The Ingredient Swaps For A Burger Inspired By Sausage And Peppers

Sausage and peppers is an Italian-American combination that seems to be a staple on almost everyone's dinner menu. The recipe is filling from the sausage, but has nutrients from the veggies, and it can all come together with ease in one pan. But if you're cooking burgers and want to add a little variety to a standard beef burger, try your hand at making Italian sausage and pepper burgers instead.

The concept is simple: swap traditional beef patties with Italian sausage and beef patties, then cook down the peppers and onions, and add them as toppings to the burger. You can fix this dish with any add-ons you'd like, including cheeses and sauces. It's almost as easy as a regular one-pan sausage and peppers meal, but if you're having guests over for dinner, the unique way of serving this dish will certainly be a conversation starter. For the best burgers, use a blend of ground beef and pork.

You don't need to eliminate the ground beef altogether here. Just use a 50-50 mixture of ground pork and beef for the patties. You'll still get the juices from traditional ground beef, but the distinct flavor and tenderness of pork. To make the pork Italian-style, you can either purchase it pre-seasoned or add the seasonings yourself. If you're doing the latter, go with anything from fennel to oregano or even a little fresh parsley and basil. Other aromatics, like dried thyme and sage, will add plenty of flavor as well. Make sure to season the meat mixture generously with kosher or sea salt before shaping it into patties.

As for toppings, the most straightforward combination is sweet peppers and onions. You can add a little spice with Italian long hots — or even crushed Calabrian chili peppers — but use just a small amount in addition to the sweet peppers, to make sure the burger isn't too spicy. Enhance the burgers even more with a slice of mozzarella cheese, and if you want to get some kind of sauce in there, add easy tomato sauce on the side for dipping.