Pizza Burgers with Homemade Pizza Sauce

We love pizza. We love burgers. We love pizza burgers! I saw the original recipe on www.thepioneerwomancooks.com and tweaked it a little bit. If you don't like this version you can try Ree's <3

1 lb ground beef

1/2 lb ground italian sausage

1 t italian seasoning 

one package of sliced pepperoni (you won't use it all.. or you shouldn't)

12 slices mozzarella cheese

6 ciabatta rolls

6 T butter, softened

garlic salt to taste

*sauteed onions, peppers, mushrooms (if you like these things) & sliced ripe olives

homemade pizza sauce (recipe below.. make your pizza sauce beforehand so it has time to sit and cool a bit.)

Homemade Pizza Sauce 

2 T olive oil

4-5 cloves of fresh garlic, minced (no jarred stuff)

28oz crushed tomatoes in puree

1 T freeze dried basil

1/2 t oregano

1/4 t salt

Heat oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Sauté garlic for about a minute then pour in tomatoes and seasonings. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently. I like to let it sit so the flavors combine!

*Slice and sauté your veggies ahead of time too so they're ready for assembly.

Pizza Burgers

Combine ground beef, italian sausage and italian seasoning. Mash it all together and mix it up with your hands. Form into 6 patties. Heat large skillet or griddle to medium and cook patties until they are cooked through, probably 10-12 minutes (no pink allowed since there's sausage involved!). Flip them several times but don't smash them down too much while cooking. Once they're fully cooked, top each patty with 5-6 slices of pepperoni (or more) and two slices of cheese and let it melt a little on the griddle.

Turn oven to broil. Split each ciabatta roll and smear with butter (you can use more or less butter) and sprinkle with season salt. Toast it under the broiler until golden brown.

Assemble burgers like this: bottom bun, a spoonful of sauce, a burger patty, any toppings you like, another spoonful of sauce, top bun. Devour.

Makes 6 burgers. Enjoy! 

Asian Pork Tenderloin

I found the original recipe for this Asian Pork Tenderloin on Pinterest and was directed to For the Love of Cooking. I love her site! The recipe has become one of my go-to meals for pork. I serve it over fried rice with steamed veggies. 

2/3 c low sodium soy sauce (the regular stuff is WAY too salty for this marinade)
1/4 c sesame oil
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T brown sugar
1 T fresh ginger, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 lb pork tenderloin
green onions for garnish


Combine the first six ingredients and pour over pork tenderloin in a gallon size baggie. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator, turning a couple of times. 


Heat oven to 425 degrees and spray a baking pan and/or skillet with non-stick spray. Heat skillet to medium high heat. Remove pork from marinade and discard (or transfer marinade to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil and use it as a sauce.. I skipped this step). Sear pork on all sides for a total of about 5 minutes. Place skillet in oven (or transfer seared pork to baking pan if your skillet isn't oven-safe) and bake for 15 minutes. Allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing into medallions. Garnish with chopped green onions. Serves four. Enjoy!

Cilantro-Garlic Baby Back Ribs

I'm a big fan of smoked meat and was always under the impression that good ribs couldn't be cooked "indoors" until I tried a slow-roasting method. I have several different rubs and marinades that I like to use for pork ribs but this one is quickly becoming a favorite!

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup Asian sweet chili sauce

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 rack pork back ribs, cut into 2 bone portions

In a blender or food processor combine garlic, cilantro, and sugar; blend or process until ingredients form a paste. Add soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, and vegetable oil. Pulse until well combined. Pour the mixture over the ribs in a large baggie, turning ribs to coat well. Cover and refrigerate overnight (I've marinated them for two nights and they tasted great!)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Transfer ribs to a 9×13 baking dish and pour sauce over ribs. Cover tightly with foil and bake 3 hours. Pre-heat grill. Shake excess juices off ribs and grill about 3-4 on both sides to char them a little (carefully, because they should be fall-apart tender at this point). Serves 2. Enjoy!

This recipe was in Better Homes & Gardens Magazine.