Ok, so, I’m a total hypocrite. I politely turned down some beautiful imported foie gras on Christmas Eve due to “philosophical objections”….meanwhile I had this veal burger on my menu plan for a week. I’m not exactly ‘pro-veal’, but I eat it a few times a year. Also, have I mentioned how much I love cows? I do. Life is hard. BUT, this burger is SO GOOD, and dare I say, worth the guilt. The acorn squash drizzled with honey was amazing on this burger, which tastes like a giant, tender meatball covered in cheese.
Sage-Scented Veal Burgers with Fontina and Honeyed Squash Rings
Serves 4
Just the Tip / Inspired by Rachael Ray’s Everyday Magazine
What I used:
- 1 small acorn squash, peeled, seeded, and sliced thinly into 1/4″ rings
- olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 10 sage leaves
- 1/2 ground beef
- 1 lb ground veal
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 6 slices fontina cheese
- 4 crusty rolls
- honey for drizzling
- salt, pepper
What I did:
- Preheat oven to 425. Lightly coat (or spray) the squash slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and browned at the edges, 22-25 minutes. Once tender, remove from oven and drizzle with a little honey. Reserve.
- Melt the butter over medium-high heat until it foams. Add the sage and fry until crisp, 1-2 minutes. Drain the sage on a paper towel and discard the butter. Chop the sage once it is cool to the touch.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground veal, ground beef, sage, garlic, and parmesan cheese. Season with a good pinch of salt and pepper and form into patties.
- Heat a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook for 4 minutes, flip, top the burgers with a slice and a half of fontina and cook for another 4 minutes.
- Lightly toast the buns and place the cheeseburgers on the roll bottoms, top with the squash rings and set the roll tops in place.
Just the Tip 
Oh my, this looks and sounds amazing. I will definitely put this in my menu plan.