Vote: What Toppings Make for the Best Burger?
David Lang, 2012, Television Food Network, G.P.
Flavors were the primary talk of Boot Camp on Sunday's episode of Worst Cooks in America: which tastes work best together, which ingredients should never be paired and what flavors are most successful in sweet treats and savory picks. The recruits tackled these questions and more as they experimented with signature combinations while crafting from-scratch gelato and handmade hamburgers in an attempt to test their palates.
During the Main Dish Challenge in which contestants from both teams battled for burger glory, the mentors demonstrated that even seemingly unusual ingredients can and often do work well together. In true Bobby Flay form, the Blue Team leader added a topping of potato chips to his beefy creation, "crunchifying" the burger from between the buns. Chef Anne Burrell, too, embraced the untraditional by making for the Red Team a Greek-inspired lamb patty finished with a creamy tzatziki spread. Both of the chefs' creative additions to the everyday burger proved successful, but many of the recruits' efforts were simply disappointing, including Sue's mozzarella-stuffed patties that barely held their shape, Carrie Lee's chicken burgers that were burned and of course Alex's overwhelming "burg-dog" and Aadip's grilled cheese sandwich, which was hardly a burger at all.
When it comes to building your ultimate burger, what toppings do you reach for? Are you a traditionalist who craves nothing else on the patty except a slice of cheese, or do you embrace multiple flavors and textures by adding salty bacon, a runny fried egg or cool lettuce? Have you taken to Chef Bobby's penchant for "crunchified" burgers? Did Chef Anne inspire you to consider Mediterranean flavors?
Vote for your ultimate burger toppings below, and be sure to tell us in the comments if you have other favorite toppings.
Tune in to a brand-new episode of Worst Cooks in America on Sunday, March 10 at 9pm/8c.