“Caesar’s Italian Mushroom Cheese Burger”

Pairs well with:

Zinfandel

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

Ingredients:

Mushrooms
1 cup dried Porcini mushrooms, chopped
1/3 cup Sutter Home Zinfandel wine
5 tablespoons Newman’s Own Organic Tuscan Italian Dressing, divided
5 tablespoons Treasure Cave Parmesan cheese, divided
2 teaspoons salt or to your personal taste
2 teaspoons pepper or to your personal taste

Patties
2 pounds fresh ground Chuck, 76-24
1/2 pound Johnsonville Italian Ground Mild Sausage
Colavita Pure Olive oil, for brushing the grill
1 1/2 cups shredded Italian Blend cheese

Avocado Caesar Salad
1 1/2 cups Romaine lettuce cut into bite size pieces
1/3 to 1/2 cup Creamy Caesar salad dressing
3/4 cup fresh ripe Hass Avocados, diced
3/4 cup fresh ripe Roma tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper, or to your personal taste

3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon garlic powder
6 fresh Asiago Cheese rolls, sliced hamburger style
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 fresh shallots, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Italian dried seasoning

Instructions:

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high.

Place the mushrooms, wine, 3 tablespoons Tuscan dressing, 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, and blend together. Set aside to reconstitute the mushrooms for 20 minutes.

Place the ground Chuck and Italian sausage in a large mixing bowl. Add the mushrooms and marinade to the meat. Gently blend together and form 6 patties slightly larger than the rolls. Brush the grill with the olive oil. Place the patties on the grill, close the lid, and cook 5-7 minutes on each side or to your personal doneness. With 2-3 minutes left on the patties, and cover each patty with 1/4 cup of the Italian Blend cheese.

Blend the butter and garlic together, spread on the rolls equally, and place on the grill at the same time you add the cheese to the patties to toast a light golden brown, remove.

Toss together the lettuce, Caesar dressing, Avocados, tomatoes, remaining Parmesan cheese, and pepper in a medium size bowl.

Blend the Mayonnaise, shallots, the remaining Tuscan salad dressing, and Italian seasoning together. Spread on the toasted bun bottoms. Add a cheese burger patty to each roll bottom, cover with the Avocado Caesar salad, and the roll top. Serve immediately.