Various burger stuff

Creamy Condiments For Burgers

Creamy Goat Cheese and Pesto Spread: Stir together some store-bought (or homemade) pesto and some soft, fresh goat cheese. Add a splash of lemon juice if desired.

Feta Cheese and Dill Topping: With the back of a spoon, mash some Feta cheese with a little water to soften. Stir in snipped fresh dill and scallions.

Potato, Sour Cream and Chive Spread: Combine a couple of diced cooked potatoes with sour cream, a little white wine vinegar, chives, salt and pepper.

Creamy Cucumber Topping: Peel and halve lengthwise a seedless cucumber or a couple of Kirbys. Thinly slice, then combine with snipped dill or parsley, a touch of olive oil, a splash of lemon juice and some plain Greek yogurt.

Flavored Mayonnaise

Caesar Topping: Combine 1/2 cup of mayo with 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, cheese, 1 clove minced garlic, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, 2 mashed anchovies and 1 teaspoon capers.

Sundried Tomato Pesto: Combine 1/2 cup mayo with 2 to 3 tablespoons store-bought sundried tomato pesto, 2 teaspoons of olive oil and a little red wine vinegar.

Thousand Island Dressing: Stir 2 tablespoons of ketchup, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon honey and a couple of tablespoons of chopped bread-and-butter pickles into 1/2 cup of mayo.

Green Goddess Dressing: Combine 1/2 cup of mayo with 1/4 cup of sour cream, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 anchovies mashed, 2 tablespoons of snipped chives or thinly sliced scallions, a tablespoon of chopped parsley, salt and pepper.

Garlic Mayo: Drop 5 cloves of peeled garlic into a pan of boiling water and blanch for 1 minute. Drain. (Blanching takes the bite out of the garlic, but not the flavor -- if you like the bite, don't bother to blanch.) Mash with the flat side of a chef's knife until it's a paste. Stir into a 1/2 cup mayo along with a teaspoon of lemon juice. Season with salt.

Chipotle Mayo: Combine mayonnaise with a little chipotle chile powder, some lemon juice and ground coriander. Season with salt and pepper.

A Trio Of Flavored Butters

Red Wine Butter: In a medium skillet cook a cup of red wine and 1 minced shallot until mixture is syrupy and reduced to 3 tablespoons. Cool, then stir into a stick of room temperature butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Herbed Butter: Soften 1 stick of butter to room temperature and combine with chopped fresh thyme, a little grated lemon zest, a touch of salt and pepper.

Horseradish Butter: Squeeze 1/4 cup of prepared white horseradish until dry. Stir into 1 stick of room temperature butter along with 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard.

Tomato-Based Burger Condiments

Jazzed up Ketchup: Combine ketchup, a drizzle of honey, and a little balsamic to get a sweet and sour sauce.

Romesco: In a blender, combine a small jar of roasted red peppers (rinse and drain the peppers), 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1/4 cup natural almonds, a tablespoon of olive oil, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika and salt to taste, then puree.

Spicy Ketchup: Combine 1/2 cup of ketchup with a tablespoon of hoisin sauce and 2 to 3 teaspoons of Sriracha hot sauce.

Tex-Mex Topping: In a small bowl, combine tomato salsa, some fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels, cumin and coriander. Add some fresh chopped cilantro.

Margherita Pizza Topping: Combine halved grape tomatoes with slivers of fresh basil, diced mozzarella, and a little olive oil to make it all hold together.

Caponata-Fennel: Combine a couple of small cans of caponata (eggplant-tomato relish) with 1/3 cup diced fresh fennel, a tablespoon of fennel fronds, and just a touch of olive oil.

Avocado-Tomato: Mash one avocado until chunky. Stir in 3 tablespoons minced red onion, a diced roma tomato, salt, and a little Tabasco.

Vegetable Toppings For Burgers

Caramelized Onions: Sauté chopped onions in oil until tender and golden. Just before they're ready to come off the stove, hit them with a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Piquant Red Onion Topping: Halve a red onion and thinly slice. Toss in a bowl with fresh lime juice and let sit overnight until the onions are crisp-tender.

Sautéed Mushrooms: Sauté a mix of sliced mushrooms in olive oil with some garlic and shallots. Finish with a little chopped parsley.

Fried Jalapeño Peppers: Drain and pat dry jarred pickled jalapeño slices and shallow fry until crisp.

Homemade Pickle Relish: Chop a couple of dill pickles and combine with chopped red bell pepper, fresh dill, a touch of olive oil and a chopped sweet pickled pepper.

Chili Beans: Combine lightly mashed small red beans with a little chili powder, tomato paste, a little red wine vinegar, olive oil and thinly sliced scallions.

Salsas And Chutneys To Dress Up Your Burger

Tropical Salsa: Combine diced mango, a little diced avocado, minced red onion, minced red bell pepper, a touch of honey and lime juice. Add fresh cilantro or mint if you like.

Spicy Chutney: Combine 1/4 cup chopped store-bought mango chutney, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon olive oil, a little ground ginger and pepper.

Avocado-Tomato: Mash one avocado until chunky. Stir in 3 tablespoons minced red onion, a diced roma tomato, salt, and a little Tabasco.

Satay Sauce: Stir together 1/3 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter, a tablespoon rice vinegar, a tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, and just a little cayenne. Add some chopped cilantro if you like.

Chimichurri: In a food processor combine equal parts of fresh cilantro and parsley, add a couple of cloves of garlic, a pickled jalapeño, lime juice, and olive oil and process until the mixture is smooth and thick.