Mama Mia Burger
Ingredients
1 medium size head of garlic
2 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Bread:
6 Kaiser rolls, split
6 ounces Colavita Balsamic Vinegar in a spray bottle
6 ounces Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a spray bottle
Patties:
3/4 cup Colavita Sundried Tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 pounds ground chuck
2-1/2 teaspoons lemon pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
2 teaspoons salt
Toppings:
12 slices Italian prosciutto
6 slices smoked mozzarella cheese
1 cup Colavita Dal Raccolto Pesto Sauce
Vegetable oil for brushing the grill rack
Instructions
Directions: Prepare a medium-high fire in a charcoal grill with a cover or preheat gas grill to medium-high. Cut top off head of garlic. Place garlic on double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Gather foil tightly and twist at top to seal garlic and olive oil inside. Place on grill for 15 minutes. Remove, open foil and let cool. Split Kaiser rolls. Spray cut side of buns liberally with balsamic vinegar. Repeat by spraying each bun with olive oil. Set buns aside. To make the patties, squeeze each clove of garlic into a large bowl. Mash with fork. Add chopped sundried tomatoes and mix well. Add ground beef into the same bowl. Sprinkle lemon pepper, chili powder, Hungarian sweet paprika and salt well over the beef. To avoid compacting meat, use two forks to mix the seasonings into the beef, sundried tomatoes and garlic. Continue tossing until everything is well blended. Divide mixture into 6 equal portions and form the portions into patties about one inch bigger than the Kaiser rolls. Brush grill with oil. Place patties on rack, cover and grill until browned on the bottom, about 5-7 minutes. Turn patties, add 2 slices of prosciutto to each burger, cover and cook 2 minutes. Place bread around edges of grill, the balsamic/olive oil side down. Add 1 slice of smoked mozzarella cheese to each burger, cover and cook an additional 2-4 minutes for medium doneness. Remove bread from grill. To assemble burgers, on each roll bottom on the cut sides, spread 1 tablespoon of pesto sauce. Place one beef patty on each roll bottom. Top with a generous amount of pesto, add roll top and serve.