Hamburgers are a wonderful, all-in-one meal. Most people like them. (You can always make turkey or veggie burgers for those who don’t want the beef.) And they are easy to dress up or dress down.
In fact, burgers are ideal for meeting the range of tastes in your family. I’ve met many a mom whose got very different tastes than her husband or kids. {raises hand} It can be easy to just cook for the majority, all the while missing out on the flavors that YOU love.
But with a hamburger, you can make a family-pleasing meal and eat it, too!
Here are 5 ways to dress up a burger and make your own taste buds happy:
1. Caramelized onions
Caramelized onions don’t have the sharp flavors that raw onions do. The rich onion flavor is there, but without the bite. Saute sliced onions in a bit of oil or melted butter in a pan until they go limp and start to brown. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
These onions also go well on sandwiches and pizzas.
2. Flavored mayonnaise
I am a huge fan of flavored mayonnaise, particularly of the chipotle variety. Yum! (It’s delicious with fries, too.) But, if spicy isn’t your game, you can make garlic or Herbed Mayonnaise very easily. And this Yogurt-Dill Sauce is good, too, especially with feta cheese.
Just stir in your favorite flavors into a small bowl of mayo. Chill for an hour to allow the flavors to blend and you’re good to go.
3. Avocado slices or guacamole
Avocado goes beautifully on salads, sandwiches, pizza, pasta (yes, really) and burgers. Sliced avocado can get kinda slippery, but if you slightly mash them onto the bun, or better yet, make guacamole, you’ll have a delectable treat on your burger.
4. Rich cheeses
I am a big cheese freak. I could live happily on bread and cheese. Melt some on a burger and wow! Try out rich cheeses like Brie, Bleu, Gruyere, sharp cheddar, or feta, to give you hamburger some extra pizzazz.
5. A fancy bun
Years ago, I started making these homemade buns. We haven’t gone back. They are so delicious and easy to make with a bread machine. Now that Tammy taught me how to make them in pretty shapes, I don’t really want to buy the sponges that pass for bread at the grocery store.
It’s true that we moms sometimes sacrifice our own food preferences for the greater good. But, that need not be the case, especially where hamburgers are concerned.
You can have it your way.
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Thanks for hosting Jessica!
~Liz@HoosierHomemade & Pocket Change Gourmet
Love these ideas! We used to live near a burger place that had a burger for every letter of the alphabet. It’s good to mix it up sometimes. I think we usually ordered the one with roasted ortega chiles.
Those burgers look so good! I love homemade buns as well. Once you start making homemade bread, store bought really tastes like cardboard, and it is not nearly as filling. Plus, bread is just so easy to make! I make several loaves of whole wheat bread in the bread machine each week. With 4 kids that like to eat, so we need several. (-: Thanks so much for hosting!
There is such a nice variety of recipes. Love it! I submitted my Cheeseburger Wrap which everyone that tries it LOVES it!
Those are great ways to make a burger more exciting!
Those burgers DO look good! Yum :)~ Thanks for hosting the party as well!
That burger looks so good. I want one now, even though it’s only 10:47 am.
I linked to my most searched for recipe — make ahead hamburger steak with peppers and onions.
Would love an easy homemade veggie burger recipe?! 🙂
Well, there’s one in my cookbook. Next year? 🙂
But, I bet readers have great ones to share.
I like to make black bean burgers, here’s the super easy recipe I use: http://lifeblessons.blogspot.com/2010/03/homemade-black-bean-burgers-recipe.html
If you want to make some tasty burgers using ground chicken (instead of ground beef) for a wee bit more healthy fare, I have this chicken burger recipe that we LOVE around here!
Oh, how I love avocado on almost everything!! 🙂 My friend taught me a quick and easy way to make it easy to top any sandwich! Just mash it up with a fork, and drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle on salt and pepper… PERFECTION!! 🙂
I’ve been making homemade buns too but they always come out a bit heavier than I’d like. I noticed the recipe you use is modified from the one in Beth Hensperger’s cookbook, does the modified recipe come out any lighter? I use Beth’s recipe and it’s delicious but I wish I could figure out how to make it lighter. Also, is the recipe you’re using for a 1 1/2 pound machine or 2 pounds??
The only trick I’ve found is to make sure they get the full rise time.