Please help me turn ketchup into something else

May 5, 2009 4:40 AM

I don't really like ketchup but now I'm the owner of a couple of bottles. Can I please have your favorite recipes in which ketchup is a major ingredient? It can be food, drink or just about anything funnier than ketchup.
posted by uandt to food & drink (33 comments total)

It's the main ingredient in most barbecue sauce recipes.
posted by motsque at 4:43 AM on May 5

Similarly, sweet and sour sauce.
posted by Bodd at 4:50 AM on May 5

pruno? (okay, so I've never actually tried it, but it's certainly "funnier than ketchup")
posted by robtoo at 4:52 AM on May 5

a good squirt also works really well as a last-minute "hmm, this mince dish really needs an extra something"
posted by robtoo at 4:55 AM on May 5

Omuraisu is a a good Japanese dish. It's kind of the Hamburger Helper of Japan, easy and kid friendly. Basically it's a ketchup fried rice with a thin sheet of omlette on top.

Basically you saute some onion, chicken, and possibly other veggies (I like mushrooms) then add cooked rice (short grain or jasmine would work) add ketchup, stir up, then in another pan cook a thin sheet of omlette and place that over your rice.

It's really good.
posted by Caravantea at 4:56 AM on May 5 [2 favorites]

Brisket recipes often include ketchup.

And here's a list of ketchup recipes.
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 5:02 AM on May 5

Meatloaf is usually glazed with a ketchupy sauce. I'm eating leftover of this recipe for lunch today, which is awesome.
posted by revgeorge at 5:26 AM on May 5

When I was in middle school we used it as a base for French Dressing.

Also, my mother has a cookbook with Ketchup Cookies in it. I think it was called 'Cookies for Kids' and maybe put out by Betty Crocker. It sounds horrible, but it was actually pretty tasty.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 5:34 AM on May 5

Definitely meatloaf. Both in the mix, and as a glaze.
posted by sanka at 5:35 AM on May 5

1 (16 ounce) package little smokies
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (dark or light)
3/8 to 1/2 cup cup ketchup
1/2 cup bourbon
Heat slowly in saucepan; serve. A big hit at parties.
posted by pointystick at 5:40 AM on May 5

Best meatloaf ever. You can also use it in making chili sauce for chili dogs.
posted by thejanna at 5:46 AM on May 5

Some people are purists and demand that their Pad Thai be made with tamarind. However, many recipes call for ketchup.
posted by Comrade_robot at 6:16 AM on May 5

Expanding on thejanna's post, just about any meatloaf will benefit from ketchup mixed into the meat. You could try it with hamburgers as well. Turkey burgers would certainly benefit from the extra moisture that mixing ketchup into them would provide.
posted by mollweide at 6:17 AM on May 5

I don't know how this could be good, but apparently it tastes like carrot cake:

Great Canadian Heinz Ketchup Cake

(I imagine that you could substitute another brand of ketchup with no problems as long as it's a fairly "standard" ketchup like Heinz.)
posted by kitty teeth at 6:40 AM on May 5

The best eggsalad is made with a squirt of ketchup (not enough to make it pink--just enough to make it tangy).
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 6:48 AM on May 5

My mom puts ketchup, brown sugar and (black pepper, I think...) in a pan, cooks it into a syrupy mass of yummy -- and I say this as a confirmed ketchup hater -- then boils hot dogs in it. Bonus if you split the dogs before putting them in, to soak up more tasty.
posted by bitter-girl.com at 6:49 AM on May 5

Meat sauce for spaghetti! It's a vital ingredient, using the Prego Meat Sauce that's been mixed with whatever seasonings and ground meat you prefer. Add a half-cup or so of ketchup per jar of Prego. More than a half-cup perhaps--apply the ketchup liberally, to taste. This was a trick my mom discovered years ago, and it makes for something delicious.
posted by Faust at 6:55 AM on May 5

I saw a contest many years ago for drink recipes. One was called "Bloody Awful" (ketchup and vodka).
posted by plinth at 7:00 AM on May 5 [1 favorite]

1 cup of ketchup
1 can of coke
mix well
pour into saucepan
simmer boneless skinless chicken breasts until done
serve with rice!
posted by dpx.mfx at 7:07 AM on May 5

Add water and heat = tomato soup.
posted by socrateaser at 7:13 AM on May 5

Pad thai!
posted by *s at 7:29 AM on May 5

I always keep a mix of ketchup and Sriracha in my fridge for dipping french frys.
posted by bitdamaged at 7:59 AM on May 5

My grandmother used to make cinnamon buns using ketchup. She'd roll out the dough, spread ketchup on it, then sprinkle on a decent layer of cinnamon (and add raisins/nuts if requested) and roll it up. Seems weird, but ketchup is full of sugar, and it browns really nicely.
posted by lizbunny at 9:18 AM on May 5

Ketchup lasts forever even after it's opened. Maybe just keep it around for a rainy day.
posted by smackfu at 9:39 AM on May 5

Sloppy Joes-- Saute an onion with some red/green bell pepper. Brown ground beef. Stir in enough ketchup to coat the beef and still be a little saucy; let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Pile it high on your favorite bun.
posted by wg at 10:12 AM on May 5

This is going to sound weird, but when I was growing up, my grandmother would stir fry up some shrimp with a ton of ginger root and ketchup.

Cut the ginger into matchsticks and stir fry for a minute or two, toss in some shrimp, and when they are just about done, coat them in ketchup. If I were feeling fancy, I'd top that with chopped up scallions or chives. Now a days I tend to add half ketchup and half sriracha.
posted by advicepig at 10:16 AM on May 5

If it's an awful lot and you're having trouble using it, you might want to donate some or all of it to a food pantry if its still within the expiration date.
posted by cleancut at 10:26 AM on May 5

You can make cocktail sauce for shrimp. Combine ketchup, half fresh lemon juice, horseradish, salt, and pepper. Mix to taste and then let it sit in the fridge for an hour or two to let the flavors meld.
posted by jdlugo at 11:36 AM on May 5

ditto on the sloppy joes (but add a bit of bbq sauce and a dab of mustard to spice it up a bit)..

also, mac and cheese is like ambrosia with a bit of ketchup on it... really, it is!
posted by HuronBob at 1:31 PM on May 5

Not a major ingredient, but ketchup helps along any meat you want to tenderize a bit as it contains tomato and vinegar. A large squirt into a stew or meat loaf, or as a tenderizer on a steak (wipe it off before cooking.)
posted by x46 at 4:55 PM on May 5

Coca-cola chicken. A bottle of ketchup. a can of coke. Poured over chicken in a skillet and cooked until chicken is tender.

It's good.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 6:08 PM on May 5

Are you in the U.S.? Do you have a mail box? This Saturday, postal workers will be collecting unopened non-perishable foods for those who can't afford to buy them for themselves. Conversely, are there no local charities that collect foods to distribute to needy people in your area?
posted by Mael Oui at 8:51 PM on May 5

In the same vein as Mael Oui, just slip into a local fundraiser barbecue or something and leave your ketchup on a table. Someone will use it.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 5:46 PM on May 6