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The Best Burger Builders

How To Make The Basic Burger, Bigger & Better...

 

The burger is a summertime classic and the perfect way to enjoy the season.

 

To celebrate this season, we suggest a burger-builder bash with all the fixin's. Here's how...

 

 

Start with the "Basic" Beef Burger

 

Prienter Friendly Recipe

Total preparation and cooking time: 20 minutes

Makes 4 servings.

 

1-½  pounds ground beef

Salt and pepper

4 hamburger buns, split

 

1. Lightly shape ground beef into four ¾-inch patties.

2. Place patties on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, uncovered, 13 to 15 minutes to medium (160°F) doneness, until no longer pink in center and juices show no pink color; turning occasionally. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

3. Toast buns around outer edge of grill until golden brown, if desired. Serve burgers in buns. Top as desired.

 

 

 

 

Now, Build A Better Burger

(For a complete list of 101 Burger Builders, click here)

 

All-American: American cheese, mayonnaise, ketchup, yellow mustard, lettuce leaves and sliced tomatoes; serve on hamburger bun.

Bacon Burger: Cheddar cheese and thick bacon slices; serve on toasted hamburger bun.

Basil Burger: Mix 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1- ½ Tbsp dried basil, ¼ tsp garlic salt and ¼ tsp ground black pepper with ground beef; serve on toasted crusty bun.

Bistro Burger: Swiss cheese, Dijon-mayonnaise, sweet onion, romaine lettuce and sliced tomatoes; serve on toasted crusty roll.

BLT Burger: Bacon, lettuce leaves and sliced tomatoes; serve on toasted hamburger bun.

Blue Moon: Crumbled blue cheese, sautéed mushrooms, lettuce leaves and sliced tomatoes; serve in onion bun.

Brew Burger: Swiss cheese, Brew sauce (¼ cup beer and ¼ cup steak sauce microwaved on HIGH for 1 to 1-½ minutes), sweet onion slices and lettuce leaves; serve on crusty roll.

Buffalo Burger: Spread Buffalo sauce over grilled patties (3 Tbsp hot pepper sauce, 2 Tbsp melted butter, 1 Tbsp honey); top with blue cheese crumbles and blue cheese dressing; serve on crusty bun with celery sticks.

Bayou Burgers: Mix roasted garlic into ground beef and sprinkle with garlic pepper, lemon salt and Cajun seasoning; top with American and Edam cheese, Creole mustard, grilled onions, pickles, lettuce leaves and sliced tomatoes; serve on toasted Hawaiian rolls.

Caesar Salad Burger: Parmesan cheese shavings, creamy Caesar dressing, romaine lettuce leaves; serve on home-made garlic crostini (rub garlic clove and olive oil on sliced sourdough bread, broiled in oven to golden brown).

Cajun Burger: Mix 3 chopped green onions, 1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning and 1 Tbsp mustard into ground beef; top with Cajun-seasoned barbecue sauce (barbecue sauce and one Tbsp Cajun seasoning brought to boil) and cheddar cheese; serve on crusty bun.

California Burger: Creamy low-fat ranch dressing, avocado wedges, cucumber slices, sweet onion, roasted peppers and lettuce leaves; serve on whole wheat bun.

Firecracker Burger: Season beef patties with 1Tbsp curry powder, 1 Tbsp Caribbean jerk seasoning, 1 tsp salt; top with cool lime sauce (½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup plain yogurt, 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice, 2 tsp grated lime peel, ¼ tsp salt) and mixed spring greens; serve on sesame seed roll.

Gourmet Gouda or Gruyere Cheeseburger: Gruyere or Gouda cheese; serve on toasted crusty roll.

Greek Goodness: Crumbled herbed feta cheese, sliced black olives and sliced onion; serve in pita bread pocket.

Great Grilled Onion: Sweet onion (½-inch slices grilled for 10 to 12 minutes), lettuce leaves and sliced tomatoes; serve on hamburger bun.

Horseradish Burger: Muenster cheese, horseradish sauce (6 Tbsp steak sauce, 2 Tbsp prepared horseradish, 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley, 2 Tbsp finely chopped green onion); serve on toasted hamburger bun.

Italian Sub: Mozzarella cheese, shredded parmesan cheese and spicy marinara sauce; serve on garlic bread.

Mediterranean Burger: Crumbled goat cheese, sun-dried tomato spread, fresh basil leaves and diced red bell pepper; serve on crusty bun.

Popper Burger: Shape patty around frozen cream cheese-stuffed jalapeno pepper; top with salsa con queso, thick and chunky salsa, sliced black olives and chopped plum tomatoes; serve on hamburger bun.

Ranch Burgers: Ranch rub pressed into patties before grilling; top with creamy ranch dressing, French-fried onions, lettuce leaves and sliced tomatoes; serve on hamburger bun.

Salsa Burger: Pepperjack cheese, fresh salsa and whole cilantro leaves; serve on hamburger bun.

Screaming Burger: Mix 1 fresh finely chopped jalapeno pepper, 2 cloves minced garlic and 1 small finely chopped onion with ground beef; top with pepperjack cheese; serve on toasted hamburger bun.

Star-Spangled: Used star-shaped cookie cutter to create stars from cheddar cheese slices, melt on burgers; top with lettuce leaves and sliced tomatoes; serve on hamburger bun.

Super Stuffed Burger: Shape two ½-inch thick patties to same size, place slices or crumbles of favorite cheese in center on one patty and top with the second patty, press edges together to seal before grilling.

Sweet Hawaiian Mini: Shape mini burgers (2-inches across, ½-inch thick); top with sweet sauce (¼ cup barbecue sauce, ¼ cup pineapple preserves, 1 tablespoon brown sugar brought to a boil), pineapple slices and lettuce; serve on Hawaiian sweet or small dinner roll.

Taco Burger: Shredded Mexican cheese mix, taco-seasoned sour cream (mix taco seasoning packet and sour cream to taste), thick and chunky salsa, sliced green onion and shredded lettuce; serve on hamburger bun.

Teriyaki Burger: Teriyaki sauce, pineapple slices, lettuce leave and sliced tomatoes; serve on sesame hamburger bun.

Thai Burger: Mix 2 Tbsp minced lemon grass, 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil, 2 Tbsp minced shallots, 2 seeded and minced red chili peppers and ¼ cup chopped peanuts with ground beef; top with squeeze of fresh lime juice; serve on toasted bun.

Trattoria Taste: Mozzarella cheese, basil pesto mayonnaise, roasted red bell peppers; serve on focaccia bread.

Wasabi Burger: Wasabi mayonnaise (1 to 1 mixture of wasabi and mayonnaise), lettuce leaves and sliced tomatoes; serve on hamburger bun.

Not enough ideas? Click here for more options!

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