Sunny Southwest Burger

Ingredients

For Guacamole Spread:
1 Tbsp. picante sauce
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1½ tsp. garlic salt 3 small ripe avocados (peeled, pitted and mashed about 1½ cups)
1 small yellow and 1 small orange tomato (chopped about 1/3 cup each)
For Fajita Mayonnaise:
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. fajita seasoning
For Pepper Patties:
2 pounds ground chuck
1 Tbsp. Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Sutter Home White Merlot
2 Tbsp. fajita seasoning
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh jalapeno with seeds and ribs removed
Other items needed:
Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for brushing on the grill rack
1/3 cup Taco sauce
Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for brushing on the buns
¼ head shredded iceberg lettuce
6 onion buns
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high. Mix the picante sauce, lemon juice, garlic salt, avocados, and tomatoes to make the Guacamole Spread. You can use one color of tomato but the 2 colors really makes it interesting looking. Refrigerate until ready to use. Mix the mayonnaise and fajita seasoning for the fajita spread. Refrigerate until ready to make the hamburgers. To make the patties thoroughly mix the ground chuck, 1 tablespoonful of Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil, the Sutter Home White Merlot, the fajita seasoning and the jalapeno peppers but do not pack. Make 6 even patties a little bigger than the buns. The tablespoonful of olive oil helps the patty not dry out while grilling. Brush the grill rack with the Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Cook the patties on the grill five minutes on the first side when the coals are medium hot. Turn when lightly browned and spread 1 tablespoonful of taco sauce on the top of each patty. Cook the second side about 5 minutes until it is lightly browned also. Use Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil to brush the onion buns lightly on the cut sides and toast the buns on the grill. The olive oil will help prevent the buns from sticking and make them toast crisper. To complete the hamburgers, place 3 to 4 tablespoonfuls of the Guacamole Spread on the bottom bun. After the hamburger patty has rested 2 minutes place it on top of the guacamole spread. Put ½ cup of the shredded lettuce on the patty and then ¼ cup of the shredded cheese on the lettuce. Spread the top bun thickly with the Fajita Mayonnaise and then place it on top of the hamburger. Makes 6 burgers