Why it works: Tomato and oregano are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,767 recipes. Both carry 2-hexenal, which smells green, leafy. The science ↓
2-step Italian Burger Melt
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Shape hamburger into patties and brown on each side about 1 minute.
Place in a shallow 2 qt. baking dish.
Sauce and bake
Mix soup, water and oregano.
Pour over patties.
Top with cheese and bake at 400°F about 20 minutes or until done.
Serve
Serve on rolls or over pasta.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 4 of 6 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Mozzarella Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 85 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Oregano | 1 tsp dried (1.8g) | 5 |
| Soup | not in our table | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Tomato + oreganotop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,767 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-hexenal (green, leafy).
-
Tomato + mozzarella cheesetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,577 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Oregano + mozzarella cheesetop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together482 recipes
Shared aroma: myrcene (balsamic, herbaceous).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Hamburger
- Provides the meat base and savory flavor once browned and baked.
- Tomato soup
- Forms the saucy, moist base that coats the patties during baking.
- Mozzarella cheese
- Melts over the top to create a stretchy, browned topping.
The step that matters
Browning the patties. Searing the patties for about 1 minute per side develops browned, savory flavors through the Maillard reaction. Pale patties will taste flat, and the surface must be browned before the sauce goes on.
Swap the oregano
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tomato, mozzarella cheese):
- Basilfits better
- Oreganothe original
- Garlicfits less well
- Corianderfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against tomato, mozzarella cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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