Burger Bar | What's Cooking Wednesday

I feel like I'm cheating a little bit because today's post isn't an actual recipe, more of an idea -- but it's kind of an awesome idea, so it counts, right? Right. Anyway, so Rob and I were having some friends over for an end-of-summer dinner and couldn't decide what to make. We wanted something that was easy to pull together but universally loved. Enter: burgers. Definitely on my top five list of favorite foods. It reminds me of that episode of Friends when everyone finds out that Ross doesn't like ice cream -- if you don't like burgers, never tell anyone, it's un-American!!

The key to a successful burger bar is to have a ton of variety. You absolutely want to include all the usual suspects, but also think outside the box to include some unique options; that is what will truly set your burger bar apart! You also want to have options that appeal to all eaters -- some may be vegetarians, some may be picky eaters, etc -- It may make your list a bit long, but in the end everyone will be happy. 

Speaking of long lists, don't forget to include side dishes! We got so wrapped up in what toppings we were going to buy for the burgers that we almost forgot to think of sides. We went Mango Baked Beans and Loaded Baked Potato Salad. 

Here are some of my favorites! I didn't include all of these, but they will at least get you started. Check out some of the pictures of how it all turned out!




Meat:                                                             Cheese:                                         Rolls:
Ground Beef                                                  American                                        Kaiser
Ground Turkey or Buffalo                          Cheddar                                          Whole Wheat
Chicken                                                          Pepperjack                                      Pretzel
Black Bean                                                     Blue Cheese                                    Brioche

Toppings:                                                    Condiments:
Lettuce                                                             Ketchup
Tomato                                                            Mustard
Pickles                                                             Mayonnaise
Guacamole                                                     Garlic Aioli
Bacon                                                              Animal Sauce (like In and Out!)
Sauteed Mushrooms                                    Sriracha
Caramelized Onions                                    Ranch Dressing
Fried Eggs                                                      Hummus
Grilled Pineapple                                          Tzatziki