Old Glory Sliders (Red, White & Blue Mini Fruit Burgers)

Pairs well with:

Zinfandel

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

I have lived my entire life right in the center of this great country. No where else witll you find more American pride than in the great midwest. We are proud to fly our flags from our front porches, wave them in the small town parades and honor our troops with them. My burgers are a tribute to our red, white and blue. I have used many of our midwestern bounty to create them. Rich cheeses from our many dairy herds, fresh cranberries, bule berries and grapes from our orchards, spinach and herbs from our lush gardens, and wheat from the golden fiields. When our founding fathers first layed foot on the soil of this country, the only three native fruits that were found here were the grape, the cranberry and the blueberry. I think this makes this a wonderful tribute to Old Glory.

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds ground sirloin
1 pound ground chuck
¼ cup Sutter Home Zinfandel Wine
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
3 tablespoons honey
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced

3/4 cup fresh blueberries, finely chopped
¾ cup fresh cranberries, finely chopped
¾ cup white grapes, finely chopped

1 cup sour cream
3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup green onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

3 ounces blue cheese crumbled
6 slices pepper jack cheese
6 slices white cheddar cheese
1 bunch baby spinach
18 small (approximately 3″) soft rolls split

Instructions:

Preheat gas grill to medium high. In a large bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients. Divide mixture into thirds. Fold the blueberries into one third of the meat, the cranberries into another third and the grapes into the last third. Form each of the mixtures into 6 balls. Flatten balls slightly.

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream with the lemon juice, horseradish, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, green onions and fresh sage. Cover and chill.

Lightly oil the grill grates. Place the meat patties on the grill and flatten slightly with the back of a spatula. Grill for approximately 2 minutes. Flip mini burgers and place ½ ounce of the blue cheese on each of the blueberry burgers, 1 slice of the pepper jack on each of the cranberry burgers, and one slice of the white cheddar on each of the grape burgers. Continue to grill for 2minutes longer, or until desired doneness is reached. Place the rolls on the grill and warm slightly. Remove the rolls and place the bottoms on a serving plate. Top each bottom with baby spinach. Put a slider on each bun. Finish with a dollop of the sour cream mixture and place the top back on the burgers. Serve 1 of each mini burger to each person. Serves 6 (3 burgers per serving).