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 opens in a new tab.
Portobello and Pineapple Teriyaki Veggie Burgers opens in a new tab 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 opens in a new tab.
Raita, a cool cucumber and yogurt sauce, makes an ideal complement to the spicy patties in this lamb burger opens in a new tab recipe.
The touch of finely chopped habanero pepper may be just the thing to make Turkey Burgers with Roasted Pepper and Avocado Salsa opens in a new tab a star at your table.
Enjoy the fresh flavor of a Vietnamese banh mi sandwich straight from the grill with this burger version opens in a new tab.
Do you shake up the standard condiment rundown? Share your best-dressed burger in the comments below by June 30, 2012 and you could win a $50 Whole Foods Market® gift card. Update: The contest is over. Thank you to all who participated.
Let the grilling begin!
