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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!

 

460 Comments

Comments

Mike C. says ...
I like spicy pickled papaya and carrots, caramelized bacon, mixed greens, and a thin layer of spicy mustard.
05/09/2012 6:18:19 PM CDT
Adele says ...
Chipotle Burger ... ground lean beef mixed with egg, chipotle paste, parsley, onion, garlic & seasoning ... served on a lightly toasted wholewheat bun with torn romano lettuce leaves and tomato slices.
05/09/2012 6:23:13 PM CDT
Wendy says ...
avocado, goat cheese, bacon
05/09/2012 6:54:04 PM CDT
Jeanette LaMar says ...
East Meets West Burger: 1. Reduced Balsamic Vinegar (cook until it reduces to a thick sauce) 2. Crystallized Ginger Paste (Chop Sweet-Crystallized Ginger in food processor to get a fine paste consistency) 3. Alexia Brand Onion Rings 4. Smoked Applewood Bacon (Nueskes is the best) 5. Cracked Course Black Pepper 6. Heirloom Tomato (Black Krim or other Black variety) No - I didn't Forget the lettuce, if you must have something green on your bun, then add some fresh Basil leaves. Personally I prefer to eat my greens in a side salad and not detract from the amazing combo of flavors listed above. Bun choices are very personal choices. I like this burger on a nice Onion or Kaiser Bun. It probably would be tasty on any kind of bun you choose.
05/09/2012 7:04:52 PM CDT
Meredith Clark says ...
So much goodness to choose from...but to top my ultimate Bison burger, would be: bean sprouts spicy mustard, red onions garlic lettuce yellow peppers and a thin slice of SHARP cheddar! YUM YUM!!!
05/09/2012 7:10:18 PM CDT
Zack Blum says ...
http://i.imgur.com/gjv2g.jpg?1 80/20 ground beef seasoned with salt ‘n’ pepper Sharp Cheddar Mayo Oven cooked bacon Pretzel Roll from Whole Foods
05/09/2012 8:20:31 PM CDT
Sandy Milne says ...
My favorite burger is topped first with guacamole, then tomato, lettuce and cheese. It is slightly spicy and delicious.
05/09/2012 8:30:45 PM CDT
Cheryl says ...
Grilled chicken burger with roasted pineapples with habaneros with lettuce grilled tomatoes and red onions...on crusty whole grain bread
05/09/2012 8:53:29 PM CDT
Petal says ...
Fresh wild-caught salmon, grilled onions, red peppers, and a thin slice of zuchinni, topped with fresh dill and baby arugula all on a hollowed out slab of crunchy rustic whole wheat bread (or pita) and slathered with homemade tatziki and a squeeze of lemon (whole-grain mustard with a dash of smoked paprika also a good way to go) try it and make sure you have crunchy bread to get maximum flavor profile
05/09/2012 8:58:40 PM CDT
Noreen says ...
i like mine with carmelized onions and goat cheese.
05/09/2012 9:17:51 PM CDT
Rod Louden says ...
Rod's killer Paleo Burger. Start off by picking up some killer grass fed beef from Whole Foods. For this recipe, we are going Paleo, so instead of using bread, pick up some butter lettuce to use for buns. Butter lettuce is the perfect size for burgers. Chop up some organic garlic and mix it with the meat with a touch of extra virgin olive oil,sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Now, it's time to make the topping. Chop up an organic avocado and an organic tomato. Mix these with a splash of olive oil, your favorite salsa verde, and/or hot sauce. This makes a delicious and healthy topping. Great tasting, low cal, and great for you!
05/09/2012 9:48:48 PM CDT
Jeanine says ...
love a good grass fed beef burger topped with cheddar cheese, wasabi mayo on both sides of the bun, grilled onions and cucumber slices and a juicy beefsteak tomato on a lightly toasted sesame seed bun
05/09/2012 10:15:52 PM CDT
Katie says ...
A Greek Burger! A burger sandwiched in pita bread, topped with fresh tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions! Oh so tasty!
05/09/2012 10:33:23 PM CDT
Jonathan says ...
Black bean veggie burger with pepperjack cheese,sauteed onions,lettuce, tomato, jalapeno,and bananna peppers, jalapeno dressing, sesame seed wheat bread, with pickle on the side
05/10/2012 3:39:06 AM CDT
Errick says ...
3/4 ground beef, 1/4 chorizo for the burger, grill, top with watercress, mango salsa, and fresh shaved coconut. (Odd, but it works!) Mix chopped, toasted garlic and red pepper flakes into mayo for a lovely condiment.
05/10/2012 5:40:00 AM CDT
Catherine says ...
A veggie burger with homemade ketchup, caramelized onions, and roasted peppers and mushrooms.
05/10/2012 7:06:34 AM CDT
Yasmine says ...
I make mix up a Turkey Burger w/ fresh Garlic/Fresh Onions diced finely, Black Pepper, McCormick Greek Seasoning, and crumbled feta mixed all together and grilled. Then Served in Pita Bread with Lettuce---Tomato---Homemade Tzatziki Sauce....My husband likes to red onion slices too
05/10/2012 7:11:41 AM CDT
Kim says ...
Cheddar cheese, a thick slice of fresh sun ripened tomato, and homemade mayo.
05/10/2012 7:17:51 AM CDT
M says ...
grilled portobello mushroom, with lettuce, tomato, red onion, mayo.... of course nothing tops real ground beef, seasoned well with a dash of worcestershire sauce. the toppings are endless!
05/10/2012 9:49:53 AM CDT
Robyn says ...
Wow, so many choices. I guess my fav is a good, moist, grilled (not baked) black bean burger (great recipe in Delicious Living (May 2012). I top that lovely creation with mango, jalapeno, and cilantro salsa on a whole wheat flax flat bread, mayo and a squeeze of lime juice.....mmmm
05/10/2012 10:12:57 AM CDT
cristian says ...
FAMILY RECEPY; grilled patty (groundbeef mixied with very fine cut fresh garlic and onions to make the patty), grilled fresh sweet slide pinaples, round cut tomatoes, lettuce, homemade mayo and with a spicy chiplote pinaple sauce.
05/10/2012 10:56:14 AM CDT
Patricia Jahaly says ...
I like homemade avocado spread, grilled onions, american or swiss and romaine lettuce.
05/10/2012 11:12:00 AM CDT
brenda p says ...
grilled onion, jalapeno, cheese, lettuce, tomato...yum!
05/10/2012 11:32:59 AM CDT
patti says ...
ground turkey or chicken burger tomato and avocado honey mustard whole wheat bun
05/10/2012 11:51:03 AM CDT
Sam Strobel says ...
I love making different sauces for my burgers.I do a roasted chile sauce (a riff on a Bobby Flay recipe), toast the buns, and then spread goat cheese on the buns for a little extra umph. It's really good with grass-fed beef or lamb. The green chile sauce is roasted poblano peppers, 1 serrano pepper, oregano (Mexican if you can find it), cilantro, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, honey, a little mint, and water. You roast the poblano and onion either on the grill or in the oven. Remove the seeds from the peppers and toss everything into a food processor.
05/10/2012 11:54:32 AM CDT

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