Chicago-Style Italian Burgers

Happy Monday, everyone! How was your weekend?

We were on the go for most of it, though I didn’t take any decent shots of the action besides my main (little) man and myself waiting for Ben to get home from work on Friday evening. (Strawberry Coconut Water Lemonade makes excellent popsicles, by the way!)

On Saturday we had a totally unplanned mini reunion with Ben’s side of the family which came together completely last minute. First we met Ben’s cousin, who was in town from Denver for a wedding (and my brother’s doppelgänger, don’t you think?!) for a zip around the Arts Festival.

Later that afternoon his Aunt and Uncle, who were in town from Florida for a class reunion stopped by to chat, and a few minutes after they left, Ben’s brother and his girlfriend stopped by for one last beer and goodbye as they’re moving to New York for work this week (saaaaad face!) It was such an unexpected treat to see his Aunt, Uncle, and cousin all in one day, when we normally only see them once a year, if that!

On Sunday Ben and I took Lincoln to see Finding Dory. It took a little while to accept the fact that the storyline was all about Dory, and not Marlin and Nemo, but it ended up being hilarious and I was definitely the embarrassing Mom laughing out loud throughout the movie, much to Ben’s horror. Sorry, but Ed O’Neill as Hank the octopus pretty much made my life. “Don’t touch me!” ? Highly recommend!

Aaaaanyway, in case you haven’t heard the neighborhood teens shooting off test rockets at precisely everyone’s bedtime over the past couple of weeks, I’m here to remind you that the 4th of July is exactly one week from today – whee! Bring on the fireworks displays, parades, cold bevs, and grilled burgers. In case you’re still trying to decide on your 4th of July menu, I’ve got another delicious contender – Chicago-Style Italian Burgers.

One of the most popular recipes on IGE over the past several of years has been my Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches. I wrote the recipe before having to go gluten-free though, and since the recipe calls for a packet of non-GF Zesty Italian Seasoning I haven’t made it in ages. That said, a reader recently emailed asking for a GF version of the spice mix so I did a little digging and found a copycat recipe online which I passed along. She tested it out, reported back that it worked perfectly, and so, already too long of a story short, I gave it a whirl in the burger version of the crock pot sandwiches and it turned fabulously!

These Chicago-Style Italian Burgers are kind of a mashup between the crock pot sandwiches and my Italian Sub Salad. If you love the tang of pickled banana peppers and Chicago-style Giardiniera, the saltiness of prosciutto, and savory melted cheese – these burgers are checking all those boxes. Bonus that they’re seriously simple and easy to grill indoors or out, so there’s less to worry about as far as your 4th of July spread is concerned!

Start by mixing up the homemade Zesty Italian Seasoning using spice cupboard staples including dried oregano, garlic salt, onion powder, dried parsley, sugar, basil, pepper, dried thyme, and celery seed. NOTE: you won’t use the entire seasoning recipe for these burgers so use the leftovers on roasted potatoes or to season chicken or shrimp – YUM!

Add 3/4 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning to a large bowl with 1lb ground beef, 2oz chopped prosciutto, and 1/3 cup drained Chicago-Style Giardiniera, which is a mix of pickled vegetables packed in oil (and one of my all time favorite foods!) then mix until just combined and form into 4 patties.

I highly recommend La Quercia’s Prosciutto Americano, and Mezzetta’s Chicago-Style Giardiniera or That Pickle Guy’s version. Some people have had trouble locating Chicago-Style Giardiniera for the crock pot sandwiches so definitely ask an employee for help finding it at your grocery store. At mine, it’s located near the olives/pickles AND near the tomatoes/avocados.

Allllrighty! Grill the patties for 3-4 minutes a side (or until they’ve reached your preferred level of doneness,) then top with a slice of melty mild provolone cheese and let melt.

Top the cheeseburgers with more giardiniera, and a ton of tangy pickled banana peppers, and then dig in. Ultra savory and super satisfying – I hope you love these cheesy Chicago-Style Italian Burgers as much as I do!

Chicago-Style Italian Burgers

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gluten free30 minute meal

Description

Chicago-Style Italian Burgers are a zesty, gluten-free grilling recipe packed with savory flavor. Grill indoors or out then top with melty cheese and tangy pickled peppers.

Ingredients

serves 4

• 1lb ground beef
• 2oz prosciutto, chopped
• 1/3 cup Chicago-Style Giardiniera, well drained, plus more for topping
• 3/4 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning (recipe below)
• 4 slices provolone cheese
• 4 gluten-free buns
• Jarred banana peppers, for topping
• For the Italian Seasoning:
  • 1/2 Tablespoon dried oregano
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 3/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • pinch dried thyme
  • pinch celery seed

Directions

1. For the Italian Seasoning: combine all ingredients in a jar or small bowl then shake or stir to combine. NOTE: you will not use all of the blend for this recipe.
2. Preheat grill on high heat for at least 10 minutes (I like to let my grill get to 400-450 degrees.) Meanwhile, add ground beef, prosciutto, giardiniera, and 3/4 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning to a large bowl then mix with your hands to combine and shape into 4 patties. Turn heat down to medium-high then add patties and cook for 3-4 minutes a side with the lid closed, or until burgers reach your preferred level of doneness. Place cheese slices on top then close grill lid until melted. Transfer cheeseburgers onto buns then top with more giardiniera and banana peppers, and then serve.

Notes

• Add regular salt to taste to the remaining Italian seasoning then use it to season meatloaf, chicken, vegetables, etc.
• Look for Chicago-Style Giardiniera near the pickles and olives at your grocery store.

Italian Seasoning adapted from AllRecipes.com

This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.