As January trudges on, we all need a little ray of sunshine in the grey that is caught up in the month, both literally and figuratively. For me, that's a good burger on a Friday night with a side of spicy roasted sweet potatoes. But if it's been a particularly difficult day (week, month, year), I look to take my burger up another level. The one featured here is served on a toasted brioche bun and crowned with spicy-sweet sautéed mushrooms and a creamy blue cheese sauce. It takes a little longer to assemble than a standard cheeseburger (hey, I'm from Wisconsin), but I think it's oh-so worth it! I hope you agree.
If you are looking for a quicker mushroom mix than the one shared here, consider adding a tablespoon or so of a spicy-sweet jam (jalapeño jelly, maple chipotle jam, etc.) to the mushrooms in that last minute of cooking instead of making the one listed here. That said, this one is simple and if you wanted to make a bigger batch using all of the canned green chiles, you could pop it in a jar and use it for more mushrooms, a flavor boost in a stir fry, or the start of a dipping sauce for egg rolls.
As I mentioned earlier, I like to serve a burger like this - and most of the other ones too, honestly - with spicy roasted sweet potatoes. I clean and chop sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces and toss them with chili crisp before air frying them for about 20 minutes. Sometimes I pop them in the oven if I've got more than 3 people around my table. But french fries, tater salad, pasta salad, cole slaw, and any number of other favorites are also excellent choices. Pick what brings you joy and then dig in and enjoy!
Maple Chili Mushroom Blue Cheese Burgers
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 T. Kinder's Red Jalapeño Garlic Seasoning or similar seasoning
- 3 oz. crumbled blue cheese
- 2 T. mayonnaise
- 1 T. maple syrup
- 2 T. roasted/grilled hatch chiles or drained canned green chiles
- Pinch of salt and black pepper
- 1 T. olive oil
- 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 4 brioche burger buns
In a bowl with a lid, mix the ground beef with the Kinder's seasoning or seasoning featuring garlic and a bit of heat. Loosely form 4 evenly sized meat balls from the mixture, cover the bowl, and refrigerate until you're ready to make the burgers. In a small bowl with a lid, combine the blue cheese and the mayonnaise. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until you are assembling the burgers.
Mix the maple syrup, roasted hatch chiles, salt, and black pepper together in a small bowl. Set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until browned at the edges and cooked throughout, about 10 minutes. Add the chili-maple sauce to the pan in the last minute of cooking, tossing well to fully coat the cooked mushrooms in the sauce. Remove the mushrooms from the skillet and keep warm.
Set the cut parts of the brioche buns into the hot pan and toast lightly. Remove the toasted buns to 4 serving plates and set aside.
Heat the skillet to medium-high and add the 4 seasoned meatballs to the pan. Using a flat, wide spatula, press each of the balls flat to ¼-inch thickness. Allow the patties to cook, undisturbed, for 3 minutes before flipping and cooking on the other side to reach your desired level of doneness. Remove the patties and place one patty on each of the toasted buns. Top the patty with sautéed mushrooms and slather with the blue cheese sauce. Serve immediately alongside your favorite burger sides.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes