Italian Meatball Burgers

I love, LOVE this recipe. Why? Because it doesn't taste healthy, of course! I also served this with some fresh spinach that wilted when I heated the whole thing up in its tupperware. YUM!

Side note: The original recipe calls to grill the burgers...but some of us are not lucky enough to have an indoor grill. As with a lot of the recipes we post on here, grilled can equal using an outdoor grill, the George Foreman or using a broiler.

Side note Deux: Use fresh mozzarella...it makes all the difference in the world

Italian Meatball Burgers

Serves 6

Ingredients:

8 oz sweet turkey Italian sausage
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 lb 4% fat ground beef

Cooking spray
2 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
6 Sandwich Thins
3/4 cup fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce

Directions:

Prepare grill.

Remove casings from sausage. Combine sausage, oregano, basil, salt, fennel seeds, garlic powder, and ground beef. Divide beef mixture into 6 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

Place patties on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes. Turn patties over; grill 2 minutes. Divide fresh mozzarella cheese evenly over patties, and grill an additional 5 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165°. Remove from grill; let stand 5 minutes.

Place 1 patty on bottom half of each thin; top each serving with 2 tablespoons sauce and top half of thin.