Pizza Burger recipe

Ingredients

For the Patties –

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground Italian sausage
• ¼ cup Italian bread crumbs
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the Pizza Burgers –

• 6 hamburger buns
• 6 tablespoons pizza sauce
• 6 mozzarella slices sandwich-size (or provolone slices)
• 18 pepperoni slices
• 12-18 fresh basil leaves
• ¾ cup pickled banana peppers drained

Instructions

• Set out a mixing bowl. Combine the ground beef, ground sausage, Italian breadcrumbs, and salt. Mix the meat until well combined.
• Divide the meat mixture into six equal portions. Then shape each portion into a patty, 1 inch wider than the hamburger buns. Press a small indentation in the center of the patty. (This helps the patty stay flat while cooking.)
• Preheat a large cast-iron skillet to medium heat. Then preheat the broiler to 500°F. *You can also cook these burgers on the grill or a griddle at medium heat, around 350-400°F.
• Once hot, place the patties in the skillet and cook for 5 minutes. Flip the burgers and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.
• After 3 minutes on the flip-side, top each patty with a slice of cheese, and three pepperoni slices.
• Carefully move the skillet to the oven, on the top rack, under the broiler. Broil the patties for 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese and crisp the pepperoni. Watch the patties carefully so you don’t burn the pepperonis!
• Place one tablespoon of pizza sauce on the bottom half of each hamburger bun. Place a hamburger patty on top of the pizza sauce. Top with banana pepper slices and fresh basil leaves. Add the top bun and serve immediately.

Notes

Storing Leftovers – Store the cooked cheeseburger patties in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezing – If you plan to freeze I suggest freezing the cooked patties without cheese. Let them cool completely before wrapping each burger in plastic wrap, then store all together in a plastic ziploc bag. They’ll keep well in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Reheating – Thaw frozen hamburgers in the fridge overnight. I recommend reheating burgers in the microwave… In a skillet on the stove or on a baking sheet in the oven will work, but these methods are more likely to dry them out.