Zinsational Wine and Cheese Burgers

Ingredients

Wine Cheese Butter:
4 oz. soft cream cheese spread, softened
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons Sutter Home Zinfandel
Patties:
2 lbs. ground round
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons grill seasoning
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons Sutter Home Zinfandel
2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
Vegetable oil for brushing the grill rack
12 slices pre-cooked bacon
6 Kaiser rolls, split 3/4 cup
Sutter Home Zinfandel
9 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
6 lettuce leaves

Instructions

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high heat. To prepare the wine cheese butter, combine soft cream cheese spread and sharp cheddar cheese in a bowl. Mix well to combine. Add the garlic and basil, mix until just combined. Add the Zinfandel, mix until well combined. Cover and set aside. To prepare the patties, combine the ground round, garlic, basil, grill seasoning, kosher salt, Zinfandel and Dijon Mustard in a large bowl. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, mix well. Divide meat mixture into 6 equal portions and form the portions into patties to fit the rolls. When the grill is ready, brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on rack, cover, and grill until browned and set on bottoms, approximately 4-5 minutes. Turn the patties over and continue grilling until done to preference, about 5 minutes longer for medium. During the last few minutes of cooking the patties, place the pre-cooked bacon on grill rack. Cook for 2 minutes, turn the bacon over and cook for an additional 2 minutes. After placing the bacon on the grill, generously brush the cut side of the bottom portion of rolls with Zinfindel, covering the whole surface. Carefully place all roll tops and bottoms, cut side down, on the outer edges of rack to lightly toast. To assemble the burgers, on each roll bottom, spread 1-1/2 teaspoons of Dijon Mustard, place 2 slices of bacon, a lettuce leaf, and a patty. To each roll top, equally divide the wine cheese butter on the cut side of roll tops, spread evenly, then add roll top to burgers. Makes 6 burgers.