Hamburguesa Marinara Toscana

Directions

1. Mix ground beef with 3 Tbsp. Croix Valley Italian Booster and 1 cup finely diced onion. Set aside for 15 minutes to allow flavors to combine

2. Prepare the marinara on the stove over medium heat. Sautee onions in oil until translucent, add remaining ingredients and combine well. Simmer until ready for use.

3. Combine Pesto ingredients and mix well. Set aside in refrigerator until ready for use.

4. Toast buns and set aside until ready for use. My favorite method for toasting buns starts by combining 1 Tbsp. Croix Valley Garlic Booster with 1 stick of softened, unsalted butter. Spread garlic butter on insides of bun and toast on a grill or flat-top griddle until golden brown. When ready to serve, melt the slices of Provolone cheese atop the bottom buns.

5. Prepare burgers by splitting beef into 4 equal portions (this will make 4 ½ lb. burgers. You can obviously make them smaller if you desire. 1 lb. of meat easily makes 6 hearty-sized burgers). Form burgers into patties of even thickness side to side (this helps promote even cooking and makes a level surface for adding toppings) and grill over medium-high heat until internal temperature reaches 160°F, or to desired doneness.

6. Allow burger patties to rest 5 minutes, then build burger as follows from the bottom up: Bottom Bun, Provolone Cheese, Shredded Lettuce, Burger Patty, Marinara, Sliced Red Onion, Pesto Mayo (spread on the inside of the top bun), Top Bun.