Taking Time To Honor America’s Heroes On Memorial Day…
First and foremost, thanks to everyone who serves our country in the military. Memorial Day allows us to honor those people who gave their lives defending our country while serving – something I will always take time to acknowledge.
After a year of upheaval, when #shelteringathome turned our lives upside down for so long, it’s important to take a moment and reflect on what it means to live a life of freedom, and the sacrifices made to maintain that freedom.
Memorial Day weekend has also become the “unofficial” beginning of summer “outdoor cooking” season, and with our current status, many of us are looking for a way to get outside and cook!
Calling All Burger Lovers!
The reason I love making sliders is that you can play around with a lot of different flavors without getting too full – and by playing around, I mean BACON!
A Memorial Day Slider Celebration!
That might be a bit much today, so let’s dial it down a notch.
The key to a great slider is the hamburger patty. Your basic hamburger uses good quality ground beef with at least 15% fat content, to ensure lots of juicy flavor. I mix in raw minced onion and minced garlic, with salt, pepper as well.
That’s it for me – and as you can see, nobody said you could only have ONE – upon this temple of meat flavor, I add unique ingredients that give my sliders a more specific flavor…here are some of my favorite recipes!
The All-American Bacon-Cheeseburger Slider!
What can you say? It’s as American as you can get:
Top Bun
Cheese – melted and dripping
Bacon! Bacon! Bacon!
Slider Patty
Tomato
Pickle
Mayonaise, mayonaise, mayonaise!
Bottom Bun
Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank California makes a classic “all-American” burger, you can see it here:
If you want to add more toppings, here is one to get you started:
A ‘Shrooom Slider!
This is easy and delicious.
Just top your burger with melted Provolone Cheese, and a boatload of saute’d Crimini Mushrooms, along with Caramelized Sweet Onions and Spicy Mustard Aioli – boom!
Or, get fishy with it!
Salmon Sliders!
Handmade Salmon Patties, Frizzled Onions, Spring Mix, Roma Tomato with a Lemon Pepper Aioli will give you a delicious taste of the Pacific Northwest!
Or, if you are just in the mood for a burger that will drive you NUTS…or perhaps you don’t want a burger at all, well here’s the answer!
The Nut Burger!
The Nut Burger was made famous at Matt’s Place Drive-In in Butte, Montana. Matt’s Place Drive-In was established in 1930.
And, in honor of vegetarians who have chosen to read this post, there is a great “no meat” burger waiting for you!
1 medium onion
1 cup walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews or other nuts, preferably raw
1 cup (raw) rolled oats or cooked short-grain white or brown rice
2 tablespoons ketchup, miso, tomato paste, nut butter or tahini
1 teaspoon chili powder or any spice mix you like
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
2 tablespoons peanut oil, extra virgin olive oil or neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn.
1. Grind onion in food processor. Add nuts and oats, and pulse to chop, but not too finely. Add remaining ingredients except oil. Process briefly; don’t grind too finely. Add a little liquid — water, stock, soy sauce, wine, whatever — if necessary; mixture should be moist but not loose.
2. Let mixture rest a few minutes, then shape it into 4 burgers. (Burger mixture or shaped burgers can be covered tightly and refrigerated for up to a day. Bring back to room temperature before cooking.) Put oil in nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet and turn to medium. When oil is hot, add burgers to skillet. Cook about 5 minutes, undisturbed, until browned, then turn with spatula. Lower heat a bit and cook 3 or 4 minutes more, until firm.
This is good enough to satisfy meat eaters, too!
Now, if you want to venture overseas, this is one of my favorites.
Japanese Wasabi-Avocado Slider!
I read about this over the holidays and I made one…it was delicious! It is very simple: a slider patty topped with sliced avocado, and a heavy dose of wasabi mayonaise. Trader Joe’s sells it, or buy some great mayo and wasabi and mix it together to the strength you can handle…this is delicious with a Sapporo! One last look….trust me, MAKE THIS ONE!
How About A Cheeseburger – With The Cheese Outside?!?!
It’s a terrific “cheese-dipped” burger – fun to make and delicious!
You can see the entire recipe and cooking instruction by clicking here:
Oh, but what about dessert?
That’s right, just add a scoop of ice cream to your burger and top off your meal on a delicious high note!
Click here to see how to make one:
Finally, since we are at the end of “National Burger Month” why not try them all?
You can see some of America’s greatest burgers from Shake Shack to The Squeeze Inn and more – just click here:
Whatever hits your grill today, take a moment and remember what this day stands for, and for everyone who has – or is – serving out country today – thank you!
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Thanks so much for reading and leave a comment with your favorite burger!
Categories: BACON, cookbooks, Food, food blog, Food Review, Hamburgers, Pop Culture, Recipes, Restaurants, Wacky Food
johnrieber 
This vegetarian burger looks very good, John. An interesting change. I hope you had a good memorial day.
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Your burger posts ALWAYS make me want to eat a burger. But tonight I have Chicken Kiev, so I won’t feel too upset. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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You sure do make a burger look good!!
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Never forget. When you crank up the grill for a John Rieber burger, remember that you can celebrate because they gave their all. Best to you, John.
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The wasabi burger sounds delicious!
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