Grilled Italian Meatloaf Burgers

By carvalhohm

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1/4 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lbs ground beef (I used 90% lean)
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• marinara sauce
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzerella
• 1 loaf Italian bread
• 12-15 large basil leaves

Details

Adapted from lisasdinnertimedish.com

Preparation

Step 1

Finely chop red pepper, onion and garlic. Heat oil in a pan over medium low heat. Saute veggies until they are soft and onions are translucent. About 7 minutes. Allow to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, add sauteed vegetables, ground beef, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, egg, tomato paste, salt and pepper. With hands, mix until well combined. Form into 4 patties.

Heat grill to medium high heat. While grill is heating, prepare the bread. Cut the loaf in half lengthwise and then cut into 4 equal pieces (I only had 3 pieces because there were just 3 of us). Drizzle each piece with a little olive oil.

Once grill is hot, grill burgers about 5-7 minutes per side until cooked through. Grill bread slices for a couple of minutes on each side until nicely toasted. Once burgers are done, transfer them to a cookie sheet and put back on the grill.

Top each burger with a couple tablespoons marinara and a couple tablespoons mozzarella cheese.

Close the lid on the grill and cook until cheese is melted. Put each burger on top of a slice of the grilled bread and top with chopped basil. To cut the basil into thin strips (a chiffonade), follow these instructions:

Stack the leaves on top of each other.

Roll the leaves up into a tight bundle like this.

Cut crosswise into small strips.

Serve burgers immediately, fork and knife required!