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. 

Spaghetti Squash Pizza Boats

We've made it to the last week in March and can only hope that warmer temperatures make their arrival along with the new month.  The snow on the ground this morning isn't exactly what I was hoping for.  I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Basketball wrapped up recently with a wonderful weekend in the Dells at The Great Wolf Lodge with our basketball families. Now, we are looking forward to soccer and baseball, whenever warmer temperatures arrive.

Despite the cool afternoons, the kids have been outside with friends after school, at least enjoying the longer days of sunlight.  Last night when they came in with their cheeks rosy from the cool temperatures, there was some nice, warm, filling and healthy pizza boats ready for them.

I love this combination of something familiar and something healthy.  The kids weren't sure what they thought of the spaghetti squash itself, but when it was loaded with their beloved pizza toppings, they dove right in!

To serve my family of five, I bought 2 spaghetti squash, which are about 3 lbs each.  Each serving was a quarter of a squash and there was enough for seconds and leftovers.

These yellow squash are solid!  They must be pre-heated for a minute in the microwave, after piercing, in order to cut them in half for baking.  Then, scoop out the seeds and fibers and they are almost ready to go into the oven.

The preparation for baking was pretty simple, just brush with olive oil,  sprinkle with seasoning salt and fresh ground black pepper.  I was pretty liberal with all three of these, because once they are cooked and the spaghetti is shredded, there is plenty go to around.

Contrary to many preparation methods, these were baked cut-side up at 400 F for 40 minutes, then checked for tenderness and ease of shredding.  Since there were a few tough spots, I popped them back in for another 10 minutes to ensure doneness.

The next step was to top with your favorite pizza toppings.  Starting with an 8 oz jar of Classico Pizza sauce, 1/3 cup was spread on top of each half, then a handful of shredded mozzarella cheese (probably another 1/3 cup) and finally, 2 of them were topped with pepperoni, to satisfy the meat lovers in the family.

The kids did really well with this variation of a time-honored favorite.  They were intrigued by the fact that the shredded squash really did look like spaghetti and I'm always pleased when a filling, healthy meal can be served up as a one-dish wonder.

 Recipe

Ingredients
2 Spaghetti Squash
Olive Oil 
Seasoning Salt
Black Pepper
8 oz jar of Classico Pizza Sauce
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Pepperoni
(any additional pizza toppings of your choice)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F, pierce squash and microwave for 1 minute to soften. Cut in half, brush on olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper. Bake, cut side up for 40 minutes, or longer if necessary, until squash shreds easily.

Remove from oven, top shredded squash with favorite pizza toppings.  I used 1/3 cup Classico pasta sauce, a handful of shredded mozzarella cheese and some pepperoni.  Return to oven until cheese is melted.

Cut in half and serve!

Mmmmm, Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Happy Monday, hope you had a glorious weekend.

Ours was basketball laden, but I'd much rather have the kids active and busy than yelling at each other over Minecraft ("Get out of my house!!!" has been shouted by each of my rascals). Please tell me I'm not the only one.

So, we had some families over on Saturday night to celebrate the conclusion (survival!?!) of another basketball season.

Whenever we have friends over (which I love to do!), I like to serve something convenient, yet homemade...so, many of you know that equals soup in my world.  But, since this was mostly guys/boys, I thought I'd opt for pizza, would hate to scare them off with too many veggies.

Started with some homemade pizza bites (string cheese and pepperoni rolled up in a crescent roll, baked for 10 minutes served with marinara, which the kids usually skip anyway) are generally a quick, no-mess option for the kids to grab while running through the kitchen or taking a break from a big game of horse.

I was also excited to experiment a bit with some pizza recipes while ensuring the the stand-bys are safely within reach for anyone who isn't quite as adventurous.

So, the first pie started with pizza sauce and added minced garlic. Most tomato/pizza/pasta sauces are waaaaaay too sweet for me, so no matter the brand, I always sprinkle in some minced garlic (and maybe even some grated onion) to balance out that sweetness that makes me cringe.

Continued to top with sausage, pepperoni, onions, red peppers and LOTS of cheese. My favorite part of cheese is when it is crispy and brown...me and the Maillard reaction, we are great friends!  It was tasty.

The crowd pleaser was the Buffalo Chicken Pizza.  The sauce should have been bleu cheese dressing...I have no idea how that one got away from me, I was aghast when I realized there wasn't any in the fridge or pantry.  No fear, queen of improvisation, just used ranch instead. Just as tasty and delightful.

Next, the cooked, chopped chicken was tossed in melted butter and hot sauce before being spread on the creamy dressing.  Then, added some chopped onion before layering with cheese.

Here is my lesson-learned through this first try at this...next time, use a little less dressing.  

Ranch, blue cheese, and other dairy based dressings have a tendency to run and spread when heated, unlike tomato based sauces...so, my pizza was noticeably larger in circumference coming out of the oven than going in. 

Still tasted great, but duh...somehow those scientific principles escaped me...perhaps it was whatever was in that coke that my husband served me.

I know we thoroughly enjoyed this tasty combination of guy-friendly foods into one happy marriage of buffalo chicken and pizza, give it a try and tell me how much they loved it!