Juicy Lucy Meatball Burger Recipes

Steps:

• Combine ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, and pepper in a large bowl; mix well. Form 8, thin patties from the beef. Each patty should be slightly larger than a slice of cheese.
• Cut each slice of American cheese into 4 equal pieces; stack the pieces. Sandwich one stack of cheese between 2 ground beef patties. Tightly pinch edges together tightly seal the cheese within the meat. Repeat with the remaining cheese and patties.
• Preheat a cast-iron or other heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Cook burgers until well browned, about 4 minutes. It is common for burgers to puff up due to steam from the melting cheese. Turn burgers and prick the top of each to allow steam to escape; cook until browned on the outside and no longer pink on the inside; about 4 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns.

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler.
• Mix the meatball mix, parsley, Parmesan, fennel, 2 of the garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons salt and a generous amount of pepper in a large bowl. Divide the mixture into 4 equal balls. Working with one ball at a time, divide it in half and flatten to make 2 patties about 5 inches in diameter. Fold 2 slices of mozzarella into quarters and place into the center of the patty. Top with the other patty and press the meat together very tightly, forming a large patty shape with the cheese secured inside. Repeat with the remaining balls and 6 of the cheese slices. (At this point, you can freeze the burgers. Thaw in the refrigerator before cooking.)
• Cook the pancetta in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, flipping once, until the fat has released and it's crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate. Add the burgers to the pan and cook, flipping once and topping each patty with 1 slice of the remaining cheese with 1 minute of cooking time left. Cook until nicely golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 150 degrees F for medium, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl and stir in the remaining garlic. Place the hamburger buns onto a baking sheet and brush both sides with the garlic butter. Broil until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons marinara sauce on each bottom half of the buns. Place a burger patty on top of the bottom half of the bun. Then top each burger with a spoonful of marinara, 2 pieces of pancetta, a sprinkle of Parmesan and the top half of the bun.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
• For the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, dried oregano and crushed red pepper and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add both types of canned tomatoes and 1 cup of water from the pasta pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer until thickened and flavorful, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Once the meatballs are browned and the sauce has thickened, nestle the meatballs into the sauce and spoon a little of the sauce over each meatball. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and simmer while the pasta cooks, about 10 minutes.
• Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain the spaghetti and place on a platter. Spoon some sauce onto the spaghetti and toss to coat. Nestle the cooked meatballs into the noodles. Top with desired amount of sauce, a drizzle of olive oil, the fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese, for serving.
• Place an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine the beef and sausage in a large bowl and spread out the meat with a wooden spoon. Season with salt. Add the eggs, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, onion, parsley and garlic in a large bowl and mix well with your hands to combine. Divide into 8 equal balls. Use your thumb to hollow out the center of a ball so it resembles a bowl. Stick a mozzarella ball inside and press to seal the mozzarella inside the meat mixture. Roll into a ball and place on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining meat mixture and mozzarella.
• Bake until the meatballs are well browned, 18 to 22 minutes. (They will cook more in the sauce).

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir together 2 teaspoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Divide the beef into four equal portions, then halve each of those portions. Gently roll each portion into a ball using the palm of your hand, then flatten each into a disk shape on a large cutting board, pressing with your fingers and palm until just over 4 inches wide and 1/4-inch thick. Repeat to form eight patties. Season both sides of each patty with the salt-and-pepper blend.
• Add one slice cheese to the center of one patty, folding any overhanging corners of the cheese inward. Using a spatula, lift another patty from the cutting board and place it on top of the cheese, pressing gently to connect both patties. Gently pinch the edges of the patties together to thoroughly seal, then use your fingers to round the edges by pressing and patting along the perimeter. Repeat with the remaining patties, forming three more burgers, and set aside.
• In a large (preferably 12-inch) cast-iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; sprinkle with sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, adding 2 tablespoons water about every 5 minutes to prevent burning, until tender and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Once the onions are caramelized, transfer them to a bowl. (If you have any bits left in the pan, wipe them out.)
• Add the oil to the skillet to lightly coat the bottom and heat over medium-high until scalding-hot, about 2 minutes. Add the burgers and cook until seared and dark brown on the outside, 3 to 5 minutes per side. (You'll want to let the burgers cook undisturbed as long as possible to develop a crisp sear and to prevent them from splitting. Their insides will cook through by the time the outsides form a proper sear. Resist the urge to cut them open, as the cheese will spurt out.) Transfer burgers to a clean cutting board to rest.
• Meanwhile, toast the buns: Scrape up and remove from the pan any cheese that may have leaked, leaving a thin layer of accumulated fat in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium. Working in batches, toast the buns cut-side down until warmed and toasted in spots, about 1 minute. Form sandwiches by layering pickles, patties, then caramelized onions on buns. Serve immediately.