Fire up the grill and showcase your barbecue skills with this crowd pleaser! Serve this recipe with sweet potato fries seasoned with garlic and herbs, and this meal will be one to savor!
Burgers with Mozzarella and Spinach-Arugula Pesto
Ingredients
- 8 ounces baby spinach leaves (about 10 cups packed)
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- ½ teaspoon (packed finely grated) lemon peel
- Large pinch of dried crushed red pepper
- 4 cups arugula leaves (packed fresh, divided, about 5 ounces)
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons (packed) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 hamburger buns, split horizontally
- 6 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
- 2 large beefsteak tomatoes, cut into ¼-inch thick rounds
Preparation
- Rinse spinach; drain briefly, then place in large bowl.
- Microwave spinach, uncovered, on high just until wilted for about 1½ minutes. Drain, then squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Combine garlic, lemon peel, and crushed red pepper in processor; blend until garlic is finely chopped. Add spinach, 2 cups (packed) arugula, pine nuts, and lemon juice; process until coarse puree forms. With machine running, gradually add oil in thin stream and blend until almost smooth. Mix in Parmesan cheese. Transfer pesto to small bowl; season with salt. Cover; chill. (Can be made 6 hours ahead).
- Combine ground beef, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and 6 tablespoons spinach-arugula pesto in large bowl; mix lightly with fork just until incorporated. Form meat mixture into 8 patties. Place patties on platter. Cover; refrigerate. (Can be made 6 hours ahead also).
- Prepare barbecue grill (medium-high heat).
- Grill burgers until cooked to your desire, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Grill buns, cut side down, just until lightly toasted, about 1 minute.
- Build burgers with pesto, patties, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and arugula. Cover with bun tops.
