BBQ season is well under way and there’s nothing better than a homemade beef burger, made with quality beef and fresh ingredients, it’s the only beef burger I’ll eat ! The inclusion of a slice of melting mozzarella adds to the ultimate burger experience, this is O.H’s favourite.

Makes: 4 generous or 6 medium sized burgers

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying
• 1 large onion finely diced
• 500g good quality minced beef
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano
• 4 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 mozzarella ball cut into 4 or 6 thin slices (depending on how many burgers you’re making)

• Gently sauté the onions in the vegetable oil until soft and leave to cool.
• Transfer to a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients except for the mozzarella.
• With clean hands, mix everything together and divide into 8 or 12.
• Shape into patties and flatten.
• Take 4 or 6 patty pieces and place a slice of mozzarella in the centre of each one.
• Top each mozzarella slice with the remaining patties and seal together.
• A burger press makes light work of this if you have one.
• Firm up your burgers by placing them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes – if you have the time, a couple of hours is better.
• Cook burgers on a BBQ (or fry in a frying pan) for about 5 to 6 minutes on each side until cooked through.
• Use a spatula to lightly press your beef burgers down whilst cooking to make sure the mozzarella melts.
• Serve in a burger bun.
• We serve ours in a Ted’s Roll with lettuce and tomato, a few sliced gherkins and a red onion relish (made from sautéing red onion slices until soft and adding a little homemade chilli jam) and a side order of homemade oven fries.

I’m sending this recipe off to a few food challenges this month:

• The Family Foodies challenge created by Eat Your Veg and Bangers and Mash where the theme is Al Fresco.
• Made with Love Mondays hosted by Mark at Javelin Warrior, where everything is made from scratch.
• Recipe of the Week hosted by Emily at A Mummy Too.