hit! It was nearly free (kind of) because we had already bought everything except the mushrooms for other meals. Naturally there's a cost associated for that, so here's the recipe and breakdown:

Hamburgers ($12/12, used 6, so $6)
Mushrooms ($3/8oz)
2 onions (2 out of 3# bag, so about $.50)
Thyme (a few sprigs, maybe $.25)
Beef stock (1/2 box, about $1)
1/4c flour
1/4c butter ($.50)
Creole seasoning
Worcestershire sauce
Crystal hotsauce (or your choice)

1) brown your hamburger patties on both sides, then set aside.
2) drain most of the grease, leaving maybe 2T, then add the butter and flour. Mix well and stir, cooking until it smells nutty. Stir constantly.
3) add your sliced onion and mushrooms, cooking in the roux until softened.
4) add your stock SLOWLY, making sure to mix well to incorporate it all each time before adding more; start with about 1/4c at a time, until you've mixed it all in. Top off with water (cuts down on cost and allows you to use the box of stock for 2 meals).
5) season with creole seasoning, Worcestershire and crystal, then add the hamburger patties back and simmer until gravy is thickened.

Potatoes:
2lbs potatoes, peeled, cubed & boiled (~$2)
1/4c butter, give or take ($.50)
1c milk, or enough to get to desired consistency
Salt & pepper to taste

Total cost is around $13.25/6 servings, or approximately $2.20/serving. You could easily skip the beef stock, thyme, onions and/or mushrooms to save a little money, as well as any of the creole seasoning, Worcestershire or crystal sauces if you don't like cajun/creole flavors. If you skip the broth, leave the grease and make a roux with that, adding water to make the gravy (will give plenty of beefy flavor). You could also sub for ground turkey patties for lower cholesterol or just to avoid red meat. Lastly, you could skip the butter in the potatoes if need be. Most of the rest should be pantry staples (flour, milk, salt & pepper, etc.), and is easily scaled up or down, depending on your crowd.

Let me know if you try it!