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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

Leigh Downing says ...
My burgers are lettuce wrapped! For a topping fiesta: red onions, pickles, mustard, avocado, sprouts. I add bacon occasionally for that adventurous cholesterol addict in me that surfaces from time to time....mostly when my partner is watching Storage Wars Texas.
05/16/2012 12:20:02 PM CDT
Jacyntha says ...
I use spicy mustard, wasabi mayonaise, tomato, pickle, carmelized onions, romaine lettuce, roasted red pepper, and pepper jack cheese on my buffalo burger.
05/16/2012 12:20:37 PM CDT
rachel says ...
My burgers: Ground turkey with a quarter cup sweet salsa (like a peach or mango salsa), mixed in with salt and pepper, topped with caramelized onions and sauteed apples, swiss cheese and baby spinach on a whole wheat bun.
05/16/2012 1:46:04 PM CDT
Alan says ...
I like to cut up onion and mix it in with the burgers. Other than that, I keep things pretty standard.
05/16/2012 3:39:30 PM CDT
Stephanie Daniels says ...
Our household favorite is grass-fed ground beef mixed with salt and pepper and stuffed with blue cheese, topped with a balsamic glaze, onion and tomato. Délicieux!
05/16/2012 3:41:10 PM CDT
Krista says ...
The ultimate burger that I cannot get enough of is a lightly seasoned buffalo burger topped with blue cheese, crispy pancetta, and a pesto aioli...mmmm delicious
05/16/2012 3:48:47 PM CDT
Jack Quick says ...
Yellow mustard, carmelized vidalia onions, 365 bbq sauce, and a couple of dill pickle slices.
05/16/2012 4:27:59 PM CDT
Sarah Johnson says ...
The best burgers are the blue cheese burgers cooked medium rare with saute mushrooms, Swiss cheese, and lettuce on an onion bread hamburger bun. Yum!
05/16/2012 4:29:05 PM CDT
Tiffany Temple says ...
Blue cheese stuffed burger! Simple GREATNESS
05/16/2012 4:29:34 PM CDT
Brooke says ...
pretzel bun, spicy mustard, swiss cheese, sauteed onions, lettuce and tomato
05/16/2012 4:30:53 PM CDT
Stacie Strittmatter says ...
I like spicy n cheesy yum a little pickled jalapeno some fat free swiss cheese lettuce tomato mustard n mayo katsup done eat yummmy
05/16/2012 4:31:42 PM CDT
Arlene M. Baladi says ...
My favorite burgers are topped with sauteed onions, mushrooms, American cheese, mayonnaise, and ketchup on a fresh baked panini!
05/16/2012 4:32:33 PM CDT
Becca says ...
I love a burger with zesty flavor! We always mix our grassfed beef with homemade BBQ sauce. Then we usually cut the patties in half, flatten them out, put cheese and Applewood bacon on the bottom patty and then put the top patty over it for a stuffed burger. I may have to change my plans for dinner tonight!
05/16/2012 4:33:31 PM CDT
Rebecca says ...
On an slightly toasted onion roll - medium rare burger with guacamole, roasted onions, smoked gouda, lettuce and tomato.
05/16/2012 4:33:39 PM CDT
Katrina says ...
We like to mix in with our beef a bit of finely shredded onion (almost juice like) and a bit of garlic. The main topper is the usual items to taste but often feta and fresh basil.
05/16/2012 4:33:52 PM CDT
Char says ...
We don't top as much as stuff. We prefer Whole Food's ground buffalo. From a pound of that, I make 4 thinnish patties. On two of the patties, place your ingredients - we love Greek burgers, so I use flavored or plain feta cheese, minced red onion, chopped Calamata olives and a few bacon bits. Top with the remaining two patties, pinch edges well and reshape into thick patties. Spray or rub tops with olive oil, sprinkle with Cavender's Greek seasoning, and grill to your liking. We prefer them bunless, with tzatziki on top, and served with a Greek salad on the side. OR taco burgers - same idea, but stuff with shredded 3 cheese Mexican blend, chopped mild canned chiles, some sliced green onions; form as above, spray with olive oil and sprinkle with taco seasoning. Top with chipotle aioli (mayo mixed with minced canned chipotle chile/sauce or some chipotle-flavored hot sauce.
05/16/2012 4:34:41 PM CDT
Sharon Pellino says ...
Grass fed beef burgers medium well with Montreal Steak seasoning and Worchishire sauce. Top with grilled onions, applewood smoked crisp bacon, your choice of cheese. Place on a bun that has been buttered and toasted in the oven. Yum! A little garlic aoili if desired! Enjoy!
05/16/2012 4:35:19 PM CDT
Carol R. says ...
Organic turkey burger with a little chutney blended into the ground white turkey, topped with lettuce, home-grown tomatoes and veganaise; and for the bun, a whole grain bun with olive oil spread lightly, toasted in a pan.
05/16/2012 4:35:38 PM CDT
Terri B says ...
My favorite homemade burger is a turkey burger (I prep my ground turkey with beef base to give it extra flavor) topped with crisp bacon, gruyere cheese, a fried egg, grilled onions, roasted garlic puree, a little bit of mayo & ketchup, all on a pretzel bun. It's to die for, but seriously a once-a-year kind of burger!!!!
05/16/2012 4:36:04 PM CDT
Davina says ...
Medium rare burger lightly seasoned. top with the filling of about 10 black mission figs mashed up and spread over burger, sprinkled with goat cheese, and layered with mixed greens. Little light mayo on a sesame seed bun and you're good to go!
05/16/2012 4:36:26 PM CDT
Chrissy says ...
Grass-fed beef burger topped with pimento cheese and pickled red onions. Simple and delicious!
05/16/2012 4:38:23 PM CDT
Erika Moog says ...
I have done beef and lamb burgers but mix in chopped onions,garlic, worchester sauce, liquid smoke, and tear up bacon then make pattys. Amazing! Its hard to buy a hamburger at a restaurant now because I love mine. Top it off with sauteed mushrooms, and add lettuce, tomatoe and ketchup or bbq sauce
05/16/2012 4:38:31 PM CDT
linnette says ...
Best burger with smoked gouda caramelized onions bbq sauce lettuce tomatoes between two portabella mushrooms
05/16/2012 4:39:20 PM CDT
Julie says ...
Gotta have ketchup, lettuce, tomato & avocado.
05/16/2012 4:41:45 PM CDT
Karil Whetstone says ...
sirloin burger monterey jack cheese cheddar cheese bacon whole green chille sliced onions sliced black olives sliced tomato taco flavored sour cream / mix sour cream with taco seasoning
05/16/2012 4:42:56 PM CDT

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