Kitchen Adventures 7.3

Sometimes, there's nothing better than a good burger. I know it's not quite the time of year when most people think of making burgers since it's a little chilly for breaking out the grill (or at least it is today!) and tailgating season has ended, but I found a good variation that doesn't need a grill. This is good, since I don't have one. :)

I like this recipe because it jazzes up your traditional hamburger and does things a little differently. For one, it includes cheese, but not how you would think it does. This is not your typical cheeseburger that slaps a skinny piece of American cheese on top of a patty. No no, this one sticks the cheese INSIDE the burger and uses blue cheese. Pretty neat, huh? I liked it at least. Now, if you are not a blue cheese fan, then this recipe is probably not for you. The blue cheese is pretty prominent in every bite, so just be aware.

This recipe came from one of my Every Day with Rachael Ray magazines.

Inside-Out Cheeseburger

Ingredients:
1/4 c. crumbled blue cheese (2-3 oz.)
2 oz. cream cheese
2 T. chopped flat leaf parsley
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
salt and pepper
2 T. vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
2 T. butter
4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
Toppings of your choice

Directions:
In a small bowl, mash the blue cheese and cream cheese together until smooth. Stir in the parsley (I used dry parsley, so if you do this remember to use less than the recipe calls for.) Divide the mixture into 4 disks and cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
In a large bowl, season the beef with salt and pepper and mix well. (I like to add in a little Italian seasoning as well.)Form into 4 equally sized patties. Form a deep cavity in the center of each meat patty and place a cheese disk inside. Pull the meat together to completely cover the cheese disk. Make sure to do this or the cheese will leak out.
In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook, about 4 minutes on each side. Serve on the buns with your choice of toppings. *Note: make sure to use enough meat. I only used 1 lb. and the cheese ended up leaking out since there wasn't enough meat to keep it sealed up. Still, it was delicious.

Here are a few pics: