Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza Burgers

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Okay, so I have a confession to make…

Pizza burgers hold a special place in my heart. 

There, I said it…

who would have guessed?

There was a little diner, in a little town,

that we would go to

after dentist appointments

and for some reason I was so intrigued by the pizza burger.

I'm pretty sure it was because there was cheese on the INSIDE!!!!

Totally novel, even for a small-town Wisconsin girl.  

Sausage and beef patty, stuffed with cheese and topped with pepperoni and sauce. 

So, recently, I decided that I would treat my family to one of my childhood favorites. 

A favorite that is up on an childhood pedestal,

that I don't really want to eat just anywhere because I don't want to be disappointed

that it won't taste as good as it does in my memory of my childhood.

After just a bit of dreaming and collaborating, 

a Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza Burger

was created which did not disappoint my childhood memory. 

(Success in itself!)

For starters, 1# of ground beef and 1# of bulk Italian sausage were combined

along with 1 tsp of Italian seasoning and 1 tsp seasoning salt. 

Once well mixed, the meat was scored

(if you can see that vague X through the middle)

which just helps to divide the burgers into similar sizes. 

Let the burger making commence!

The first patty was spread out thin on a cutting mat

and about 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella was placed in the middle. 

Then, the sides were folded up to seal in the cheese. 

The first 4 burgers were added to the grill pan over medium heat. 

Since these are thicker burgers, 

lower heat and longer times are required to ensure they are fully cooked. 

Some cheese might start to melt out…

but believe me, 

it did not affect how exquisite these burgers tasted. 

Once the burgers were done, 

they were placed upon a layer of pizza sauce on a toasted bun

and topped with more sauce, pepperoni and cheese!

OHMIGOSH!

The flavors and textures were so juicy and delicious…

My youngest decided to make it a pizza burger salad with some ranch!

Another, outstanding idea!

RECIPE:

Time: 30 minutes

Makes: 6-8 burgers

Ingredients:

1# ground beef

1# bulk Italian sausage

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp salt

3-4 cups shredded mozzarella, separated

Pizza sauce

Toasted Bun

Pepperoni

Directions:

• Combine ground beef, Italian sausage, seasoning and salt. 
• Form burger by flattening 1/4 # meat and filling 1/4 cup cheese in middle. 
• Fold up sides and seal well. 
• Grill over medium heat for 10+ minutes/side until cooked through. 
• Serve with toasted bun, pizza sauce, pepperoni and more cheese. 

Zucchini and Sausage Marinara and Eagle River Highlights

Whoa…I'm back in action, relishing the most fun summer I've had in years, probably since my childhood.

Yesterday was my youngest's 9th birthday.  Landon and his buddies enjoyed and afternoon at the Fort Aktinson Pool.  Great facility and reasonably priced…hope to get back there at least one more time this summer.

Before that, we spent a week in the woods of northern Wisconsin…great family time and wonderful memories made.

Reviving an old tradition go-karting tradition at Elmer's. 

Our 2nd annual cruise at Pirates Hideaway

Fishing for bass, northern and blue gill on Carpenter Lake.

Eating our first fish fry. 

Hanging out on the raft, with the lake to ourselves!

Kids had a tread-off, for nearly an hour!  

 Those are just a few of the highlights, we also went Stand Up Paddleboarding, saw lots of wildlife, played in the sand, cooked over the fire and cherished every minute together!

While we were gone, the garden just kept right on a-growing!  Which means that the zucchini, aka the only vegetable thriving in our garden, are now the size of small children.  I've been experimenting a lot with zucchini, but will try to space out all of the zucchini recipes over the next month or so.

 Before we left, we had Zucchini and Sausage Marinara for dinner in an effort to utilize what was left in the refrigerator.  

Started by grilling up the Italian Sausage links in my beloved grill pan.  

Ultimately, I had to cut the links in half to ensure they were cooked all of the way through.  

While the snausages were cooking, just boiled up some gluten-free pasta.  It really isn't very different and is now the norm in our house. 

I would recommend undercooking the pasta a bit so that the penne tubes stay intact while being combined with the rest of the deliciousness. 

As far as the zucchini, some coconut oil was heated and the squash coins were layered in. 

Seasoned with freshly ground roasted garlic and sea salt, also decided that some onion would be a fabulous addition to these veggies. 

In order to keep the zucchini from getting to mashed, I gently flip the veggies after sufficient time to brown. 

 A wise man once said..."Let it Be" - great advice! 

As the zucchini were cooked, they were added to the pan o' pasta and topped with a jar of marinara sauce. 

Finally, the cooked sausage links were sliced and added. 

Gently combined and ready to be devoured by my hungry crew! 

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

Italian Sausage links

Ronzoni Gluten-free Pasta

Zucchini - as much as you like!

Coconut Oil

Freshly ground roasted garlic and sea salt

Sliced Onion

Jar of marinara sauce

Parmesan - optional

Directions:

Cook and slice sausage links. 

Boil pasta according to instructions. 

Sliced and sautee zucchini in oil of choice. 

Add sausage and zucchini to pasta, top with marinara.

Gently stir to combine, top with parmesan and serve.