Open-Faced Burgers with Onion-Mushroom Topping

Use a knife and fork to carve into this tasty burger. Start with an English muffin, then add a seasoned beef patty and top with sautéed onions and mushrooms for a memorable weeknight dinner.

Yield:

4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Ingredients

1. 2 teaspoons olive oil
2. 1 medium sweet onion, sliced and separated into rings
3. 2 (8-ounce) packages presliced mushrooms
4. 1/2 teaspoon salt
5. 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
6. 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
7. 1/2 teaspoon salt
8. 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
9. 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
10. 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11. 1 pound ground round
12. 2 English muffins, split and toasted

Directions

1. Preheat grill.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook for 5 minutes or until golden. Add mushrooms and salt; cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add vinegar; remove mixture from pan. Set aside.
3. Combine the paprika and the next 4 ingredients (paprika through black pepper). Divide the ground round into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Coat patties with spice mixture. Grill patties 4 minutes on each side or until done. Place burgers on muffin halves, and top each burger with 1/4 cup onion mixture.

Notes