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Top This: A Burger Contest

By Elizabeth Smith, April 29, 2012  |  Meet the Blogger  |  More Posts by Elizabeth Smith

A few months ago we had an unseasonably warm Sunday. It was the sort of spring day when I open as many windows as possible in hopes of airing out the stale winter air that inhabits the house from fall through winter.

By midafternoon, the beloved scent of barbeque wafted through the open windows, tickled my nose and ignited my appetite. With simply a hot grill, some meat and veggies, my neighbors had officially kicked off grilling season.

Hurrah!

Read on to find out how you could win a $50 Whole Foods Market gift card for your next homemade hamburger dinner.

One of many reasons I’m an ardent fan of grilling is because you can make a fuss-free meal and it doesn’t have to be boring or bland. Take the hamburger for example. Over the years, my husband and I have experimented with lots of different recipes in hopes of creating the best burger ever.

During this quest for perfection, we’ve tried (and enjoyed) lamb, grass-fed beef, portobello mushrooms, turkey and black bean patties. But where we’re able to truly elevate our burger is in our choice of topping. Roasted red peppers. Goat cheese. Savory and sweet relishes. Bacon. Chipotle-spiked mayo.

Surely the world’s perfect burger must include some of these. At my house, we haven’t discovered the ultimate burger topping but we have enjoyed the search and are looking forward to another grilling season of tasting our way through more potential winners.

If you too are on a quest to build a better burger, here are a few of our favorite recipes to inspire you.

Wow your dinner companions with beef burgers topped with cherry-spiked mustard, sweet grilled onions and tangy blue cheese.

Portobello and Pineapple Teriyaki Veggie Burgers offer a delicious family-friendly option without the meat.

Fans of cheese and bacon step forward and try these hearty and flavorful Gorgonzola and Smoky Bacon Burgers.

Raita, a cool cucumber and yogurt sauce, makes an ideal complement to the spicy patties in this lamb burger recipe.

The touch of finely chopped habanero pepper may be just the thing to make Turkey Burgers with Roasted Pepper and Avocado Salsa a star at your table.

Enjoy the fresh flavor of a Vietnamese banh mi sandwich straight from the grill with this burger version.

Do you shake up the standard condiment rundown? Share your best-dressed burger in the comments below by June 30 and you could win a $50 Whole Foods Market® gift card.

Let the grilling begin!

Category: Food & Recipes, Meat, Value - Whole Deal
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460 Comments

Comments

Corinne says ...
Grass-fed beef burger, sunny side-up egg, bacon, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, avocado, and melted fresh mozzarella cheese cooked rare with no bun. Maybe add some sour cream too. It is crazy huge but that's all of my favorites! :)
05/16/2012 9:12:40 PM CDT
Sue Swyt says ...
Fresh heirloom tomatoes and arugula.
05/16/2012 9:13:22 PM CDT
Mary says ...
My favorite burger is a ground beef(85-15)patty, cooked medium rare on the weber grill with; melted provolone cheese, a gallop of fresh made guacamole, slice of tomatoe, spring mix lettuce on a lightly toasted bun.
05/16/2012 9:14:40 PM CDT
Lotus Flower says ...
Gruyere cheese, sauteed portobella mushrooms, homemade mayo or ranch dressing, sauerkraut, grilled onion rings, thin-sliced homegrown roma tomatoes--- all on a bed of a giant butter lettuce leaf on a TOASTED whole grain bun!
05/16/2012 9:28:50 PM CDT
Stephanie Hamilton says ...
Each ingredient in the ultimate burger must be treated with great respect. I am a traditionalist and prefer free range beef with only salt, garlic and pepper to season the beef. The lettuce should be chilled and sliced very thinly so it can be evenly spread across the bun. The tomato should be vine ripened and the onion should be a sweet 1015. After that it is up to individual taste for cheese and condiments. My favorite is Fort Worth brand chili and smoked gouda with thin jalapeno slices. Pickles are optional. The buns are another ingredient...sour dough, whole wheat, french, italian,...my favorite are cuban buns, with such different textures...soft inside with some chewy/crispness to the outside. My goodness...my mouth is watering!
05/16/2012 9:33:09 PM CDT
Vicky says ...
A great way to top a burger is with avocado, lettuce, and tomato. Use a whole-wheat bun to make it even healthier!
05/16/2012 9:42:46 PM CDT
Jamie says ...
Cuban burger: topped with Swiss cheese, a slice of black forest ham with a Dijon mustard aioli. Use ciabatta bread and press burger with condiments on the grill with a brick, wrap in tin foil.
05/16/2012 9:44:03 PM CDT
Howell says ...
I like a lot of toppings but I’ve started to smoosh my favorite toppings inside the burger. Think inside the burger. I particularly like putting blue cheese inside. The juicy flavor explodes into your mouth when you bite into it.
05/16/2012 9:54:46 PM CDT
Sam says ...
There are so many good burger variations, but for right now, I nominate this all-Kentucky classic treatment: top a grilled grassfed beef burger with a good bourbon barbecue sauce, a slice of Kenny's cheddar cheese, a slice of fresh tomato straight out of the garden, Kentucky Bibb lettuce, all set on a sliced Blue Dog pugliese roll. Tummy love from Derby country.
05/16/2012 10:09:42 PM CDT
HCM says ...
I like blue cheese on top of my ground turkey breast burger, covered by Annie's Spring Salad Mix and cucumber slices, on a sesame seed whole wheat bun.
05/16/2012 10:11:39 PM CDT
Eugenie says ...
I’ve gotten into Korean cooking and cuisine of late. One new fusion idea–Koreans like beef–is to spread Korean hot bean paste aka gochujang instead of ketchup. Add a little kimchi or Asian cole slaw. If you want to go whole hog, pan fry a slice of pork belly in gochujang till crispy which is a favorite Korean dish of mine. Top your burger with the pork belly and lettuce and tomato and you have a Korean style BLT.
05/16/2012 10:27:09 PM CDT
Lynn Morell says ...
The best burgers I've made included ground up WF's "cheez-it" style crackers and small diced onions mixed into the burger before grilling.....topped with a slice of melted cheddar cheese, guacamole, a slice of tomato, lettuce and WF's creamy ranch dressing.......on a WF's whole wheat bun with sesame seeds.........yummm!
05/16/2012 10:41:35 PM CDT
Jan says ...
The best burgers for me are veggie burgers...I like onions and ketchup and mustard on my veggie burgers...lettuce and an avocado...
05/16/2012 10:57:47 PM CDT
Davina Garrett says ...
I love mine with sauted mushrooms, pepper jack cheese, Roasted red peppers, and garlic aioli....mmmmmm!!! :)
05/16/2012 11:45:04 PM CDT
Kim says ...
I love to top my vegan vegeburgers with avocado, grilled pineapple, lettuce and creamy dressing.
05/17/2012 12:25:00 AM CDT
Heather says ...
My favorite is a burger stuffed with bacon and bleu cheese and topped with lettuce and carmlized onions.
05/17/2012 2:42:56 AM CDT
Barbara Hunisch says ...
Mix half white and dark organic turkey with one package instant oatmeal--tsp worcestershire sauce- 1/2 tsp chopped garlic--1/4 cup chopped onion--tsp lemon dill seasoning--1/2 fresh chopped rosemary-- tsp ketchup-- tsp olive oil . . Cook on non stick foil over charcoal . Place on whole wheat buns with mayo and top with slightly steamed spinach and parmesan cheese --- yum . The oatmeal keeps them from drying out and so healthy too !!
05/17/2012 3:14:34 AM CDT
Vanessa says ...
Grass fed burger topped with swiss cheese, thinly sliced red onion, grilled onions, sautéed mushrooms, red or green leaf lettuce, sliced avocado, thick slice of brie, roasted red pepper aioli, on a buttered and toasted brioche bun. Seems like a busy burger, but it sure is delicious. Good day, everyone!
05/17/2012 5:15:15 AM CDT
wen says ...
I love blackbean with oatmeal as basic ingredients...then, add whatevery you'd like to as spices...yum...
05/17/2012 6:08:14 AM CDT
Trippy says ...
Top the grilled grass-fed burger with a little spicy BBQ sauce some caramelized onions, grated smoked Gouda, and finally crumbled cooked bacon. Back on the grill just to melt the cheese then serve with a toasted whole wheat bun with just a hint of mayo. The combination of flavors is incredible!
05/17/2012 7:11:02 AM CDT
Suz Goodman says ...
Take a burger grilled medium add a slice of cheddar cheese, mayo,chopped pickle and chopped grilled pinapple, mixed all together with chopped red onion and grilled corn kernals, YUM!
05/17/2012 7:21:44 AM CDT
Katie Hoffman says ...
Turkey burger on the grill, add about 4-5 leaves of fresh basil,add grilled red onions (from the grill) and top all of that with fresh mozzarella cheese and melt. Add a dash of good Dijon mustard. If you must use bread, toast some sourdough on the grill also. Yummy
05/17/2012 7:32:39 AM CDT
K Dolson says ...
Blue cheese inside a burger is the Bomb! Then add some avocado, onion, and mustard ... Now, I'm hungry!
05/17/2012 7:48:12 AM CDT
Saskia says ...
Umami Burger: burger patty (80/20 meat) , sprinkle some Worchestershire sauce before cooking...once it is done, sprinkle with a pinch of Umami dust (recipe below) and top with gorgonzola, walnut paste (recipe below). Broil for 1 minute. Umami dust: Shitake, Kombu, and bonito ground up into a powder Gorgonzola paste: gorgonzola, cream cheese, and toasted walnuts creamed together into a paste.
05/17/2012 8:10:05 AM CDT
Connie McElderry says ...
Blue Cheese stuffed Turkey Burgers 1 lb ground turkey 1 egg 1 cup breadcrumb 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tbsp grill seasoning 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp salt 2 tsp pepper 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles 1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt 1 tbsp lemon juice 8 slices bacon cooked till crispy (can use turkey bacon) Your favorite burger toppings (I use carmelized onions on these) Start by mixing in a bowl the Turkey, egg, breadcrumb, oil, seasonings, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Combine with your hands until all Incorporated. The oil is crucial as the turkey will dry out so be sure to mix well. Make the mixture into 8 equal portions. Separate out half of the blue cheese into a small bowl. Add the yogurt, lemon juice, and some salt and pepper and mix together. Place in the fridge for as long as possible so the flavors meld. Using your equal parts of meat, make 8 patties. Take some of the remaining blue cheese, and place it in the middle of one of the patties. Top with another patty and seal the edges so the cheese doesn't leak out. Season the stuffed patties on both sides with salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes per side. This is poultry so you need to cook it all the way through. It should feel firm to the touch with no give, or with a meat thermometer check that it is 175 in the middle of the burger (not the cheese). You can use beef for these if you prefer.
05/17/2012 8:13:11 AM CDT

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