Bobby's Burger Bunday: Wild Mushroom Cheddar Burger

I know… I’ve been tied up lately that I’m severely overdue on my Burger Bundays. Well no need to worry because I haven’t forgotten – Burger Bunday is back! Hopefully the coming weeks will return to normal since I’ve been so inundated with so many “extracurricular culinary projects” that put my normal blogging schedule out of whack. So now, to catch up and give you all a burger fix!

This week I prepared Bobby’s Wild Mushroom-Cheddar Burger. I really liked this recipe because it used a combination of mushrooms, in addition to fresh thyme and parsley. I found it delicious and the mushroom mixture added some great depth of flavor.

Bobby says:

“During my travels for the old Food Network show, Food Nation, I had the opportunity to go foraging for mushrooms with an expert while in Washington State. I can’t think of mushrooms without remembering that trip. Now I do NOT recommend hunting for your own mushrooms – let’s leave that to the experts – but I do recommend using a variety of what your supermarket has to offer. They may not be technically “wild,” but a blend from your market will still be delicious and, more important, not deadly! I think that any cheddar would pair well with the mushrooms, but if you can find a sharp Tillamook cheddar from Oregon, it would be all the better.”

Wild Mushroom-Cheddar Burger
recipe from Bobby Flay’s Burger’s Fries & Shakes

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
12 oz assorted mushrooms (shiitakes, cremini, chanterelles, lobster, etc)
1 small shallot (or small red onion), finely diced
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley leaves

Burgers:
1 1/2 lbs ground chuck (80% lean) or ground turkey (90% lean)
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
4 hamburger bns, split; toasted

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saute pan over high heat until almost smoking. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occassionally, until soft, about 5minutes Add the shallot, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the mushrooms are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the thyme and parsley and transfer to a bowl.

Divide the meat into 4 equal portions (or 8 equal portions if making sliders). Form each portion loosely into a 3/4 in thick patty and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb. Season both sides of each burger with salt and pepper.

Cook the burgers, using the oil and topping each one with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese and a basting cover during the last minute of cooking.

Place the burgers on the bun bottoms and top each burger with a large soonful of the mushrooms. Cover with the bun tops and serve immediately.

Here are this week’s Burger Bunday submissions from fellow bloggers. If you have a burger recipe you’d like to share from your blog and have it featured here, please send them!

Classic American Cheeseburger
shared by Karen of Loves to Eat