Sweet & Savory Burger Toppings

Rummaging through the fridge this evening, I was scavenging for the ingredients to make dinner. Because Chuck was with a friend for dinner, I was left "cooking for 1," a challenge when you're used to cooking for 2 (or more).

Not wanting to default to granola bars and chips, I found a great base with which to begin: a turkey burger. Now...what to do with it?

My findings were encouraging, fresh and simple: a turkey burger topped with pears, blue cheese and balsamic dressing. Sounds fancy, right? The truth is these are affordable, easy ingredients to use. It's all about the combination.

Pear, blue cheese and balsamic dressing burger.
Stick it in the oven under a high broil for
3 - 5 minutes to give it a nice finish.

This inspired me to create a series of burger toppings, each with 3 simple parts: sweet, savory and sauce. Your burger base can be beef, turkey or even a veggie burger (but I'd rethink a black bean or other flavored burger...it might not meld well with the additional flavors).

THE BASIC BLUE
Sweet: sliced pear
Savory: blue cheese
Sauce: balsamic salad dressing

THE FALL HARVEST
Sweet: sliced green apple
Savory: brie cheese
Sauce: cherry or raspberry preserves

THE HOT PEACH
Sweet: sliced peach
Savory: pepper jack cheese
Sauce: pepper jelly

THE AUSSIE (how they do it Down Under)
Sweet: pineapple
Savory: cheddar cheese
Sauce: barbecue sauce

THE ITALIAN
Sweet: tomatoes
Savory: fresh mozzarella and basil
Sauce: tomato sauce

Fire up the grill (or skillet)!