stuffed pasquale burgers.. aka onion, peppers and cheese stuffed into an italian burger..and some tips and tricks for making that perfect stuffed burger..

 

 

 

 

 

i've mentioned before  that pete is half italian and half polish.. his grandparents on his dad's side came over from sicily when they were in their teens... i don't believe they knew each other before coming to america..but eventually they met and married and they settled in buffalo, new york.. {one of pete's great aunts was the inventor of the chicken wing in buffalo at the anchor bar, just a little trivia}pete's family stayed in buffalo until i believe 1960 when they moved to las vegas.. while growing up pete was raised on authentic italian fare.. today's dish is one of his all time favorite burgers.. his dad always called them pasquale burgers, after some guy, i am not sure the entire story and to be honest not sure there is a story.. ha.. but ever since i've known pete, we call burgers that are made with italian sausage and ground beef pasquale burgers...

 

recently i got a little burger stuffing gadget.. pete saw one on tv and declared we needed it.. so got on to my trusty dusty amazon prime and ordered it.. well it never dawned on me to read the reviews as to which one was best i thought they were all the same.. but ohh noo contrare they are not.. and out first i made them it was a freaking disaster and we didn't eat until 8:30, which is so late for us.. so i've made them a few times since and have learned some tips and tricks that i will share with you..

 

first thing i learned it was so hard trying to get the burger out of the gadget they would fall apart.. solution place a piece of plastic wrap in and gently pull it up and out once you've stuffed them and put the top on them.. ..

 

i stuffed mine with sautéed mini pepper, onions and provolone. {you want your cheese to fit in the well not hang over or out the burgers, i used a biscuit cutter to accomplish this, i grabbed the wrong size and had to make it work but you get the idea..}

once you've added your top layer take the sides of the plastic wrap and wrap it around the burger and remove from gadget.. i then placed it on a cutting board and put them in the freezer for 20-30 minutes before grilling.. the first time they fell apart when i put them on the grill so the solution was putting them in the freezer for a little bit before.. another tip allow your sautéed veggies {whatever you use} to cool completely, stuffing them with hot veggies made a mess...

place the cold cold burgers on the hot grill and grill away..

they grilled up great once i learned the tricks

they are ooey gooiey perfect little pockets of love..  seriously i can't explain how amazing these burgers are.. i will be stuffing more burgers and sharing them with you.. i can't wait to try it again..

stuffed pasquale burgers

prep time: 15 minutes
cooking time: 45 minutes
servings: 6 {the burgers are large}

ingredients:

burger:

1 lbs. spicy italian sausage {i usually buy in bulk but if you can't find it just buy the links and remove the casing.. also if you don't want spicy, mild or sweet work well too}
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 egg slightly beaten
1/2 cup italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
zest of half a lemon

filling:

5-6 small bell peppers, sliced
1/2 an onions, sliced
olive oil
salt and pepper
cheese {we have used provolone and mozzarella}

ciabatta
pam
tomato sauce {store bought marina or i took a can of italian diced tomatoes, heated up a sautee pan over medium low added a swirl of olive oil.. but my tomatoes in the pan.. allowed it to cook until all the liquid was absorbed and kinda smash the tomatoes with a fork and make a thick sauce}
spring salad mix
reserve a small lemon wedge from the other half for each burger

directions:

in a small saute pan heat two twirls around the pan of olive oil over medium heat.. add peppers and onions.. saute for about a minute.. add salt and pepper and drop to medium low and continue to cook until caramelized.. about 7-10 minutes.. remove when done from heat and allow to cool completely..

in a medium mixing bowl combine all burger ingredients.. try not to over work the ingredients but get them pretty well combined.. take a small amount and place it in your lined burger stuffing gadget.. the gadget comes with a "well" maker.. press down and make your well then add your cooled veggies and top with a slice of cheese {you have to cut your cheese to make it fit} now if i was immature and child like i would snicker here because i said "cut your cheese" but i am not.. i am an adult and mature. yeah right...hahahahahahahahaha.. my gadget came with a piece that makes a top to the burger.. {which again you have to line with saran wrap} and then place the top on the burger and bring up the sides of the saran wrap and shape the burger.. place on a baking sheet or cutting board and place in the freezer for 20-30 minutes before grilling.. when ready, heat your grill to medium to medium low heat and cook your burgers like you normally do.. they will take a tad bit longer.. i think mine took 15 minutes each side.. right before they are done toast your ciabatta .. i spray the cut side with a little pam and toast on the grill.. remove bun and burger when done.. add a squeeze of lemon, your tomato sauce and some greens.. and voila a stuffed burger.. i have to tell you these are amazing.. we are having a b day bbq for jake this weekend and you can bet these will be on the menu!!

  

enjoy and get cook'n!