Labor Day Cooking–Grilled Blue Cheese Burgers

Ingredients

• 2 (1-ounce) slices country white bread
• 2 tablespoons fat-free milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 pounds lean ground sirloin
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
• Cooking spray
• 8 hamburger rolls, halved

Preparation

• Prepare grill.
• Place bread in a food processor; process 30 seconds or until finely ground. Place breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Add milk to breadcrumbs; toss with a fork to moisten. Add salt, pepper, and beef to breadcrumb mixture, stirring just until combined. Divide meat mixture into 16 equal portions, shaping each into a 3 1/2-inch patty. Spoon 1 tablespoon cheese in the center of each of 8 patties; top each with 1 remaining patty, pinching edges to seal.
• Place patties on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat; keep warm.
• Lightly coat cut sides of rolls with cooking spray; place cut sides down on grill rack, and grill 30 seconds or until toasted. Serve patties on toasted rolls with desired toppings.
• Wine note: Enjoy a bottle of American zinfandel with this menu. Pietra Santa Zinfandel 2003 ($16) is loaded with jammy blackberry and raspberry fruit, along with smoky oak and hints of Chinese five spice that go great with grilled flavors, yet the typically soft tannins make it versatile enough to sip throughout the meal. --Jeffery Lindenmuth

Note: Shape the patties the night before, and chill until you're ready to grill. Use bread left over from the loaf used for the tapenade to prepare the breadcrumbs. Set out lettuce, sliced tomato, thin red onion rings, Dijon mustard, and reduced-fat mayonnaise so guests can build their own burgers.

Serves 8