Cheese “Burgers”

Makes: 4 servings

Time: 20 minutes

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You can always slip one of these rich cheese patties between 2 slices of toasted bread or into a hamburger bun, but I like them better as an entrée with Fast Tomato Sauce (page 312). Make them smaller and serve them as croutons on any green salad, or put in a shallow bowl with a ladle or 2 of Roasted Vegetable Stock (page 99) or just about any vegetable soup like Onion Soup or Wintertime Tomato Soup (page 100 or 107).

  1. Mix together the cheese, parsley, and bread crumbs in a large bowl. Add the eggs and use a fork to gently beat the eggs and blend everything into a semisolid mixture. The “dough” should be about the consistency of dumpling or biscuit dough. Carefully shape into 4 patties and set them on a plate or wax paper.
  2. Put the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the patties (it’s fine to cook them in one batch). Cook undisturbed until they start to look crisp around the edges, about 5 minutes. Carefully flip and cook the other side for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden brown. Drain briefly on paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with salt and heavily with pepper and serve.

Couscous and Cheese “Burgers” This is especially nice with whole wheat couscous: Instead of the bread crumbs, use 1 cup cooked couscous (page 407).

Pesto Cheese “Burgers” More substantial and nuttier: Use chopped fresh basil instead of parsley and increase to 3 eggs. In Step 1, add ½ cup chopped pine nuts or walnuts and 1 clove garlic, minced, to the cheese mixture. Proceed with the recipe.

Baked Cheese “Burgers” Multiply the recipe and they’re perfect for a crowd: Instead of cooking the burgers in a skillet, heat the oven to 375°F at the beginning of Step 1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease it well with olive oil. Set the shaped patties on the sheet. Bake until crisp and golden, about 15 minutes.