A Month of Burger Toppings

Getty ImagesSure you can top your burgers with ketchup, mustard or mayo but you can easily really jazz them up with one or more of the following toppings. And hey, they work for all kinds of burgers -- veggie burgers, turkey burgers, bison burgers -- not just traditional beef burgers.

Sandy Gluck hosts Martha Stewart Radio's Everyday Food weekdays at 11 a.m. EST on on Sirius XM.

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.

More from KitchenDaily:
Get 16 tips for the perfect burger.
See Curtis Stone make his gourmet burgers.
Check out Tyler Florence's take on burgers.
Build a healthier burger with Devin Alexander.
Browse all burger recipes.