Next time you make burgers, make

Pizza Burgers

Pizza and hamburgers are two of the great American junk foods (well, we certainly co-opted them and made them our own anyway.)  On one hand you have the gooey cheese, the spices of the tomato sauce, the earthy flavors of the meat, the complexity of the toppings, the chewiness of the dough and on the other hand you have pizza.

So, really there’s absolutely no reason you can’t combine your pizza and your hamburger into one fantastic sandwich no one is soon to forget.

Pizza Burgers Recipe

This pizza burger recipe is a bit complex because of all the toppings I put on it.  If you don’t want to do the mushrooms or the onions, that’s perfectly respectable, don’t!  If you want to add your own favorite pizza toppings, I say do what makes you feel good.  All you really need is the burger, the bun, the mozzarella, and the tomato sauce.  Everything after that is just bonus time.

You will need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 pounds ground chuck
• Spaghetti Sauce
• 4 slices of fresh mozzarella
• Black olives to taste
• 4 buns

In a skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil and let it get hot.  Then add the mushrooms, the garlic powder, and a pinch of salt.  Saute the mushrooms until they have turned a nice brown.  Remove from the skillet.

Add the butter and melt.  Lower the heat to low and add the onions.  Cover and cook on low heat for 45 minute to an hour until the onions are brown and sweet.

Next, get out your cast iron skillet and cook the burgers according to the Recipe for the Perfect Hamburger. 

While the burgers are cooking, heat the spaghetti sauce.

When it comes time to add the cheese, put the mozzarella on the burgers and cover so the cheese melts.

Constructs the burgers with the buns, mushrooms, caramelized onions, burger, black olives and sauce.  Enjoy!