Description
Monster Burgers are fun and flavorful beef burgers creatively decorated with olive and mozzarella eyes, cheddar cheese teeth, fresh tomato slices, lettuce, and pickles for a playful meal perfect for any burger lover looking to add some whimsy to their dinner table.
Ingredients
Scale
Burger Patties
- 20 oz ground beef 80/20
- 1 teaspoon oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Monster Face Decoration
- 8 medium black olives
- 8 mini mozzarella balls (bocconcini), about 1 ounce or 28 grams each
- 8 tomato slices from about 2 tomatoes
- 4 slices orange cheddar cheese
- 4 pickle slices
- 4 pieces green lettuce
- 4 hamburger buns (use gluten-free buns if needed)
Instructions
- Form Patties: Divide the ground beef into four 5-ounce patties, making them 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: Preheat a skillet over medium heat and add a small amount of oil. Cook the patties thoroughly, flipping only once, until the internal temperature reaches 160 °F for well-done beef. Cooking time may vary depending on thickness.
- Prepare Monster Eyes: Cut each black olive in half and place the cut side with the ‘star’ face up on top of each mini mozzarella ball. Secure each olive and mozzarella pair with a toothpick to form the eyes.
- Prepare Tomato Slices: Cut the tomatoes into eight slices that are not too thin or floppy. Pat dry on paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Create Cheese Teeth: Cut triangles out of the cheddar slices to resemble teeth but avoid cutting too much so the cheese can hang over the bun like monster teeth.
- Assemble Burgers: Once the patties have cooled slightly to avoid melting the cheese, layer each bun half with a piece of lettuce, the cooked burger patty, two tomato slices side by side, a pickle slice in the middle to look like a tongue, the cut cheese teeth, and the top bun.
- Add Eyes: Attach two mozzarella and olive eye assemblies to each top bun using the toothpicks, positioning them like monster eyes.
- Serve: Serve the monster burgers immediately for a fun and tasty meal.
Notes
- If you prefer, substitute the orange cheddar with any orange cheese that is flexible enough to bend slightly and large enough to cover the bun.
- For the best burger buns, look for brioche or bakery-style buns that are not squished to maintain the burger’s visual appeal.
- Use gluten-free buns if you need a gluten-free option.
- Pressing the thumb into the patties’ center prevents them from puffing up during cooking, ensuring even cooking and proper shape.
- Patting tomato slices dry helps prevent the burger from becoming soggy.
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
