Sometimes the best parties are the do-it-yourself ones. This weekend for Memorial Day, we'll be flipping those burgers we showed you earlier this week, and setting out a huge tray of condiments and toppings so guests can customize. Here are some of our favorite burger toppings for a crowd.
Burger Topping Basics
Lettuce
Tomatoes (not in season yet here in the northeast US, but many seem to prefer bad tomatoes to no tomatoes at all.)
Pickles
Onions
Avocado
Condiments like ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise
Cheese
thinly sliced gouda, cheddar and monterey jack or pepper jack
Instead of crumbly blue cheese, we serve a homemade blue cheese dressing
American plastic cheese. (The husband insists. Yes, the kind full of preservatives in individual packages.)
Sauces and Spreads
caramelized onions
sauteed mushrooms (cooked in oil, rather than bacon fat, so that vegetarians can partake)
guacamole
salsa
spicy pepper remoulade
pesto sauce
horseradish sauce
Bacon
Bacon needs its own special category, don't you think? Definitely a burger essential.
Other than the basics (and the bacon) you certainly don't need to have all of these things. But choose a few. If you like, you can put out little signs suggesting combinations and even naming them after people: The Mickey: horseradish sauce and gouda cheese. The Heath: tomatoes and onions.
What do you like on your burger?
Images: Nina Callaway for the Kitchn
Related: How Long Can You Keep Opened Condiments?
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carmelized onions, horseradish sauce and gouda (a Man-O'War at our favourite burger joint)
Oh, it's got to be cream cheese and green olives!! Superb!!
Avocado, black pepper, truffle salt, Veganaise, Frank's Red Hot sauce, and alfalfa sprouts.
I can't believe you left sprouts off the list!
blue cheese and hot sauce
caramelized onions, bbq sauce, mayo, cheddar cheese, pickles, and lettuce
Carmelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, and Swiss cheese. Sin on a bun.
American cheese melts the best...it's because of those additives.
I go with American cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, camelized onion, ketchup, mustard, mayo.
If it's a fantastic burger (somewhat freshly ground, maybe even handformed, grilled), it doesn't need much more than a slice of cheese (and that's even optional), lettuce, tomato, raw or grilled onions. Mustard and ketchup optional.
You don't want anything to detract from the burger patty itself.
i second the bleu cheese and hot sauce!
The Iron Maiden at Kuma's Corner in Chicago - avocado, cherry peppers, chipotle mayo, and pepper jack cheese served on a pretzel roll. YUM.
In New Zealand a traditional burger consists of a beef pattie, fried egg, onions, lettuce, beetroot and cheese and sometimes a pineapple ring and bacon.