Bite into this mild-mannered-looking burger and you’ll get a cheesy surprise and the big flavors of garlicky arugula pesto. My burgers come off the same grill that has been at the Rock since it first opened 70 years ago (it was the only piece of the kitchen that was unharmed from the fire), and it has probably grilled about 21⁄2 million burgers since then. I mean, off of that grill came burgers to feed our boys going off to World War II and coming home from ‘Nam. It served the hungry during the Depression. When I think of all the people who have been comforted by the food coming off of that grill, it gives me perspective and makes me happy that I can keep the Rock and its amazing history alive.

Pesto
1 cup (about 4 ounces) finely grated Parmesan cheese
About 2 cups arugula
1⁄2 cup toasted pine nuts
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄4–1⁄2 teaspoon salt

Burgers
1⁄2 recipe meatball mixture (about 21⁄2 pounds)
6 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons canola oil
6 hamburger buns, toasted

Make the pesto. Place the Parmesan, arugula, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, and pepper in a food processor and blend for 15 seconds. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl, and process until the pesto is smooth, about 10 seconds more. Taste and add the salt if necessary.

Stuff the burgers. Take 1⁄3 cup meat mixture and form it into a flat circle, about 4″ in diameter. (Make the patty slightly larger or smaller depending on the width of your mozzarella cheese slice—the patty should be just slightly wider than the cheese slice.) Place a piece of cheese in the center and top with another 1⁄3 cup meat mixture, also flattened into a circle. Seal the edges shut and repeat with the remaining meat and cheese, until you have 6 filled hamburger patties.

Cook the burgers. Heat the canola oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the burgers in the pan (as many as will fit), cover, and cook until browned, about 3 to 6 minutes per side. Place each burger on the bottom half of a bun, top the burger with about 2 tablespoons pesto, cover with the bun top, and serve.

Burgers go from ho-hum to fancy when you form the mixture around a skewer. This recipe is a great one for parties and entertaining—it offers that wow factor without you having to shell out big bucks on shrimp or filet. The kebabs are fantastic cooked on the grill, too.

Salad
10 radishes, trimmed, washed, and thinly sliced
2 large cucumbers, washed and thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint (optional)
1⁄4 teaspoon salt

Kebabs
1⁄2 recipe meatball mixture (about 21⁄2 pounds)
1⁄4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1⁄2 teaspoon ground allspice
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Make the salad. Place the radishes, cucumbers, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, mint (if using), and salt in a large bowl and toss together. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 4 hours.

Mix the meat. Adjust an oven rack to the top position and heat the broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with foil
and set aside. Place the meatball mixture, nuts, sugar, cumin, oregano, allspice, and cinnamon in a large bowl
and mix to combine.

Shape and broil the kebabs. Divide the meat into 24 pieces and shape into oblong torpedoes. Thread 3 lengthwise onto each of 8 wooden or metal skewers and place the skewers on the baking sheet. Fold a sheet of foil in half lengthwise and place over the skewer bottoms to keep them from burning if using wooden skewers. Broil the kebabs until browned, 5 to 6 minutes, turn the skewers over, and broil the other side until browned, another 4 to 5 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature with the salad on the side.

Shop Smart
When I see a sale on ground turkey (preferably dark meat), ground pork, ground veal, or even ground bison, I’ll buy a few pounds and freeze it for a rainy-day meatball marathon. Cutting other types of ground meat into the beef keeps the mixture flavorful, tender, and moist.

One day, as I was mixing up a batch of meatballs, I realized I basically had the makings of a meatloaf or kebabs right in front of me. Why not double (or even triple) the batch and have a head start on a couple more meals at the ready? I did just that, and have been using this shortcut ever since. You can use the entire recipe for meatballs and freeze half for another meal down the line. Also, if you prefer not to fry the meatballs, bake them at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes. Half of this recipe will make 24 meatballs, serving 6; save the rest for one of the relay recipes.

Ingredients
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1 cup whole or low-fat milk
2 large eggs
11⁄2 cups (about 6 ounces) finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1⁄4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
31⁄2 pounds ground beef (preferably 90% lean)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Make the meat mixture. Place the bread crumbs and milk in a small bowl, stir together, and set aside. Whisk the eggs and 1 cup of the Parmesan together in a large bowl. Stir in the onion, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper and then add the beef and the breadcrumb mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or your hands until the mixture is well combined. Use your hands to roll golf ball–size pieces into smooth balls.

Cook the meatballs. Heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough meatballs to fill the pan without overcrowding and cook, covered, until browned on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer the meatballs to a paper towel–lined plate, sprinkle with some of the remaining Parmesan, and set aside. Repeat with the remaining meatballs. Stir the meatballs into sauce or serve as is, sprinkled with the remaining Parmesan.

D2D
ground beef has a lot of flavor and stays nice and moist once cooked. to save a few cents per pound, grind your own the next time chuck roast is on sale. leave most of the fat on, and either ask the butcher to grind it or grind it yourself if you have a meat grinder or an attachment for your stand mixer.

If there was ever an econo-meal all-star, chili would win that title! Loaded with veggies, meat, and beans, a big pot of this chili serves 4 hungry people for less than $10, making it a real meal deal. Leftovers always get eaten up at my house—either as chili dogs with grated cheese and relish, or as chili-mac with elbow macaroni, cilantro, and scallions.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons salt
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 pounds ground beef (preferably 85% lean)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 can (14 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed, or 11⁄2 cups cooked pinto beans
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Hot-pepper sauce, to taste (optional)

Make the chili broth. Bring 21⁄2 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Whisk in the chili powder, cover, turn off the heat, and set aside.

Brown the veggies and meat. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt and cook until the onion is soft and just starting to brown, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook until it’s fragrant, about 30 seconds, then stir in the ground beef. Cook, stirring often, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the flour, the remaining 11⁄2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Cook the chili. Whisk a little of the chili-water into the meat while stirring to work out any lumps. Add the rest of the chili-water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and gently simmer for 1 hour. Pour in the beans and add the tomato paste (if the chili doesn’t look saucy enough for your taste, add 2⁄3 cup of water) and the sugar and simmer for another 30 minutes to bring the flavors together. Serve immediately with hot-pepper sauce on the side, if using, or cool and refrigerate for up to 5 days (or freeze in 2 quart-size resealable freezer bags for up to 3 months).

D2D
When I have just 1 serving of chili left, I’ll add a pound of pasta, some extra beans, chopped raw onions, grated cheese, and cilantro, and call it chili mac. everyone loves it, and it allows me to stretch one $2.20 serving out to feed 4 people.