We’re burger-lovin’ folk. Burgers are usually the star of at least one weekend meal. They’re easy, for one thing. Take a pound or two of ground beef and form it into patties, sprinkle on a little salt and pepper, then grill until no pink remains. Simple, right? We may get fancy with cheeses and condiments, or occasionally a grilled vegetable like red onion. And every once in awhile we go wild and wacky … grilled pineapple, anyone?
Burgers are a grillmeister’s blank canvas and we all have our favorites. I happen to enjoy a blue cheese-lovin’ Scots-Irish palate, but why not mix it up! Could I handle a spicy taste of Italy? We determined to find out with this recipe for Italian Burgers. It’s literally packed with herbs, and topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella.
Find the ingredients list here. To make the burgers, combine Certified Angus Beef ® brand ground chuck, fresh parsley, basil and oregano, onion powder, salt and a heaping Tablespoon of pepper. (Told you they were spicy!) Mix well — a clean hand works best to smoosh all of the ingredients into the ground beef. The recipe calls for four, 1/2-pound patties. (I made six, 1/3-pound patties to feed the kids at my table).
When you form the patties, be sure to leave an indent in the middle. Why? Here’s an excellent tutorial. Chef Michael shows how to form the perfect burger and explains why a dimple in the middle is important!
Grill burgers to 160° F. Use your trusty meat thermometer to be sure. Brush the focaccia bread with melted butter, then toast it on the grill. You’ll love the crunch, trust me!
Top each burger with 3 tablespoons spaghetti sauce and 1 slice mozzarella. Close the grill lid so the cheese will melt more quickly. When bread is toasted and cheese melted, assemble the burger.
The Italian burger was a hit. There’s something about fresh basil, oregano and parsley combined with melted cheese and tomato sauce. Serve it on toasted bread … mmm. As my youngest said, “This tastes kinda like a pizza!”
Only much, much better!
Try new flavors on your grill this weekend! The possibilities are endless …
