I think I might have made a mistake in making those Stuffed Moose Burgers last week. Now I'm kind of on a stuffed burger kick. And apparently I didn't just want a regular beef burger, again. No, I had to go and do something fancy. But it was soooooooooooo good. If you like Greek food, you will love this! All the tastes of a gyro, in a burger.
It combines goat cheese, kalmata olives, and tzatziki with ground lamb. I chose to use a kaiser roll for the bun in order to not overdo the bread. It's light and the crust has a wonderful sheen to it. I toasted the bun so that the tzatziki would just sit right on top of the bun instead of melting into it. Overall, it was awesome. If you don't like lamb (or don't want to splurge because it is pricey), you can use a lean ground beef. One more piece of advice, drain your olives REALLY well. You don't want to water down your cheese! That's a crime against humanity! Or at least us cheese lovers.
Olive and Goat Cheese Stuffed Greek Burgers
Ingredients:
1 lb. lamb burger (ground beef would work as well)
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. thyme
1/3 cup drained and chopped kalmata olives
6 oz. goat cheese crumbles
1 Tbs. chopped fresh dill weed
Ripe Tomato
Green Leaf Lettuce
Kaiser Buns, halved and toasted
Tzatziki
Directions:
1. Preheat grill on medium high heat. Grease grate with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, combine meat, breadcrumbs, egg, salt, pepper, onion powder, and thyme. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine olives, goat cheese, and dill weed.
4. Separate meat into four parts. Pinch off about 1/3 of each portion and set aside. Form 2/3 part into a patty. Spray the bottom of a 1/3 measuring cup with cooking spray and press into patty to form a well. Fill well with 1/4 of the cheese mixture. Place reserved portion on top of cheese and pinch with bottom patty to seal. Repeat with remaining mixtures.
5. Place patties on hot grill and cook for 8 minutes per side (16 minutes total). Spread tzatziki on one half of the bun, top with lettuce and tomato, and place burger on bun. Serve immediately.
Serves 4
