Peppy Pepperoni Burger on Pumpernickel and Rye

Who doesn’t love pizza? Burgers? Great Bread?

I recently moved to Iowa from Pennsylvania and I have had a hard time finding my favorite pizza and burger-so far anyway. SO what is a girl to to do? Combine the great flavors and flare of Philadelphia to the amazing produce and meat of the mid-west and ta-daa! The Peppy Pepperoni Burger~

The spicy pepperoni and the creaminess of the mayo really meld into the burger and the roll. I use the “pepperoni topping” as a dip with pumpernickel and rye bread at football parties and it really is a winner! And so is this burger!

Ingredients:

Pepperoni topping

1 6 oz package of sliced pepperoni

1 cup Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons softened Philadelphia Cream Cheese

Patties

2 pounds ground chuck

1 onion chopped

1/4cup black olive finely chopped

4 garlic cloves finely chopped

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons of salt

1/2 teaspoon of pepper

2 tablespoon of fennel seeds

1/4 cup fresh oregano

1/4 cup fresh basil

4 tablespoons Ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons of Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon

3 tablespoons of vegetable oil for brushing the grill rack

6 pumpernickel and rye rolls sliced in half

Instructions:

Preheat grill to a medium high heat.

To prepare pepperoni topping, in a blender combine pepperoni, mayo, sour cream and mayo until no larges chunks of pepperoni remain. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

To prepare the patties, in a large bowl, handling as little as possible, combine ground chuck, onion, black olives, garlic, red pepper, salt, pepper, fennel seeds, oregano, basil, ricotta, Parmesan, and wine. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

When grill is ready, brush rack with vegetable oil. Place patties on grill, cook turning only once,until done preference, about 4-5 minutes on each side for medium. During the last few minutes of grilling burgers, place rolls cut side down on grill and toast lightly.

To assemble the burgers, spread equal amounts of pepperoni topping to each cut side of roll. Add grilled burger to the bottom halves of roll. Add the tops and serve.