Did you grow up eating burgers made with a packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix thrown in with the meat? I did and I was never a big fan, because it made the meat dry and all I could taste was onion.
I’ve experimented with lots of burger recipes over the years, and this is the one I keep coming back to again and again. My family loves biting into the burger and tasting the herbed cream cheese in the middle. You can make a big batch of these burgers in advance if you like; they freeze really well.
Herbed Cream Cheese Stuffed Burgers
Ingredients
Filling
1/2 cup softened cream cheese
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives, basil or parsley (or a combination)
Burgers
2 pounds (1 kg) lean ground beef
1 tsp garlic powder
Dash pepper, salt
1 egg, beaten
Directions
- In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese and herbs, blending with a spoon.
- Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap and divide the cream cheese mixture into six equal portions. With the spoon or your fingers, shape into discs about 2 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick. Put the cream cheese portions (still on the plastic wrap) into the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Combine the hamburger ingredients and divide mixture into twelve equal portions. Shape into thin patties.
- Place a frozen disc of cream cheese mixture in the centre of six of the patties.
- Top each of the cream-cheese topped patties with another (plain) patty and gently press the edges together to seal.
- Refrigerate the stuffed patties for at least 30 minutes before grilling, broiling or frying them and serving with your favourite condiments.
- Stuffed patties can also be tightly wrapped and frozen for up to 6 months.
Makes 6 burgers.
IMAGE SOURCE: COURTESY OF PAULA ROY