Star Spangled Burger-Palooza Contest

Our 4th of July party turned out to be a huge success.

Everyone showed up with coolers and bags full of cooking ingredients and supplies to create their burger masterpieces.

We divided the contest into two categories – Beef Burgers and Alternative Burgers.

Beef Burger
To qualify, patties must contain at least 75% beef (not veal).

Alternative Burger
To qualify, patties may be made from anything edible and does not meet the requirements for the beef category.

All burgers in both categories had to be served on buns or other bakery products (such as bisquits, focaccia, flatbreads, muffins, tortillas, etc.)

All burgers could contain any combination of condiments.

All burgers were to include a burger name and recipe. (Those will be highlighted in future posts).

Attendees of the event voted on their favorite burgers. Contestants provided 12 quarter samples (3 burgers) for tasting. Attendees were asked to keep the following criteria in mind when determining a favorite:

• Creativity – Creative name and or use of ingredients
• Taste – Do you want to eat more?
• Visual Appeal – Does it look appetizing?

Each burger had a vote cup that included a sheet with the burger’s name. Each attendee was given two color coded sticks that included their names.

The blue represented the “Beef” category and the red represented the “Alternative” category. Attendees placed the blue sticks into the cup of the beef burger they liked the best and the red sticks into the cup of the alternative burger they liked the best. You were not allowed to vote for your own burger.

Beef Burger Category – 6 Entries

“Pod’s Prize Burger”

“T.J. Hooker”

“The Simple Man”

“Old Moon Steak Burger”

“Rubik’s Cube Revenge”

“The Newton Burger”

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Alternative Burger Category

“U.S.A. Burger”

“The Wilford Brimley™”

I was so impressed with the creativity of the burgers – can’t wait to share the recipes and details in future posts.

Medals were awarded to the two 1st Place burgers… My 9 year old niece took first in the “Alternative Burger” category and it was a tie for 1st between my brother and I for the “Beef Burger” category. After the re-vote, I won… it was totally rigged ;-).

When all was said and done, we each consumed 2 burgers and a 1/4 wedge of a 3rd. We were stuffed! My Mom made her famous macaroni salad, Deede made her Oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookies and she also made my Dad a birthday key lime pie.

Many hours were spent in the kitchen and backyard/pool. Cookin’ up burgers, cannonballs off the pool wall, sister swim races between my Aunt and Mom and lots of laughs. I think my niece jumped into the pool over 100 times.

So. Much. Fun.