Sometimes you just crave a burger. Who doesn’t crave a burger every once in a while? I’d also like to believe that many, not all, but many vegetarians crave burgers too even though they don’t want to admit it =). I can’t vouch for Zach, but burgers taste like summer to me. They are a sign of warm weather, swimming pools, and sunscreen; so even when it’s in the middle of December, you can crank up that charcoal grill and brave the blistering cold to get that one little taste of summertime. It usually does the trick, for me at least. Getting to the point of this dish…Zach and I love a juicy burger, unfortunately I don’t think our arteries would love it if we ate a burger a day! We like to mix it up a bit: keep it healthy and delicious. So even though we love a big, fat, juicy burger, a veggie burger, COOKED PROPERLY and NOT TASTING LIKE CARDBOARD, will do the trick every once in a while. This recipe is to die for, so read on to learn more.

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This burger probably goes above and beyond any burger you’ve probably ever had. I’m sure most of us have had a Portabella burger before, where the chef grills a large portabella mushroom cap like he/she would a beef or buffalo burger. They are delicious, so we decided to take this mushroom burger concept and bring it to a whole new level. We pack a blend of shittake, crimini, and white button mushrooms with panko bread crumbs and parmesan cheese into a patty and grill or sear it to produce flavors you never could have imagined you could get from a veggie burger. Top it with Roasted Corn Guacamole, Sweet Habanero BBQ Sauce, bacon (yes bacon), or cheese…or you could just top with all four ingredients like we did!

Avery’s Rumpkin

If you are in the west, or some lucky places in the east, you’ve at least heard of Avery. This brewery is unbelievable and puts out some of the most amazing craft brews. One of their best, and one of our personal favorites, is their Rumpkin Ale. Ok, we know this is a fall beer. We are also aware that you can only get it in the fall. Oh, and we are also aware that it has an alcohol content of almost 16%, but those are just a couple of boring facts. If you are lucky enough to get your hands on one of these delectable bottles, it pairs beautifully with this dish. Yes, it’s a tad on the strong side (it is aged in rum barrels), but the sweetness that comes from the rum and pumpkin in this ale pairs so well with the savory side of this burger. We think that the sweetness from this beer tones the burger’s savoriness (<—is this a word? If not, we’re making it one) down. Don’t knock it before you try it! If you have trouble finding this beer, or if it’s in the middle of the summer and it’s nowhere to be found, almost any other pumpkin ale will do. You won’t get the traces of rum that you would get from this beer, but it will do the trick.

Have fun and enjoy this easy to make, summertime veggie burger!