Give me the choice between a burger on a regular bun and one on an English muffin and there’s NO question which I would pick… the ENGLISH MUFFIN burger! English muffins are hands-down one of my favorite foods. Their nooks and crannies fill up with any flavor you add to them – from butter and jam in the morning to caramelized onions on a burger. They make any meal better. I am so obsessed with them that I’ve created not one, but TWO recipes for Food Network where they are the STAR.

French Onion Portobello Burgers

This French Onion Portobello Burger tastes JUST like a bowl of French onion soup! It’s not your average meaty burger though… instead it’s a hearty portobello mushroom burger topped with caramelized onions, crispy fried onions and a creamy mayo all sandwiched between an English muffin. This is not one of those recipes you should make just because you feel like you need to eat less meat. This is one you should make because it’s SO good period. Portobello mushrooms have a hearty texture and are super filling, plus they take on the flavor of whatever you’re cooking. They are really cost effective, and all in all, such an awesome plant-based swap.

English Muffin Patty Melts

When I surveyed my Instagram followers and asked what’s essential to them in a patty melt, they were very certain – it’s gotta have American cheese, caramelized onions and some special sauce. I couldn’t agree more. The only twist this classic could benefit from in my mind was the addition of an English muffin. The nooks and crannies grab onto the sauce, the melt-in-your-mouth onions and the burger juices. This dish is inspired by family’s favorite burger – the Triple Cheese Burger with caramelized onions – from Maple Beach Resort and Grill in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota. It’s the spot we make a trip to every summer when I visit the lake! Now, I can fulfill the craving year round with this patty melt. (Get the recipe!)

P.S.

If you’re looking for a weekend project, homemade English muffins are such a fun experience. Last summer, I used sourdough starter I got from a local bakery and made homemade muffins. They were SO good and so dang cute! I used a recipe from King Arthur Baking and they turned out incredible. For these recipes above, I used store-bought English muffins for ease, but they would be next level with homemade English muffins. Or, if you happen to be in Phoenix, Arizona, snag a bag of my ALL-TIME favorite English muffins from La Grande Orange Bake Shop!

Love food. Love self. Love life.

Gabriela