While, most often than not, when we think of ground meat, it’s mostly an all American ground beef cheeseburger that comes to mind, the truth is that ground meat – and this could be beef, chicken, pork and mutton or veal – is used in many ways  – in quiches, pot pies or a Shepard’s pie to meatballs and even in soups!

Now, break down that all American ground beef burger and you’re left with what you might call a ‘patty’, similar to the cutlet, schnitzel or kofta.

The focus of my post today is the difference between these various forms of ground meat/ mince & their versatility when it comes to cooking. Keep reading to find out how I made my version of this ‘patty’ recently for dinner & why it was a hit with my family!

Patty

A Patty is often described as a small flat cake of minced i.e. ground or finely chopped food, especially meat, typically served in a sort of sandwich called a “burger”, or a hamburger if the patty is made from ground beef. However, patty or Pljeskavica originated and is a national dish of Serbia, also popular in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. It is a traditional meal, normally grilled of spiced meat patty mixture of pork, beef and lamb, which only through American fast food chains became known around the world.

Cutlet

Often confused with a Patty, a Cutlet, is actually not ground or minced but is a  boneless, thin cut of meat, shaped like a croquette i.e. cutlet shaped— from the leg or ribs of veal, pork, chicken, or mutton chicken, veal, pork, or lamb. The Poles say chicken kiev, kotlet kurczeta, originated in the Polish city of Kijow, while the French say it was invented by Nicolas Francois Appert in the 18th century and adopted by Empress Elizabeth Petrovna (1741–1762) of Russia who preferred French foods and fashions. Most cutlets are made by pounding the meat until there is an even thinness. Because this thin cut of meat cooks very quickly, it is often dusted with flour or coated in breadcrumbs before being pan-fried.

One form of the cutlet, is a German schnitzel (or Schweineschnitzel). This is traditionally made with pork chops that are also thinly breaded and fried in a tender crisp coating.

Kofta

The Kofta is a family of meatball or meatloaf dishes found in the Indian subcontinent, South Caucasian, Middle Eastern, Balkan, and Central Asian cuisines. In the simplest form, koftas consist of balls of minced or ground meat—usually beef, chicken, lamb, or pork—mixed with spices or onions. Patties are often confused with Koftas, since both are made of ground/ minced meat. However, we now know that the origin & shape of the two differ. The kofta can be fried and eaten dry or added to a thick gravy and served on rice or eaten with flatbread. When made from a mix of other finely chopped vegetables, most significantly potatoes – for a vegetarian diet – these koftas are called ‘Tikkis’ in the Indian subcontinent and surrounding regions.

Ground chicken is always a part of my family’s grocery list. We have to have it at least once if not twice every week. And while I try switching up the serving format & spices, cooking ground meat is a time consuming, not to mention messy process (it releases a lot of water). With the kids’ soccer season and other changes to our routine, I had to find a less-involved, convenient way to use my ground chicken. I found the solution was Baked Chicken Patty. They taste awesome, don’t require a lot of involvement, left overs last for days & can be used in a variety of ways!

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1. Slow Cooker Cheesy Potato Casserole

Casseroles are great around the holidays. They are easy to throw together and they feed a lot of people. This wonderful recipe from The Diary of Real Housewife is a perfect quick dish to prepare and let sit in the crockpot all day while you visit with your guests or prepare the rest of your meal.

2. Sweet Potato Casserole Bites

Do you love finger food around the holidays? Or maybe you need some quick appetizers that are sure to please? Then look no further than these delightful sweet potato casserole bites from Shaken Together Life. They’ve turned a classic holiday dish into a convenient and delicious appetizer.

3. Loaded Leftover Mashed Potato Balls

You can make this dish for an appetizer or with the leftovers from your Thanksgiving mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes have never been so delicious! You can find the full recipe at Handle the Heat.

4. Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Take a classic and make it better. Everyone loves mashed potatoes, and these roasted garlic mashed potatoes will have your guests back for seconds and thirds, so make sure you make plenty! Go to Cooking Classy to find the recipe.

5. Scalloped Potatoes

Don’t underestimate the power of a delicious classic potato dish. You don’t have to do something totally unique or super fancy to please your guests. Try this scalloped potato recipe from Gimme Some Oven and see how happy your guests will be.

6. Duchess Potatoes

Take your mashed potatoes to the next level with this fancy look. Bake fluffy, perfect individual servings of mashed potatoes with this treat. Find the recipe at Home Made Interest.

7. Roasted Maple Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes

Because sweet potatoes are a staple of holiday gatherings, we had to throw another recipe in here. These roasted maple cinnamon sweet potatoes are sure to have your yam-loving guests coming back for more. Find the full recipe at Together as a Family.

8. Three Ingredient Roasted Potatoes

You can never go wrong with roasted potatoes. This 3-ingredient dish is so simple to prepare that you’ll want to make it with every meal. All you need is baby red potatoes, olive oil, and dry onion soup mix. You can thank The Food Charlatan for the recipe.

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