Lemon Basil Burgers with Caramelized Onions & Mushrooms

Do I have your attention? :) I love to cook, and it has a lot to do with my dad who was an AMAZING cook. I'm glad I inherited his cooking skills along with his sense of direction. LOL... Anyways, earlier this year from Tower Grove Farmer's Market I bought a whole bunch of fresh herbs and planted them in the garden. They're growing insanely now, so on a whim grabbed a huge handful of the lemon basil and made burgers. I rarely measure unless it's baking so feel free to adjust!

Lemon Basil Burgers with Caramelized Onions & Mushrooms
Serves 8
Burgers
2 lbs of ground beef
lots of fresh lemon basil, finely chopped (if you can't find, I think regular basil and a splash of fresh lemon juice would work)
1 packet of lipton french onion seasoning mix
1/4 cup of bread crumbs
1/4 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste

Topping
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. of brown sugar
soy sauce
8 oz of sliced mushrooms (used the cleaned and ready kind from the store)
1 tsp. of balsamic vinegar

Combine burger ingredients throughly and make a little patty to test if it's to your liking, then divide into 8 equal patties. I was too hungry to light up the charcoal grill so I did them up in the pan. Cook to desired doneness (medium all the way! :)

I drained any remaining fat left over from burgers, but left all the brown goodness on the bottom. Over medium heat, thew the onions in, and sautéed them for about 7-8 minutes until soft. Added the brown sugar and a tiny bit of soy sauce, then cooked for additional minute. Set aside in a bowl.

Still using the same pan, I added a tiny of olive oil, then sautéed the mushrooms for 8-10 minutes until tender. Added the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in a bowl.

Assembly time! Toasted some wheat buns, then patty, melted american cheese, onions and mushrooms. If I had tomatoes or romaine lettuce handy, I would add those too. Serve with whatever.