Salute to Italy Burger with

Ingredients

Pan Fried Mozzarella:
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk (2%)
2 balls fresh mozzarella
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 lg eggs

Burgers:
2 ripe plumb tomatoes – peeled and seeded
2 tsp minced garlic
1 bag Birdseye pepper stir fry mix
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 1/4 pound ground sirloin
1/2 pound ground (Johnsonville)Sweet Italian Sausage

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Italian Bread Rolls – bakery fresh

1/4 cup vegtable oil – for grill

 

Instructions

INSTRUCTIONS:
Pan Fried Mozzarella
Pre-heat the cast iron frying pan and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
First beat 1 egg and the milk together until well mixed – set aside in shallow bowl.
Then mix the bread crumbs and the flour together – set aside in shallow plate. Styrofoam plates work well.
Next slice the mozzarella with a cheese slicer – approximately 1/8 inch thickness – you will need 12 slices.
Dip one slice at a time into the milk/egg mixture, and then completely cover the cheese slice with the breadcrumbs/ flour mixture – place into the hot frying pan – cook approximately 2 minutes on each side – until golden brown.
Place cooked cheese on a paper towel, repeat for each slice of cheese.
DO NOT STACK THE COOKED CHEESE!
Add olive oil to pan as needed between slices; allow oil to heat with each addition.

Set the fried cheese aside.
Salute to Italy Burgers
Remove the skin and the seeds from the plumb tomatoes, and then dice the tomatoes into tiny pieces. Set aside.

Mince the pepper stir fry mix; allow to thaw on a paper towel so the liquid drains away.

Remove the casings from the sausage links and place in a large metal mixing bowl, add the ground sirloin and the remaining egg mix very well.

Add the salt, pepper, crushed red peppers and minced garlic – mix well.
Add the pepper stir fry mix and tomatoes mix very well. Set aside in refrigerator until time to cook.
Burgers will need to cook about 14 minutes on a medium flame.
1/2 hour before cooking – take burger mixture out of refrigerator and form 6 -4 ounce burgers shape to the bun.
Make burgers between 1/2 and 3/4 inch thick and approximately 5.5 inches around. Place burgers on plate.
Reheat the frying pan on the grill
Place the 6 burgers on the grill – cooking about 7 minutes on each side – flipping the burger only once.
When the burgers are almost finished cooking, reheat the mozzarella in the frying pan – be sure not to over cook the cheese.
Place 1 slice of the warmed cheese on the bottom of the bun, then drizzle the cheese with the balsamic vinegar, then place a cooked burger on the cheese, top the burger with the second slice of mozzarella and then drizzle the top with the balsamic vinegar, add the top bun and enjoy.