Ok, ya’ll! Spruce up your grills and get ready friends, because my Beer Can Pizza Party Burger Bowls with Blue Cheese Aioli for this year’s #AnnualBurgerMonth event was forking awesome! Let’s put it this way. If a burger and a pizza hooked up, this would be their kindred love child. And it was wicked good!

As some of us die-hard burger fans know, May is #NationalHamburgerMonth! And I was thrilled to participate in Kita Roberts’, (of Girl Carnivore and Pass the Sushi ),  #AnnualBurgerMonth party again this year! In this event, a 100+ of us burger and grilling-loving bloggers got together to create outstanding burgers for you to make throughout the entire summer! If there are two foods that I couldn’t live without, burgers and pizza would definitely be at the very top of that list! (Chocolate would be number one, let’s be real. Hello.) So anyways, I decided to combine two of my all-time favorite, go-to grubs into one colossal, culinary adventure! And this masterpiece was almost too pretty to eat! Ha. Yea, right. Too pretty to eat?? I couldn’t wait to shove that sucker in my face. And I’ll show you exactly how to make it in just a sec, …because wait!…there’s more!  😉 

The sponsors this year are giving away some pretty cool swag that you can win!
Check this stuff out! *And just pop over to #BurgerMonth to enter!*

~*~

●      American Lamb Board – ALB Prize Boxes 5 lbs of Ground Lamb, Apron, & Meat Thermometer

●      Anolon – 10″x 18″ Double Burner Griddle and Grill Pan

●      Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner – Prize Packs of Beefy Grilling-Themed Goodies

●      Char-Broil – Char-Broil Kettleman Grill

●      Curly’s BBQ – Curly’s BBQ Pork Pack

●      Cuttingboard.com – Olive Wood Carver Board

●      Melissa’s Produce – Baby Vegetable Box

●      Primal Stone – XL Primal Stone

●      Spiceologist – 4 Rub Grilling Spice Set

●      Thermoworks – Thermapen Mk4

●      Veal Made Easy – 5 lbs Veal and Grilling Gear

~*~

Pretty cool swag, eh? So enter, and be sure to check out Kita’s blog to see all of the fantastic burgers being created throughout the entire month of May, as well as check out the previous year’s recipes, too!! Don’t miss out!

Here’s the EPIC burger I made last year:
The Beer-Battered Farmer’s Market Burger!
That was one TASTY hot mess!!! 😀

Ok, so are you ready to make this year’s bad boy? Let’s go!

Start by breaking up the meat into a large bowl, and very evenly add herbs and spices, tossing to make sure it gets in there throughout, resisting the plop!! (*Breaking up the meat helps to be able to add the spices evenly and not over mix it in the end!) Then, simply divide the seasoned beef into 4 equal portions, squish into balls, and form into 4 bowls shaping around a beer can inserted down into the center. (Keep the sides and bottoms at least a 1/2 inch thick so that it’s nice and sturdy to hold all the goodies inside!) Smooth any cracks and place them onto a half-sized baking sheet, cover, and chill for at least an hour so they’re firm again after working the meat, and super sturdy.

While the burger bowls are chilling, whip up the blue cheese aioli and my easy pizza sauce, toss together the cheeses with the seasonings, and sauté the veggies. (*Each just takes minutes). 

Slice ‘n dice any other ingredients you’d like and gather up the rest. Place into small serving  bowls so that you can assemble them easily or set out for guests to choose from if having a pizza burger party! (*You can also pre-fill them with the goodies, and hold them in the fridge before grilling for several hours, too.) 

To assemble them, after the burger bowls have chilled, spoon some sauce into the bottom, top with sautéed veggies, pepperoni, olives, and anything else you’d like in there. Then pack the tops with the seasoned mozzarella “pizza cheese”.  Cover them again and keep them in the fridge while you get the grill fired up!

I used my gas grill for this to maintain an even, moderate temperature, but you could certainly do this on a charcoal grill if you’d like.

I kept it right at about 375º (*with the lid on) and didn’t even have to move them! And after about 25 minutes…burger nirvana! 

*Especially if you’re cooking over charcoal, you might want to check the bottoms after about 15-20 minutes to make sure they aren’t burning if your coals are a little too hot. If getting dark on the bottom too quickly, just carefully slide them to a cooler spot. 

And since they do of course take longer to grill than regular plain patties, you have plenty of time to enjoy a few beers or cocktails, bake or grill some sides, or prep a nice big bowl of salad to make yourself feel less guilty when devouring this sucker!

*I placed just a few inside toppings on top of each just before they were done to mark which ones are which. If making a variety, be sure to do this.

To add even more fun to these pizza-stuffed burgers overflowing with glorious cheese on top of grilled buns, crunchy lettuce, and sweet, juicy tomatoes – – I added a creamy homemade blue cheese aioli sauce! Why? Because I LOVE to dunk my pizza crust into blue cheese dressing! It made perfect sense and was awesomely delicious! 

So, yea, just make these, on a warm summer night under the stars, when you can’t decide if you want pizza or a burger! They really turned out fantastic! And they’re not hard to make at all. Pretty easy in fact!

And fill your summer full of memorable grilling events, invite your friends and family over for cookouts, and try some of these killer burgers!

This one might be a great way to start! Kids and adults alike will have a blast filling their own burger bowls with their favorite “pizza toppings”! Sounds like a fun “Pizza Burger Party” to me!!

*DISCLAIMER:
Where this EPIC Burger Creation is my OWN for #BURGERMONTH 2017, and I did not receive payment, compensation, nor product for this event and post, I would like to thank American Lamb Board, Anolon, Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner, Char-Broil, Curly’s BBQ, Cuttingboard.com, Melissa’s Produce, Primal Stone, Spiceologist , Thermoworks , & Veal Made Easy for donating the GRILL PRIZE PACKAGES for a few of our very lucky followers to WIN!

~ And many thanks to Kita for having me!
Looking forward to seeing the rest of the awesomely creative burgers
by this wonderful group of foodie bloggers,
as well as participating again next year!
Hope you all are enjoying this years event as much as we are! ~

*I used my Easy Quick Pizza Sauce for this which is thick, chunky, and worked really well! Takes 5 minutes to whip up. (*Freeze any leftover sauce in a jar or container for a future pizza or calzone!)

Yield: 4 ginormous burgers / 4 - 8 servings

Beer Can Pizza Party Burger Bowls with Blue Cheese Aioli / #BurgerMonth

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Ingredients

For Burgers:

• 2 lb. 85% lean ground beef, sirloin or chuck
• 2 Tbl. dried oregano
• 2 Tbl. italian seasoning
• 1 Tbl. fennel seeds
• 1 Tbl. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. regular table salt
• 1 tsp. regular ground black pepper

For Sautéed Veggies:

• 2 Tbl. butter
• 8 oz. fresh sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 small to medium red onion, sliced or chopped
• 1/2 small sweet red cubanelle pepper, (can sub any color of bell pepper)
• 1 small fresh jalapeño, finely chopped, (*for less heat you can remove the seeds and membranes), can sub jarred pickled jalapeños)
• 3 garlic cloves, very finely minced

For Pizza Cheese:

• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella and provolone blend cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup finely grated asiago
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp. garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Blue Cheese Aioli:

• 2 Tbl. heavy mayo
• 2 Tbl. thick sour cream such as Daisy
• 3 Tbl. blue cheese crumbles
• 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 tsp. lemon juice concentrate
• 1/16 tsp. sriracha sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• (*double this part if you like a lot of sauce)

Rest of Ingredients:

• 2 - 4 Tbl. pizza sauce (per burger), as much as you like (*I used my Easy Quick Pizza Sauce recipe)
• pepperoni, mini slices or chopped from whole (*I used about 25 mini ones per burger)
• sliced black olives

and sliced tomato, salted and peppered, (

• 4 rolls such as kaiser, brioche or pretzel, (*split, slathered with garlic butter, and grilled or toasted)

Instructions

Make Aioli: Stir all ingredients in a small to medium-sized bowl until well combined. Cover and chill.

Prep Burgers: Break up meat into a medium to large bowl, sprinkle evenly with rest of Burger ingredients, a little at a time tossing, then combine with hands until ingredients are evenly distributed throughout, *but don't overwork the meat. (*Doing that creates a tough burger). Divide mixture in half and form each half into two large balls making 4 total. Press a beer or soda can into center of each ball, and form meat up and around can into bowls. Remove can, place bowls onto a plate or half baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour to firm back up. (*I made mine about a 1/2" thick, but a little thicker on the bottom). *It helps if you wet your hands with cold water and spray the can with a little no-stick spray. And make sure you smooth any cracks. The better the bowl the better your burger will turn out.

For Veggies: In sauté pan on grill or stovetop, melt butter over medium heat, add mushrooms, onions, red peppers and jalapeño and cook until just tender. Add garlic and sauté one more minute. Remove from heat. Stir in a little garlic salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste.

For Pizza Cheese: In medium bowl, toss all ingredients until mixed. Cover and set aside.

To Assemble and Cook Burgers:

Heat grill to high to get hot. Remove burger bowls from fridge, place 1 - 2 Tbl. pizza sauce into bottoms of each burger bowl, top with spoonfuls of sautéed ingredients, then slices of pepperoni and black olives, then stuff top with cheese mixture. Oil grates with a wad of paper towel using tongs and, with a spatula, carefully place each filled burger bowl onto the grill. Close lid and turn down heat to medium. Grill until done and nicely browned, about 25 - 30 minutes depending on your grill. (*I kept mine at 375ºF). Check on it after 20 minutes. If bottom is getting too done, move it carefully to a cooler spot on the grill. Use a sharp spatula, and do NOT move it if it's sticking. *If it's sticking, it isn't ready to be moved. (*I didn't have to move mine at all, but all grills heat differently.) When burgers are done, remove carefully with a sharp spatula transferring to a plate, and tent with foil to rest and keep hot. While grill is hot, spread insides of rolls with soft butter mixed with minced garlic and toast until lightly browned placing buttered sides down onto grill.

To Finish: Top bottom buns with shredded lettuce (or fresh basil or spinach leaves if preferred), then tomato slices, and season with salt and pepper. Top each with a pizza burger bowl. Spread insides of top buns with blue cheese aioli and place on top of burger bowls. Slice in half if desired, and enjoy!!