Spicy Beef Burgers with Blue Cheese Bacon Portobello Caps

Pairs well with:

Zinfandel

Bright and full-bodied, this Zinfandel wine is a curious contradiction in tastes.

Ingredients

Mushrooms:
1/4 cup Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoon Colavita Balsamic Vinegar
1 shallot, minced
6 large Portobello mushrooms, stems removed
BBQ Sauce and Patties:
1/4 cup canned chipotle chilies in adobo
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Colavita Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 cup Ketchup
2 pounds ground beef chuck
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Stuffing:
6 slices apple wood smoked bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 shallot, minced
1 1/2 cups crushed Organic Chipotle Chili Kettle Chips
1 1/2 cups crumbled Blue Cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon Colavita Balsamic
Vinegar Oil to brush the grill
6 large hamburger buns, split horizontally

 

Instructions

For the mushrooms, whisk together the 1/4 cup of Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and the minced shallot in a small bowl. Using a spoon, scrape out the gills from the Portobello mushrooms and place mushrooms on a baking sheet. Brush tops and bottoms of mushrooms with the marinade and arrange hollow side up on the baking sheet; let stand for 30 minutes. Heat a grill to medium-high heat. To make the BBQ sauce and patties, combine in a food processor the chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, honey, Grey Poupon Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar and ketchup; process until well combined and smooth then set aside. In a large bowl gently combine the ground beef chuck, kosher salt and the ground black pepper. Shape mixture into six 1/2 inch thick patties. Transfer patties to a plate and cover until ready to grill. To make the stuffing, cook the bacon until crispy, in a large skillet over the preheated grill. (Be sure to use a skillet with an oven-safe handle.) Drain bacon on paper towels and transfer to a medium sized bowl. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings from the pan, stir in the shallots and cook over hot grill until tender; scrape shallots (and any drippings left in the pan) into the bowl with the bacon. Stir in the Chipotle Chili Kettle Chips, Blue cheese, parsley and the teaspoon of balsamic vinegar. Divide the blue cheese mixture among the mushrooms, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edges and packing down slightly. Lightly brush the grill rack with oil. Place the hamburger buns cut side down on the grill and lightly toast, about 2 minutes; set aside. Place the mushrooms on the grill, stuffing side up. Cook until cheese melts and juices bubble at the edges of the mushrooms, about 6 minutes; cover loosely with foil and set aside. Place patties on the grill and cook for 4 minutes. Turn patties and brush the cooked side generously with the BBQ sauce. Cook an additional 4 minutes for medium or until desired doneness, turning several times and brushing frequently with the sauce. To assemble, place a cooked patty on the bottom half of each bun, top with the Portobello cap. Add the bun tops and serve. Makes 6 burgers