Da Everything Pizza Burger

I grew up in Evanston IL just north of Chicago in a Italian Bohemian family.My maternal Grande Nonni and Nonni had a resturant in Highland Park called Skokie Gardens. They served thin crust pizza and other Italian treats. I remember the fabulous times going to visit Skokie Gardens, playing the huge backyard, big swing, the grape arbors and especially being in the kitchen to help make the pizza with everything! The crispy crust, sausage, tomatoes, onions, peppers, mushrooms, black olives, pepperoni and cheese. This burger reminds me of those days when it is too hot to turn on my oven to make the pizza! This was our melting pot so it is right this is the great American burger!

Ingredients:

Pam for grilling spray
I large onion sliced
8 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 oz. olive oil
1/2 cup Sutter Home Zinfandel or Merlot
32 oz. ground beef 80%/20%
2 oz. pepperoni slices cut into thin strips
2 oz. bulk Italian sausage broken up into small pieces
2 TSP. chopped black olives
2 oz. diced canned tomatoes
1 TSP. Italian seasoning dried
1 TSP. chopped fine onion
2 TSP. chopped green peppers
2 TSP. shreded mozzarella
1 TSP. chopped fresh mushrooms
6 whole English muffins
2 oz. olive oil
3 oz. pizza tomato sauce
8 slices mozzarella
8 slices provolone
12 large fresh Basil leaves cut into strips

Instructions:

Spray grill with Pam. Start grill and put heat at medium. Place large cast iron skillet on grill. Once skillet is hot, break up onion slices into separate rings and place in skillet, add sliced mushrooms and 1 oz of olive oil. Cook until onions become clear, add Sutter Home wine to pan. Let mushrooms and onions cook until wine reduces 1/2. Remove from grill, set aside with cover.
In large bowl, combine ground beef, pepperoni, Italian sausage, black olives, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, onion, green peppers, shreded mozzarella, and mushrooms. Mix thouroughly. Divide mixture into 6 patties. Chill for 15 minutes over ice. Place patties on grill on medium heat.
Split English muffins and brush both sides with olive oil. Turn bugers when burger easily releases from grill. Place English muffins on upper rack cut side down to toast. Once cut side down is toasted lightly, remove from grill. On six of the muffins, put 1/2 oz of pizza sauce and a slice of provolone. Turn burgers again. Put English muffins with pizza sauce and provolone on upper rack, outside down. Put other 6 muffins on rack to toast outside. Put mozzarella slice on top of burger. Muffins toast and cheese melts, remove muffins. Put the muffin with the provolone and pizza sauce cheese side up. Place burger on top. Spread shreded Basil leaves over the top of burger. Put the mushroom onion mixture onto top of the shreded Basil. Top with the plain muffin.

Eat while hot!