Claron's Very Italian Patties

I love this recipe for so many reasons. The name, the taste, the presentation, the fact that it's from a submission by Jon's uncle to a family reunion recipe book. One of the reasons I started this blog was to invite my friends and family to post recipes. Making others' meals helps me feel connected to distant loved ones. I was excited to get the 2010 Perry Family Recipe Book, even though I didn't get to go to the reunion, so I could have the influence of Jon's family in our home.

The original recipe calls for ground turkey and just an egg white. For my family I used ground beef and a whole egg. The Italian dressing I used came from Trader Joe's. Sorry Utah; it was delicious.

photo by Emily Hale

Claron's Very Italian Patties


1 pound ground meat (lean beef or turkey)
1 C seasoned bread crumbs
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed (or 2 tsp garlic powder)
1 egg (or 1 egg white for leaner version)
1/2 bottle Italian dressing
toasted French bread or garlic bread
shredded mozzarella cheese

Mix all ingredients except bread and cheese. Form into patties and cook until no longer pink in the middle. (Note: you may want to shape your patties in circles or ovals according to the shape of your bread. My bread was skinny so I cut it on an angle. Oval patties worked well.) Slice the bread and top each slice with a patty drizzled with a little more dressing and some cheese. Microwave about 30 seconds or broil until cheese melts.