Everything’s Betta with Feta Stuffed Burger

Pairs well with:

White Zinfandel

With strawberry and melon essences, this American original is perfectly at home with however you like to unwind.

Ingredients

Filling:
1 head of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup packaged real bacon bits
Patties:
1 1/4 pounds ground chuck
1 1/4 pounds ground sirloin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black ground pepper
1 package French Onion Soup mix
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup pitted chopped kalamata olives
Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
Topping:
2 cups arugula, cleaned and trimmed
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 onion hamburger buns, split
2/3 cup store-bought sundried tomato tapenade

 

Instructions

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high. To make roasted garlic for the filling, remove some of the paper from the garlic head. Slice off the top quarter of the bulb and place on a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil large enough to completely wrap the garlic. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the garlic and secure the foil around it. Place on the heated grill, covered, for 25 minutes. Remove and cool. Do not turn the grill off. While the garlic roasts, place the feta cheese and bacon bits in a small bowl. Set aside. To make the patties, combine chuck, sirloin, salt, pepper, French Onion Soup mix, egg, soy sauce, and kalamata olives in a large bowl. Mix with hands to incorporate ingredients but do not over mix. Roll the meat into a log shape and divide in half. Then take each half and divide evenly into thirds to make 6 patties of the same size. Take each of the 6 patties and divide them in half to make 2 separate patties, a top and bottom patty. Flatten each patty out as thin as possible so that they are a little larger than the diameter of the buns. Make sure that there are no openings in the meat that will let the filling leak out. Using non-stick aluminum foil to set the patties on is helpful. Once the roasted garlic is cooled, gently squeeze the cloves from the cut side of the bulb onto a cutting board. Roughly chop the garlic. Add and mix with the feta and bacon bits. Divide the mixture evenly among 6 of the patties. Spread the mixture on the patties leaving a 1 inch border around the edge. Take the other 6 patties and place them on top of the patties with the mixture on them. Pinch the edges of the meat together well to ensure they do not come apart during grilling. Brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook for 6 minutes. Open the grill and turn the patties once. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes or until an instant thermometer reads 160 degrees F when inserted from the top. Make sure the thermometer is inserted into the meat rather than the filling. While the patties are cooking, place the arugula, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper into a medium bowl. Mix together well and set aside. When the patties are cooked, remove them from the grill, stack them and tent them with aluminum foil to keep them warm. Place the onion buns, cut side down on the outer edges of the grill to lightly toast them. Remove them from the grill. To assemble the burgers, evenly divide the sundried tomato tapenade and spread on the cut side of each of the 6 bottom buns. Then place a patty on each bottom bun. Place an equal portion of the arugula mixture on top of each patty. Add the bun tops and serve. Makes 6 burgers