Cheese-Stuffed Pesto Burgers

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1 1/2

lb. lean ground beef

(.5-oz.) pkg. dry pesto sauce mix

oz. (1/2 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese

whole wheat burger buns, split

lettuce leaves

slices tomato

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GRILL DIRECTIONS: Heat grill. In medium bowl, combine ground beef and pesto sauce mix; mix well. Shape mixture into 8 thin patties, 4 inches in diameter. Place 2 tablespoons cheese on each of 4 patties to within 1/4 inch of edges. Top with remaining patties; pinch edges to seal.
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When ready to grill, place patties on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal grill 4 to 6 inches from medium coals. Cook 11 to 13 minutes or until patties are thoroughly cooked, turning once.
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Meanwhile, place buns, cut side down, on grill. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until buns are lightly toasted. Place lettuce, patties and tomato slices in buns.

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To broil patties, place on broiler pan; broil 4 to 6 inches from heat using times above as a guide, turning once. Place buns, cut side up, on broiler pan; broil 1 to 2 minutes.
Pesto, an uncooked sauce from Genoa, Italy, is made with fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil. For this recipe, we use a dry sauce mix to give the burgers lots of pesto flavor.
To tightly seal the patties, use your fingers to firmly pinch all the way around them. A secure seal will prevent the cheese from oozing out of the burgers as they cook.
You’ll need two hands to eat these stuffed Italian-style burgers. Serve them with marinated vegetable salad from the deli, fresh melon slices and lemonade.

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Nutrition Information

1 1/2 Starch; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate;

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.