Burger Bar
3132 days ago
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Memorial Day, for most of the country, this is the unofficial start of all things outdoors; barbeques, lazy days at the beach, gardening or vacations.
However, let's not forget the reason we observe Memorial Day. It's the day to remember the more than one million men and women who gave their lives in service to our country and in defense of our freedom. Many families join their friends, family and neighbors to take part in the more solemn, traditional observances of the day and then gather together to share a meal, memories and family traditions of their own.
When we discussed what we wanted to post for Memorial Day, we ran the gamut from appetizers to main courses to desserts. Everyone grills burgers so we weren't sure if we wanted to go in that direction or not. But then we thought, how about raising the bar? How about a Burger Bar? This would be a way for everyone to customize their burger from the bun to toppings. For the buns, choose several varieties – ciabatta, whole wheat, Kaiser, pretzel, Hawaiian, potato and, of course, hamburger. For some different twists on toppings, try sliced avocado and goat cheese; grilled pineapple; chili, Cheddar cheese and corn chips; white Cheddar cheese and sliced apples; pepper jack cheese, green chilies and pico de gallo; French fried onion rings; olive tapenade.
The combinations are endless. You might even want to challenge your guests to a burger building contest.
We put together three make-ahead toppings – mushroom, onion and pico de gallo. Prep time for all three was minimal and the cook time for the mushroom and onion toppings was short. I would recommend that you double the amount of mushrooms in the mushroom topping. It's not necessary to double the rest of the ingredients as there is plenty marinade for the extra mushrooms.
Let's hope the weather cooperates so we can get this summer party started!
Ingredients
Italian Mushroom Topping
- 2 cups Italian dressing
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 1 dash hot sauce (optional)
- 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Place the first 4 ingredients in a large plastic zip-lock bag. Squeeze the bag to blend ingredients.
- Add the mushrooms to the dressing-mix; refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight.
- In a small skillet, melt the butter over a medium-high heat.
- Drain the mushrooms; cook and stir until browned and moisture evaporates, 6 to 8 minutes.
Pico De Gallo
- Finely chop:
- 5 plum tomatoes
- 1/2 large onion
- 3 jalapeno peppers
- 1 bunch cilantro
- Toss with juice of 1 lime. Salt to taste.
Onion Marmalade
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large sweet onions, sliced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
- Chopped fresh thyme
- Cook onions in olive oil until soft. Add other ingredients. Cook uncovered until thick and caramelized, stirring occasionally. Cool.
Directions
- For the Italian Mushroom Topping: Place the first 4 ingredients in a large plastic zip-lock bag. Squeeze the bag to blend ingredients.
- Add the mushrooms to the dressing-mix; refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight.
- In a small skillet, melt the butter over a medium-high heat.
- Drain the mushrooms; cook and stir until browned and moisture evaporates, 6 to 8 minutes.
- For the Pico de Gallo: Toss with juice of 1 lime. Salt to taste
- For the Onion Marmalade: Cook onions in olive oil until soft. Add other ingredients. Cook uncovered until thick and caramelized, stirring occasionally. Cool.
