Have you ever had a hankering for lasagna in the summertime, but didn’t feel like heating up the oven to make it? Me neither, so that’s why I came up with my Lasagna Burger.
It has all the comforting cheesy, tomato-ey flavor of lasagna, but is more suited for any cookout!
Good-quality meats and cheese, topped with a rich tomato sauce, make this burger a mouthwatering alternative to the classic Italian dish. The pocket of ricotta nestled within the patties is a pleasant surprise when your guests take that first bite.
Oh, and don’t forget to use a good white wine. I like the semi-sweet varieties of Reisling or Gewurstraminer, but any wine that you enjoy will make a great ingredient. Not to mention that you need something decent to sip while you’re flipping those burgers!
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 tablespoon dry Italian seasoning herb blend
- ¾ cup Ricotta cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 1 pound ground sirloin
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
- 6 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
- 6 ciabatta rolls
- 1 cup packed fresh salad greens
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.
- To make the tomato sauce, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, wine and Italian seasoning. Simmer, stirring frequently, for 20-25 minutes, or until mixture is reduced to about 1 cup. Loosely cover the sauce with aluminum foil to keep warm and set aside.
- To make the Ricotta filling, combine the Ricotta, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- To make the patties, combine the sirloin, sausage, salt and pepper in a medium bowl, handling as little as possible. Shape into 12 patties to fit the roll size. Place ⅙ of ricotta mixture onto 6 of the patties and top with remaining 6 patties. Seal edges of each patty.
- When the grill is ready, brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook until the bottoms are brown, about 4-6 minutes. With a spatula, turn the patties over and cook an additional 4-6 minutes, or until done to preference (internal temperature of 160 degrees F). During the last few minutes of grilling, top each patty with a slice of mozzarella cheese until melted. Lightly brush cut side of each roll with equal portions of the olive oil. Place the roll cut side down on the outer edges of the grill rack to toast.
- To assemble the burgers, layer bottom of toasted roll with ⅙ of the greens, one patty and ⅙ of the tomato sauce. Add top of toasted roll and serve.
© 2012 Sherry Klinedinst
All rights reserved. Repost with permission only.
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I so love lasagna and these burger are leaving my mouth watering even though it is only 9:30am! I would love for you to link up over at Fabulous Friday’s this tasty recipe! http://www.serenabakessimplyfromscratch.com/2012/06/fabulous-friday-party.html
Thanks for the invite. Lots of tasty looking things there!
Thanks so much for linking up this recipe on Fabulous Friday. It’s oh so yummy. Have a great weekend!
My pleasure!
This is brilliant!
What a fabulous and creative idea! Thanks so much for linking up at Weekend Potluck.
YUM! This lasagna burger looks amazing. And it’s loaded with all of our favorite things!! We are so glad you joined our “Strut Your Stuff Saturday”. We love to see all of the great recipes and ideas!! Thanks and we hope to see you again next week! -The Sisters
YUM! These look delicious. Thanks for sharing at the Weekend Potluck. Can’t wait to see what you bring this week!
[…] was also some fresh mozzarella left from my Lasagna Burger last week. […]
Oh wow, now thats a burger!!! Lasagna is a lot of work, I’d rather eat this!
Looks so good! Love the idea. Thanks for sharing with Foodie Friends Friday!
Thanks for hosting Lois!
This sounds so good and since the last time I saw it I have wanted to make it. I have to do it one of these days. Thanks for sharing on Foodie Friends Friday and I want to let you know that I have used this recipe in a post I have written for the Daily Dish Magazine. It will be published on Sunday morning 6 PST
http://www.foodiefriendsfridaydailydish.com/celebrate-labor-day/
Thanks so much Marlys. I will share the link to help spread the word!