Inside-Out Cheeseburgers

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been a little bit sidetracked from posting. I'd traveled over Easter weekend and had picked up a couple of food magazines that I don't normally buy. Then, it seemed like my regular culinary reading pile just seemed to grow of its own volition. It got a bit overwhelming so I decided to plow through all of it.

This sort of took me off of my previously-stated goal of recreating the recipes with which I grew up, and also highlighted an interesting dilemma for me. There's so much new stuff and different recipes out there it's some times hard to stay on focus. One of Epicurious' bloggers pointed out this week that, for most people, there seems to be a "rotation" of meals on a regular basis. With this reliance on the quick, simple and familiar, it does get a bit daunting to try to slot in something a bit more daring.

But, this week, I decided to return to the recipe card file once again. I picked something that was on the Epicurious blogger's proposed list for the American family meals merry-go-round, but that has a little twist. This recipe was on a pre-printed card that came with the box and was one that I learned to make when I was still a pre-teen. It's simple and the gooey insides make for a great surprise for those who aren't expecting it.




Inside-Out Cheeseburgers

Prep time: 30 minutes, including cooking time
Serving size: 6 burgers, 1 per person

Ingredients:
Shredded cheddar cheese (or your favorite kind)
1 lb. ground beef
2 T. minced onion
1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1/4 c. milk
2 tsp. prepared mustard
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. horseradish (not in sauce)
salt
pepper

Assembly:
Mix together by hand (yes, get your hands into it!) all the ingredients except the cheese. Divide meat mixture into 12 patties. Put 2 tablespoons of shredded cheddar cheese on 6 of the patties.

Top those with the other 6 patties and press together to seal around the edges. On heated grill, griddle or fry pan, cook the burgers for 4-5 minutes per side. You can also cook for 3 or so minutes per side for color and then put in the oven to cook the rest of the way and make sure the cheese has melted.

Serve on toasted hamburger buns.

Buon appetito!