Description
Monster Burgers are fun and creative homemade burgers featuring juicy beef patties topped with mozzarella ‘eyes’ with olive pupils, tomato slices, cheddar ‘teeth’, lettuce, and pickles to create a monster face. Perfect for a playful family dinner or casual entertaining.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Patties
- 20 oz ground beef 80/20
- 1 teaspoon oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Toppings and Assembly
- 8 medium black olives
- 8 mini mozzarella balls bocconcini (about 28 grams each), patted dry
- 8 tomato slices from about 2 medium tomatoes
- 4 slices orange cheddar cheese
- 4 pieces green lettuce, rinsed and patted dry
- 4 pickle slices
- 4 hamburger buns (gluten-free buns if desired)
Instructions
- Form Patties: Divide the ground beef into four 5-ounce patties, making each about 1 inch wider than your buns. Press your thumb into the center of each patty to prevent puffing up during cooking. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Cook Patties: Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of oil. Cook the patties until done, flipping only once. Cook according to your preferred doneness but aim for an internal temperature of 160 °F for safety (well-done).
- Prepare Monster Eyes: Cut olives in half and position the half with the star pattern facing up on top of each mini mozzarella ball. Secure each with a toothpick to create eyes.
- Prepare Tomato Slices: Slice tomatoes evenly into 8 slices. Pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture for better burger assembly.
- Create Cheese Teeth: Cut the cheddar cheese slices into triangle shapes to resemble teeth. Be careful not to remove too much cheese so the teeth will hang over the bun.
- Assemble Burgers: Once patties have cooled slightly to prevent melting cheese, place lettuce on the bottom buns, then the burger patty. Arrange two tomato slices side by side on the patty, place a pickle slice in the center as the tongue, and add the cut cheese teeth. Top with the bun halves.
- Add Monster Eyes and Serve: Stick two mozzarella-and-olive eyes onto each assembled burger bun using toothpicks. Serve immediately and enjoy your monster burgers!
Notes
- You can substitute orange cheddar with any mild orange cheese that is flexible enough to fold without breaking.
- Look for fresh burger buns that are not squashed for best presentation; brioche buns work well for a soft texture and nice appearance.
- Pat tomato slices dry to prevent soggy burgers.
- Pressing the middle of burger patties helps keep them flat and cook evenly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 burger
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
