Italian Burgers

For dinner tonight, I combined 2 recipes, one from my wonderful friend Olivia, and one from Applebees. JJ had the Caprese Burger at Applebees, and said it was definitely something I’d need to make at home. Then a few weeks later, Liv posted this recipe, that was very similar. I liked how she used chicken instead of beef, because I like pairing poultry better with pesto. I also liked how she stuffed the burger with the cheese, which is how I make my chicken cordon bleu burgers. I used Applebees idea for the caprese – tomatoes and mozzarella, so I topped the burgers with tomatoes. I made these with zucchini sticks, one of my favorite French fry substitutes. I make three burgers from this, one for each of us and one for JJ for lunch the next day, but it can be stretched into 4.

Caprese Burgers

1 lb. 99% fat free ground Turkey

¼ onion, grated

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

3 thick slices of fresh mozzarella

2 roma tomatoes, sliced

½ cup pesto

3 hamburger buns

Gently mix turkey, onion, salt and pepper and Worcestershire sauce in a mixing bowl. Cut into thirds. Divide each third in half and make 6 patties total. Place a slice of the mozzarella in the center of each, then press the sides all around to seal the burger. Preheat a grill over medium high, grill the burgers for 5-6 minutes per side.Toast the buns, and smear with pesto on the tops and bottoms. Top with a burger and the tomatoes.