THREE-CHEESE Burgers (Not "Three Cheeseburgers") & Cherry Blossoms

Last night we took our hands in our lives and decided to grill again (after the grilling fiasco earlier in the week). I had a pound of ground beef in the fridge and decided to make "gourmet burgers". I considered making my Stuffed Babybel Burgers but decided I wanted to make them a little different this time. I decided to make "Three-cheese" Burgers (note I'm not talking about 3 cheeseburgers, we are talking cheddar, Parmesan and Babybel cheese as in THREE different kinds of cheese)!

They were SO delicious I am making them again for tonight's dinner and I also had a leftover burger for lunch today as well! The burger itself has cheddar and Parmesan mixed into the meat mixture and then a beautiful little wheel of mini Babybel cheese inserted deep into the center of the burger so that when you cut it open, the melted cheese just oozes out. These burgers are simple to make and don't require any special ingredients that can't be found locally at your supermarket....but believe me, the ingredients may not be special but these burgers most definitely ARE!

If you don't have a grill or you simply want to make them inside, you can cook these in a skillet or grill pan on top of your stove, too. Even though I had some of my Sesame Seed Buns available to place the burger on, I didn't want ANYTHING to detract from the flavor of these "three cheese" burgers! Instead, I sauteed onions, red bell peppers and half of a jalapeno and served the burger on a bed of the sauteed veggies and then scattered some quartered fresh grape tomatoes on top. Check out a few photos below as well as the easy peasy recipe. Under the recipe, I also tossed in a few photos I took this afternoon of a beautiful cherry blossom tree that sits outside of my office...it is absolutely gorgeous. I stood underneath this huge tree and shot some photos looking up into today's beautiful blue sky through the soft pink blossoms that were being tossed around by the huge wind gusts this afternoon. The tree reminds me of "home" as in Washington DC, where growing up we used to go to the annual Cherry Blossom Festival around the Tidal Basin. I had a painting of the cherry blossom trees in bloom surrounding the basin that hung in my bedroom while I was growing up. Enjoy!

Three-Cheese Burgers

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef
2 to 3 tablespoons ketchup (no HFCS)
3 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 teaspoon Montreal Steak Seasoning, or to taste
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used sharp)
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
3 Mini Babybel Cheese wheels, unwrapped

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix ground beef, ketchup, mustard and steak seasoning together; add cheddar and Parmesan cheese and mix just until combined. Divide equally into 3 portions. Roll each portion into a ball; press a mini Babybel cheese wheel into the center and form into a patty shape around the wheel, keeping it centered. Grill or pan fry over medium-high heat to desired doneness, approximately 5 to 6 minutes per side. 

*Note: You don't need to exactly measure out the ketchup or mustard and dirty up a measuring spoon. A few guesstimated squirts will get you where you need to go!