Somebody Get Me a Cheesburger!

When I think of cheeseburgers, the first things that come to mind are warm summer nights, beer, and our backyard barbecue grill.  In the cold winter months, I often find myself dreaming of that first burger of the season, when it's finally warm enough to push the grill out to the edge of the garage to cook some of these wonderful meaty bundles of pure heaven. 

Burgers in my house are often the standard type, ground round or sirloin, seasoned only with Canadian steak seasoning, and topped with a slice of Swiss, provolone or cheddar cheese, and the usual mustard, ketchup, pickles and a nice juicy red tomato slice.  While I love the standard beef cheeseburger, I am always intrigued by culinary twists on the original.  When reading my multitudes of cooking magazines, the recipes that usually catch my eye first are the burgers.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Curry Turkey Burgers -I almost always  double this recipe, the leftovers are dynamite in lunches the next day!  Absolutely do not skip the mango chutney as a topping, it makes the burger something special!  You can cook these on the outdoor grill also, just make sure to cook them to well done.

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 pounds ground turkey breast, the average weight of 1 package
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• A handful cilantro, chopped very fine, about 2 tablespoons, optional
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated or minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• Coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons mild curry paste or a handful of curry powder
• Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 crusty rolls, split

Toppings:

• Bib or leaf lettuce
• Sliced vine-ripe tomatoes
• Mango chutney

Directions

Combine first 8 ingredients and form into 5 patties.
Brush or drizzle patties with extra-virgin olive oil. Grill patties 6 minutes on each side on indoor electric grill or pan fry for same amount of time in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
Pile patties on split crusty rolls with lettuce, tomato, and chutney spread liberally on roll tops as a condiment. 

Manchego Stuffed Pork Burgers - these babies pack a lot of flavor!  Manchego cheese can usually be found in the deli or specialty cheese section of your grocery store.....

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
• 1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 1/4 pounds coarsely ground pork
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 pound manchego cheese, broken into bite-size pieces
• 4 Portuguese rolls, split - or any bakery style crusty roll that you can find!
• Pimientos, tomato, red onion and/or lettuce, for topping

Directions

Preheat a grill to medium-high. Place the 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, the olives, garlic, oregano, chili powder, paprika, coriander, cumin and allspice in a food processor; pulse until smooth. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons mayonnaise.
Mix the pork into the olive mixture; season with salt and pepper. Shape into 4 patties, about 1/2 inch thick. Make a deep pocket in each; stuff with some manchego, then close the patty around the cheese.
Brush the burgers with oil; season with salt and pepper. Brush the grill with oil; grill the burgers until marked on the bottom, 5 minutes. Flip and continue grilling until just cooked through, 5 more minutes.
Brush the cut sides of the rolls with the remaining 1 tablespoon mayonnaise; grill until lightly toasted. Serve the burgers on the rolls with your choice of toppings.

Chicken Parmesan Burgers - these are my family's current favorite.  We have cooked them both on the outdoor and indoor grills, both with wonderful results.  Go for the fresh mozzarella cheese as indicated in the recipe, it's soooooo much better than the regular mozz!  

Ingredients

• 10 1/2-inch-thick slices French bread (4 inches in diameter); 8 slices toasted, 2 slices (crust removed) diced
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 tablespoons minced fresh basil, divided, plus 12 large basil leaves - Fresh basil is a must!  The dried stuff just won't cut it in this recipe!
• 3/4 cup purchased refrigerated marinara sauce - or your favorite sauce in a jar.
• 12 ounces ground chicken (white meat)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon grated onion
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
• 4 large radicchio leaves - or any kind of lettuce you have around!

Blend diced bread and Parmesan in processor to fine crumbs. Transfer to pie dish; mix in 2 tablespoons minced basil.

Mix marinara and 2 tablespoons basil in small saucepan. Transfer 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce to large bowl. Add chicken, 1/2 tablespoon oil, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle with pepper; blend. Shape into four 1/2-inch-thick patties; coat with crumbs. Heat sauce over low heat.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook patties until bottoms are crusty, 4 minutes. Turn patties over; top with cheese. Cook 3 minutes. Cover; cook until cooked through and cheese is melted, about 1 minute.

Assemble burgers with 2 slices of the toasted french bread, radicchio, basil leaves, and warm marinara. 

Here's a Focaccia bread recipe that I often use for buns, you can really add any herbs or cheese that you like......

Parmesan Focaccia Bread - I prepare the dough in the breadmaker

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 1/4 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon lecithin
• 3 teaspoons bread machine yeast
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Place ingredients in the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select Dough setting, and Start.
2. When the dough has risen once in the breadmaker, transfer it into an oiled, 8 inch, round baking tin. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk. In this case, I use a 9 by 11 cake pan.
3. Poke it all over with your finger, right to the bottom of the tin. Allow to rest for another five or ten minutes.
4. Pour olive oil over the top of the loaf, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
5. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) in center of oven for approximately 20 minutes, until golden

Enjoy!