10 DIFFERENT WAYS TO MAKE A HAMBURGER

1. A Great Little Hamburger Recipe


This is a basic but great barbecue burger with the bacon and onion right inside the patty. You can also add cheese to the filling. What makes this burger so great is the classic combination of bacon with barbecue sauce. Always a perfect answer to any burger.

2. To Die for Burgers

These delicious garlicky burgers are topped with avocados and roasted red peppers. This recipe was submitted by Shannon Timmons in a Hamburger Contest we ran many years ago. While not the winner, it certainly has been on of the most popular hamburger recipes I have.

.3. Bacon Double Cheese Stuffed Burgers

This bacon cheeseburger has the bacon and cheese stuffed inside the patty. A little surprise for a great tasting burger. Don't worry about hiding the filling away inside the burger, just make sure that the burgers are not too thick and that they are well packed. This recipe comes from Janis Novak.

.4. All Gone Onion Burgers

Lee Custer (a great cook and a great guy) sent in this recipe for burger patties loaded with intense flavor many (many, many) years ago and it has continued to be one of the most popular burger recipes around. The best way, I've found, to crumble a bouillon cube is with a kitchen mallet.

.5. Cajun Burgers

THIS burger recipe is filled with delicious flavor. Not only do the patties have a Cajun flare, but there is also a mildly spiced barbecue sauce to accompany it. You can step up the heat any way you want on these. Try a thick slice of pepper jack cheese (I like the habanero variety) or a hot and spice barbecue sauce. If you make an extra messy burger try and extra hearty (and crunchy) bread for the bun.

.6. Herb Burgers

The real secret to this burger is the fresh herbs. They give the beef patty loads of flavor. So much that you will probably want to go light on the toppings. I like this one on a baguette (make smaller patties), but you can certainly put it on a regular hamburger bun. Top it with lettuce and maybe a nice mild cheese. One point on this burger. Usually I tell you to use a fattier ground beef (like a nice chuck) for the flavor, but with this burger you want to go with a leaner grind because of all the ingredients in the patty. The leaner beef with hold up on the grill better and you won't miss the flavor.

.7. Pizza Burger

This is another of Lee Custer's great recipes. Lee is something of a purist and suggest that you grill these patties over hardwood coals. I know that for many people this isn't possible, but if you have the ability (or at least the opportunity) you really need to try a burger cooked over a real fire. It's a radically different experience than hamburgers off a gas grill. These burgers are an ooey gooey mess and wonderfulness. You might need a knife and fork the eat these, actually you might need a bowl too, but they are definitely worth the effort.

                                                       .8. Cuban-Style Burgers

These flavorful Cuban-style burgers are simple to prepare and are made by combining ground beef with chorizo sausage. It's best if you can get ground chorizo, but if you can only find it in sausage casings then you will need to remove the casings. Not a difficult operation. This burger leaves it up to you to fill in the toppings and condiments. What I like on this is some mild mustard (you don't want to over do it) and an anaheim pepper. You split open the pepper and cut it into thin strips. Anaheims are a mild pepper but loaded with great flavor.

.9. Aloha Burgers

The true Hawaiian classic burger. While many people might think twice about topping a hamburger with pineapple, this is a great burger that everyone who tries it loves.

.10. Superbowl Burger

From the BBQ Queens, Judith Fertig and Karen Adler. Adding wood chips or pellets to the fire gives you more of a wood smoked taste. Don't be afraid to grill a whole baby brie; it's a lot easier than you think. You just have to pay attention and turn it the minute you see the cheese starting to ooze out of the rind. Once it has started to "ooze" on both sides, take it off the grill. The relish is your vegetable and salad all rolled into one.