Mini Italian Burgers // Thriving Home Blog

 

Ingredients
 

  • 4 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (about 1/2 large bunch; sub: 2 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley)
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 4 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (sub: dried oregano)
  • 3 pounds ground beef
  • 16 slider buns or mini brioche or ciabatta rolls (see cooking notes for how to toast these)
  • 8-16 slices fresh mozzarella cheese (1 ball or sub Provolone, cut into smaller pieces as needed)
  • Optional toppings: warm marinara sauce and fresh basil leaves OR lettuce, tomato slices, mayonnaise, ketchup, etc.
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Instructions
 

  1. Combine Meat Mixture: Place the garlic, parsley, Parmesan, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning in a mixing bowl and stir until combined with a fork (until it's crumbly and fully mixed). Add the ground beef and use your hands or a fork (my preference) to gently combine all the ingredients together, taking care not to compress the mixture. 
  2. Form Patties: Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions (about 3 1/2 ounces per portion). Roll each one into a ball and then shape into small patties that are about 3 1/2 inches wide and 1/2-3/4 inch thick. When forming the patties, leave a little indent in the middle. This helps prevent them from puffing in the middle and turning out like a football shape instead of a burger shape.
  3. Cook on Stovetop or Grill: Preheat a grill or lightly greased skillet on the stovetop to medium-high heat until hot (400-450°F). Place the burgers on the grill or in the pan and cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through. (Turn the heat down to medium, if they are cooking too fast on the outside.) Add Provolone or fresh mozzarella to the top of each mini burger during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking so it starts to melt.
    (Note: A well-done burger will register 160°F internally and have no more pink inside.)
  4. Serve: Serve warm cheese burgers on buns topped with optional warm marinara sauce and fresh basil leaves (or your preferred burger toppings).

Freezer Instructions

Freeze For Later: Complete Steps 1 and 2. Then, place uncooked burgers in a gallon-sized freezer bag or container in single layers with parchment paper between layers. Put the buns in another gallon-sized freezer bag. Freeze the burgers and buns together in the freezer as a meal kit.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw meal kit in the refrigerator for about 24 hours. Cook according to instructions in Steps 3-4.

Notes/Tips

  • To Toast the Buns: Brush the insides of the buns with oil (optional) and toast them on the grill or skillet for 1 to 2 minutes (watch closely so they don’t burn).
  • While you certainly don’t need one, I find that having a food scale helps me make uniformly sized burgers. (This is the food scale I own and recommend.)
  • If the burgers are done and cheese isn’t melted fully, turn off the heat, cover with a lid, and let the burgers sit for a few minutes.
  • For more flavor, you can replace half of the ground beef with ground Italian pork sausage.
  • Gluten-Free Version: The only thing you’ll need to change is swap out the slider buns for a gluten-free bun/roll or serve the mini burgers are large lettuce leaves.
  • Shortcut: Use your food processor to chop the parsley and garlic.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 mini burger with cheese on bun | Calories: 270 kcal (14%) | Carbohydrates: 3 g (1%) | Protein: 26 g (52%) | Fat: 17 g (26%) | Cholesterol: 83 mg (28%) | Sodium: 673 mg (29%) | Fiber: 0.4 g (2%) | Sugar: 1 g (1%)

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