Loco Moco with Mushroom Gravy

So recently my 6 (ALMOST 7 AHHH!!!) year old wanted to "visit Hawaii". She planned out that we would draw a big picture with Hawaiian scenery, watch Lilo & Stitch, and plan out some dishes to prepare that were Hawaiian. She also wanted to make cottontails (aka cocktails). We ended up doing the drawing, watching one of the Lilo & Stitch movies, and making this dish for breakfast, and a Hawaiian themed cake (stuffed with mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple) for dessert!

This dish is very hearty, it is completely "stick to your ribs" food - we were having discussions about going out and working under hot Hawaiian sun and burning off all these calories as to why this became a traditional breakfast meal!

I like to use my Instant Pot to whip up rice when it's needed in a recipe while I'm cooking the main dish. I have lots of homemade veggie and beef broth in my freezer, so I use that for cooking rice to infuse a little bit of extra flavor.

Cook the fried eggs up to your preferred "doneness". We generally like them over easy. Also - I had some cube steak thawed in my refrigerator, so I opted to use those in place of hamburger patties in this dish! They worked really well and are a good substitute if you happen to have some on hand in need of eating.

Loco Moco with Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Gravy
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) butter, divided
1 Tablespoon minced garlic (jarred)
16-oz baby bella mushrooms, washed and sliced
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 cups beef or vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste

To serve
2 cups cooked white rice
4 fried eggs

Directions

1. Mix ground beef with the salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Divide into 4 patties, and fry in a large nonstick skillet or on a griddle, sprayed with nonstick cooking spray or with a little bit of butter or oil added to the skillet. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for about 3-5 minutes per side, until cooked all the way through to your preferred doneness.
2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet melt 4 Tablespoons of the butter for the gravy, and cook the sliced mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper during cooking. Once mushrooms have released their moisture and are tender, add in the remaining butter and melt. Whisk the flour into the melted butter until smooth and no lumps remain. Gradually whisk in the stock until a smooth sauce forms. Bring sauce to a low simmer and cook for about a minute or two - thin if needed with additional broth. Taste, and adjust seasonings as desired.
3. Serve with about 1/2 cup of cooked rice on a plate, a hamburger patty, some of the gravy, and a fried egg on top.

Recipe adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon