The Ultimate Italian Cheeseburger is served on a toasted ciabatta bun with smoked gouda cheese, spicy arugula, sun dried tomatoes, prosciutto and basil pesto aioli. This juicy burger only takes 15 minutes to make!
Ultimate Italian Cheeseburger
Happy Hump Day!
How has your week gone so far?
If it’s been just “okay” you’re in luck, its about to get alot better!
Today I am sharing a few of my burger grilling tips as well as this incredibly juicy Italian Cheeseburger on a soft Ciabatta Bun!
As a side note, these pictures do not at all due this burger justice! I wish you could taste it through the screen or maybe have scratch and sniff pictures so you could fully understand how seriously scrumptious it is!
Ok, so lets get into the meat of it (pun intended), shall we?
Over the many years I have been making burgers I’ve learned a few tricks to making the BEST burger…
Tips and Tricks to Make the Very Best Burger
- Do not over work the meat. When you are forming the patties don’t keep smushing the meat down so you have the “perfect patty”. Roll it around in your hand so that it starts to stick together, flatten it to form the patty, and LEAVE IT ALONE! The more you work the meat the more you lose flavor.
- Push the center of the patty down. When beef burger patties start to cook on the grill they shrink a little bit and puff up in the center. As a way to counteract that puffy center, use your thumb and press down in the center of the raw burger patty so you form a little “bowl”. I would say press it down 1/4″ so that when it cooks your burger will be nice and even.
- Once the burger is on the grill do not push the patty down with the back of your spatula. People when you push the burger down on the grill you push all the juices out! Do not touch that burger once its on the grill. The grill will do all the magic for you, you just need to let it! Please, for the love of burgers resist the temptations to push the burger down.
- Only flip the burger once. Thats right, just once. You put the burger on the grill, don’t touch it, let it cook for 4-5 minutes, flip it ONCE, let it cook 4-5 minutes on the other side and remove it from the grill. Easy peasy!
If you follow all those handy tricks you will for sure have a juicy burger as your finished product. I promise!
For this Italian Cheeseburger I was really trying to go for something that will have lots of unique flavors when you bite into it. I definitely hit the nail on the head with this one. When my husband took his first bite, he just looked at me and said “babe… WOW {eye rolling included} this is really good!”
If you asked me what my favorite part of this burger was I probably couldn’t tell you, all the flavors go so well together its hard to pick out just one element. The soft ciabatta bun was the perfect base for this Italian Cheeseburger. From there things could only go up and get better … and they did. I topped the burger with creamy smoked gouda cheese, fresh spicy arugula, salty prosciutto, sweet sun dried tomatoes (make sure to get the ones stored in oil so they are moist and soft), and then finished with fresh homemade basil pesto aioli! Ya’ll… this burger is phenomenal and I soooo sooo soooooo hope you try it! You will be amazed.
This is hands down a recipe for your meal rotation during the summer and it only takes 15 minutes to make!!! Win!
Be sure to stay tuned for Friday’s Burger Recipe.. I saved the best for last!
Italian Cheeseburger
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
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Cook Time: 10 minutes
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Total Time: 15 minutes
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Yield: 6 burgers 1x
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Category: Beef
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Method: Grill
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Cuisine: Italian
Description
This 15-minute Italian cheeseburger is loaded with gouda cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, pesto aioli, and prosciutto for the perfect bite.
Ingredients
- 2lbs. of ground beef
- salt & pepper
- 6 ciabatta rolls (bun size)
- 6 slices of smoked gouda cheese
- 12–18 sun dried tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cup of fresh arugula
- 6 slices of prosciutto
Basil Pesto Aioli:
- 1/2 cup of mayo
- 3/4 cup of fresh basil
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Heat grill to medium high heat, approximately 350-375°F.
- In a food processor add garlic clove, blend until minced. Then add in mayo, fresh basil, lemon juice, salt & pepper. Blend until all are combined. Set aside.
- Form ground beef into six 1/3 lb. patties, and season each side with salt and pepper.
- Spray grill grates with PAM or rub with olive oil.
- Place patties on the grill and grill each side for 4-5 minutes. (DO NOT PUSH THE BURGER DOWN)
- Place one slice of smoked gouda on each burger for the last minute of grilling. Cover the grill and finish cooking for one minute or until the cheese in melted. Remove from grill and let sit.
- Place buns, inside down, on the grill. Toast for one minute. Remove.
- Assemble burgers – bottom bun, basil pesto aioli, 1/4 cup of arugula, cheeseburger, 2-3 sun dried tomatoes, 1 slice of prosciutto, top bun.
- Serve!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 burger
- Calories: 560
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 823 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 43 g
- Cholesterol: 124 mg
Keywords: Italian cheeseburger, Italian burger, ciabatta burger
IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, BE SURE TO SNAP A PIC AND HASHTAG IT#JOYFULHEALTHYEATS. I LOVE SEEING WHAT YOU MAKE!
Want More Sandwich Recipes?
Gourmet Cowboy HamBurger Sliders
Grilled Portobello Burgers with Balsamic Reduction
Mashed Avocado Goat Cheese Sandwich with Roasted Tomato
I was (only a little obsessively) stalking burger recipes on foodgawker and stumbled on these beauties! They look soooo good!!
hahah… we all have to do what it takes. Glad you found me Susie! And these burgers will seriously blow your mind! I might be making them again this weekend for memorial day.. well its between this one and the Southwestern Turkey Burgers. Can’t decide. 🙂
Comfort food to the highest level! This Italian Cheeseburger looks divine! Awesome pictures too! Thank you so much for the share!
★★★★★
Thank you so much Ariette! These really are amazing, I might be making them again this weekend for Memorial Day. 🙂
Love all the burger tips, so helpful!
These Italian cheeseburgers looks amazing!
Pinned!
Thanks Mariah! Burger tips are a necessity this time of year. Grilling time baby! 🙂
Thanks for the pin!
OMG this burger. LOVE all your tips and tricks too 🙂
Thank you so much Aimee! 🙂 You seriously need to try it, shoot I fly out by you to make it… its that good!
Love that you added sun dried tomatoes to this! Looks hearty and filling 🙂
Thank you Josie, sun dried tomatoes are my favorite. Its a must add. 🙂
WOW! This burger looks amazing! Love all the tips you shared for making a great burger. Can’t wait to make this one!
Thank you so much Maegan! You and the boys will love it, my 3 year old scarfed this baby down!
These are the fanciest burgers I’ve ever seen! I want one! Maybe two!
haha.. you’re too funny! thanks Amanda!
I want to eat dinner at your house. This burger looks even better than the chicken bbq, which I didn’t know was possible. Pinned!
haha.. come on over! I’ll make the burgers you bring the sides!