Italian Burgers

Hands down, the best burger I have ever had in my lifetime and just sheer perfection from the roasted tomatoes and caramelized onions to the sundried tomato basil aioli.

I have been eagerly waiting to post this recipe for SO SO SO long! It is easily my favorite burger that I have ever made and ever eaten. I was seriously so blown away by it. It is a little bit more time-consuming than a regular burger, but so worth it. First off, the sundried tomato aioli is unbelievable. It's a very easy thing to make and set aside while you fix the other stuff for the burger. I just love seeing all the specks of tomato and basil flavor in it. The caramelized onions....yes. I could eat caramelized onions on every dang burger for the rest of my life. But what I really really dug was the roasted plum tomatoes. The juiciness of the tomatoes was the perfect addition to the burger. I could not say enough things about this burger to do it justice.

What you need:

For the Sundried Tomato Aioli:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 2 Tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped

• 2 cloves minced garlic

• 1 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

• Salt and pepper

For the Roasted Tomatoes:

• 4 plum tomatoes, halved

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil

• 1/2 tsp. dried basil

• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

• Salt and pepper

For the Caramelized Onions:

• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

• 3 large onions, thinly sliced

• Pinch of sugar

• Salt and pepper

For the Burgers:

• 1 to 2 lb. ground beef 

• Salt and pepper

• Sliced provolone cheese

• 4 good quality hamburger buns

• Baby arugula

Directions:

1. For the aioli: Pulse mayonnaise, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

2. For the tomatoes: Pat tomatoes dry with a paper towel and place on an aluminum foil or parchment paper lined baking sheet.

3. Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, oregano, salt, and pepper.

4. Roast in a preheated 425 degree oven for 30 minutes.

5. For the onions: Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sugar. Cover and cook until golden, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

6. Turn up heat to medium high and cook for 14 to 20 more minutes until browned. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside.

7. For the burgers: Make burgers by forming 6 to 8 patties and season with salt and pepper.

8. Grill or cook in a pan. Brown the patties on each side, topping with provolone after flipping. Cover and cook until cheese melts and burgers are done.

9. Toast buns and spread aioli on top and bottom. Then top with patty, roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions, and arugula.

Recipe slightly adapted from Food Network Magazine, July/August 2015 issue

Originally posted on Fantastical Sharing of Recipes on February 7, 2017