3ouncesmozzarella cheesecut into 4 thick slices, see notes
8slicesTexas toast
Homemade pizza sauce
8ouncestomato sauce
⅓cuptomato pasteabout 3 ounces
2teaspoonsItalian seasoning
½teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoongarlic powder
¼teaspoononion powder
¼teaspoonsugar
¼teaspoonblack pepper
Instructions
In a bowl mix together all of the ingredients for the pizza sauce and set aside.
8 ounces tomato sauce, ⅓ cup tomato paste, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Divide the ground beef into 4 piles each weighing about ⅓ pound. Then divide each pile in 2 parts - about ⅔ of the pile for the bottom part and about ⅓ of the pile for the top part.
1⅓ pounds ground beef
Shape the 4 bigger piles of beef into a shallow bowl shape about 3½ to 4 inches wide. Make sure that the beef comes up on the sides to hold the sauce and cheese in.
Add about 2-3 Tablespoons of pizza sauce into the little bowl shape, set the sauce aside on the counter for now. Top with a slice of cheese.
3 ounces mozzarella cheese
Flatten the smaller piles of beef and place them on top of the sauce and cheese. This may get messy, but close them up with your hands as best as you can. The sauce may start to mix with the beef slightly, that's ok if it does.Set aside at room temperature (not in the sun) for about 15 minutes while grill is heating.
Preheat grill to about 450° Fahrenheit.
Place burgers on direct heat and close the lid. Cook for about 7-8 minutes (see notes.)
Using a wide spatula that fits the burgers completely, flip them and close the lid.Cook for another 5-8 minutes until the temperature of the beef is 160°.
During the last few minutes of cook time with the burgers, add the Texas toast to the grill over direct heat. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side (may need longer if frozen), until it is the desired texture.
8 slices Texas toast
Spread the remaining sauce across one side of each piece of toast. Place the burgers on the bottom pieces of toast (sauce side up so it's on the burger.) Carefully place the top piece of toast on top of the burger sauce side down (so the sauce is on the burger.)
Remove from grill and allow to rest about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutritional values are estimated and will vary depending on the ingredients you use.For the mozzarella cheese - we love fresh mozzarella cheese cut into 4 thick slices, but you can also use a regular brick of cheese and cut 4 thick slices. Already sliced cheese isn't really a good size for these stuffed pizza burgers, but you can use shredded mozzarella cheese too. You can use more or less cheese, adjust to taste.Texas toast - this is optional but highly recommended for best flavor! You can use bread or rolls in place of Texas toast if you prefer.For the cook times - The USDA recommends ground beef get cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. If you prefer yours to be less done, you will need to adjust cook times accordingly and keep an eye on the temperature of the beef. These have not been tested on charcoal, you may need to adjust cook times if using charcoal. We use a gas grill for these burgers.