I am a sucker for cooking contests and love to enter them. I recently entered this recipe into Bon Appétit’s blended burger contest. The requirement was that the burger mix be at least 25% chopped fresh mushrooms.

Bon Appétit is a great magazine for food lovers and has fun recipe contests. Due to my old job I never had enough time to enter their contests, and this is the first one I have entered. What I like about these contests is they force you to break out of your mold and unleash your creativity.

Although I grew up eating rice, lentils, and fish, I love big, fresh, juicy burgers. I also love mushrooms! So it was natural to try to combine these two loves. Whenever I enter a contest I know it’s a long shot, and as far as I know I didn’t win anything from Bon Appetit. But I really think I’ve got a winner here that you and your family will love.

It’s named after Mary’s Peak because that’s a prominent mountain that many people see where I live in Oregon, not too far from the Pacific Ocean.  It’s a mountain that’s worth coming to see — and this is a burger that’s worth it for you to make! The Mary’s Peak Burger is much more than a “regular” burger with ketchup and mustard. This one has an unusual and sophisticated combination of flavors, both sweet and savory. My harshest critics (my family!) gave it a unanimous two thumbs up. I hope you make this and let me know how it goes.

Ingredients

Wild berry mayo

• 1 cup full fat mayo (I used Best Foods real mayo)
• 2 tsp spreadable wild berry honey (My preference is Cascadian Wild Berry Honey)
• 3 tsp taco seasoning mix (My favorite is McCormick Original Taco Seasoning)
• 1/2 tsp lime zest
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. black ground pepper

Mushroom burger

• 1 lbs ground beef (85% lean, 15% fat)
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 2 cups chopped baby bella and white button mushrooms
• 1/3 cup chopped shallots
• 1 tbsp finely chopped jalapeño pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black ground pepper
• 1 1/2 tbsp taco seasoning mix (McCormick Original Taco Seasoning is preferred)
• 1 egg beaten
• 4 slices cheddar cheese (I used Tillamook )

Salad

• 1 cup baby arugula
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 cup sliced baby bella and button mushrooms
• 1/4 cup sliced jalapeño
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp canola oil
• small pinch of salt and ground black pepper

Assembling burger

• 4 brioche hamburger buns
• Softened butter
• Wild berry mayo
• Finished burger patty
• 1 large tomato both ends removed, cut into 8 slices
• Arugula mushroom salad

Instructions

Wild berry mayo

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Make sure to mix in the berry honey and taco seasoning well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Mushroom burger

Bring the ground beef to room temperature for about half an hour before using it. Set aside until other components are ready.

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add chopped mushrooms, shallots, and jalapeño. Sauté the mixed ingredients until soft. Add salt and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until all moisture is gone.

Once done, cool down and set aside for later use. Make sure to wipe down the skillet and set aside for later use.

In a large bowl, add ground beef, cooled mushroom mixture, taco seasoning, and beaten egg. Mix all ingredients gently. Try not to over mix.

Form this mixture into 4 patties. The thickness of the burgers is up to you. Make the burgers slightly larger than the buns you will use. Keep the patties a parchment-lined sheet pan while the grill gets hot.

Heat an indoor electric grill to about 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly brush the grill grate with oil or cooking spray. Cook the burger to your preference. I cook mine medium-well. Cooking takes around 5-8 minutes depending on the thickness of your burger. Place cheese on top of the burger patty during the very last minute of cooking. Cover and turn off the grill. Once the cheese is melted, remove the cover.

Arugula Salad

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in the reserved skillet at medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sliced jalapeño to the hot oil. Cook the mixture till lightly colored for around 2-3 minutes.

Transfer the mushroom mixture to a bowl. Cool. You can do this while burgers are cooking. Add the lime juice and oil to the mushroom mixture. Gently toss arugula, salt, and pepper.

Assembling burger

Butter the cut sides of the buns. Toast them in a large skillet until the edges turn golden brown.

Spread a tbsp of the wild berry mayo made earlier on the cut side of each bun. Place the patty on top of the bottom bun. Top the patty with 2 slices of tomato and some of the arugula mixture. Set the final bun on top and enjoy!

Serves 4

Did you make this dish? I’d love to know how it turns out! Feel free to like this post and comment or use the hashtag #globaldinein on Instagram.