Want to try a different type of burger next? Go for my Turkey Burgers or Black Bean Burgers to switch things up sometimes.

An Easy Classic Burger Recipe

Burgers have long been a staple food in our family. So I guess you can say we are a typical American family.

Growing up we had them cooked to that hockey puck doneness, overly well, but as a kid I didn't care it was a burger. One thing my mom never got wrong though was that she never used the pre-formed patties. That's burger mistake number one in my mind.

Shaping your own burgers from fresh ground beef will give you a fair superior result.

Helpful Tips

After 20 years of experience making hamburgers I've learned several other things along the way to create the perfect burger:

• Use a high quality bun for the base as this makes up a huge portion of the completed burger. Homemade or bakery fresh is best.
• Go for a good fat ratio within the beef for tenderness (personally I prefer 85%).
• Adequately season the meat with salt, this is a big one people often miss.
• Careful not to overwork the beef as you shape the patties so it's not tough.
• Use a food thermometer to cook to the right temp so it's not undercooked and dangerously rare, or over-cooked and dry and rubbery.
• Preheat pan/grill and maintain that proper temp. Otherwise you'll end up with a pale steamed-like patty or overly charred burger.
• Cook at a fairly high temp without disturbing as it cooks, this helps create a beautifully brown crust. The only way I could achieve this in the oven was to start that pan out super hot and not turn the burger until the end, for one nicely browned side at least.
• Slice toppings fairly thin. For texture and this allows the flavor of the beef shine if we don't go overboard on toppings.
• Toast the buns so they don't get soggy and they hold up better.
• If grilling burgers don't leave them unattended. Grills can have dangerous flare ups if you don't keep an eye on things. You should also be cleaning the fat from the grill regularly.

Over the years I've also tried different things like seasoning the beef to build in other flavors, creating various sizes of burgers, and trying various toppings.

I've settled on simple, and freshest is best but you are always welcome to change things up and go more bold (unique toppings, hot sauce/ peppers, blue cheese, etc).

And of course if you are a cheeseburger fan don't forget to add the cheese after turning the burger (during cooking) for perfectly melty cheesy goodness.

If you are wondering what my personal favorite method of cooking is here it's easily the cast iron stovetop method. But the others are nice for convenience as well and I use all three.

Refreshing Shrimp Salad

This recipe for shrimp salad is a the perfect summer crowd pleaser! It's served chilled making it perfect for a hot day.

It's delicious in buns, over a bed of crisp lettuce, or even plain on it's own.

If you happen to have any left it will keep well in the fridge for a few days for a later meal.

Serve it with fresh watermelon and potato chips for a classic picnic style lunch!

About This Crockpot BBQ Chicken Recipe

Sweet, savory, salty, smokey, tangy and with great depth of flavor. Here you get all the things you are looking for in homestyle BBQ pulled chicken and then some.

But no need to break out the grill or smoker. Here the crockpot does most of the work!

At the end you just shred (or in other words "pull") the chicken into pieces and pile over (optionally) buttered and toasted hamburger buns. And if you want to make it extra delicious mound on the easiest coleslaw as well (with blue cheese if you'd like!).

To finish, pair it with a side of buttered corn (on the cob is best!), crisp potato chips, and sweet apple slices or fruit salad for a super easy summer inspired meal!