Community Cooks: Lauren Holley’s Chili Maple Brunch Burger is a winner
Atlanta graphic designer and professional photographer Lauren Holley took her creativity into the kitchen earlier this year to win the 2020 Blended Burger Project: Home Edition competition, sponsored by Bon Appétit and the Mushroom Council. Bon Appétit Test Kitchen Director Chris Morocco cooked the top three burgers, and Holley’s Chili Maple Brunch Burger won.
The Blended Burger Project advocates blending fresh mushrooms with ground meat to make patties that are more nutritious, delicious and sustainable.
As a big fan of mushrooms, especially shiitake mushrooms, Holley decided it was something she’d like to try.
“I thought, I can make a delicious burger with mushrooms,” she said. “Because of COVID, I didn’t have as many clients, so I just made it my job. I did multiple versions. I kept playing around with the flavors. I’m from Louisiana, so I like those spicy flavor profiles. And I really like Calabrian chilis to add to just about anything, because they’re just so flavorful, but they don’t punch you in the face.”
Holley’s experiments eventually turned toward breakfast and brunch flavors, with her own chili maple syrup and “mushroom bacon,” plus a sunny-side-up egg topping the winning burger.
Winning was “super exciting,” she said, “and the $10,000 could not have come at a better time, honestly.”
Chili Maple Brunch Burger
This brunch burger is made from hot Italian ground pork sausage, lean ground turkey, and a blend of shiitake, oyster and cremini mushrooms. Drizzled with chili maple syrup on a toasted sesame-seed bun, it’s a sweet and spicy explosion of flavor. Suggested toppings are melted sharp cheddar cheese, fresh arugula, “mushroom bacon” and a sunny-side-up egg.
- For the chili maple syrup:
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Calabrian chilis, diced in oil
- For the roasted mushrooms:
- 4 ounces shiitake mushroom
- 4 ounces oyster mushroom
- 4 ounces cremini mushrooms
- paprika to taste
- For the blended burger patties
- ½ pound hot Italian ground pork sausage
- ½ pound lean ground turkey
- 9 ounces chopped roasted shiitake, oyster, cremini mushrooms (about three-quarters of the 12 ounces of roasted mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon crushed Calabrian chili peppers in oil (optional)
- 4 large eggs
- To make the chili maple syrup, add crushed/diced Calabrian chilis to your favorite maple syrup until you achieve the desired sweet-to-heat ratio.
- Prior to making the burger blend, roast the mushrooms. Toss 12 ounces of shiitake, oyster and cremini mushrooms in olive oil and season with salt, pepper and a generous amount of paprika. Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven at 400 for 15 minutes, or until crispy and brown.
- Reserve a small portion of roasted mushrooms (about a quarter of the mixture) to use as “mushroom bacon” topping for burgers. Chop remaining roasted mushrooms to add to burger blend (about three-quarters of the mixture).
- In a separate nonstick pan over medium heat, melt butter and fry the eggs. Salt and pepper eggs lightly and cover for 2 minutes.
- Blend together burger ingredients, forming into four large patties. In a cast iron skillet or frying pan, grill burgers 4-5 minutes per side. If adding cheese, add a slice for the last 2 minutes of cooking time.
- Plate burgers atop buttered and toasted sesame seed buns with fresh arugula, sunny-side-up egg, “mushroom bacon” and a drizzle of chili maple syrup. Serves four
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, with bun: 455 calories (percent of calories from fat, 43), 34 grams protein, 30 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 22 grams total fat (7 grams saturated), 256 milligrams cholesterol, 1,027 milligrams sodium.Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
