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It’s a match made in foodie heaven. A succulent burger topped with your favourite full-bodied melted blue cheese and the tastiest accompaniments to match.
But don’t let the stellar presentation put you off – while this burger is big on flavour and yields impressive results, it’s a cinch to create. Just add a slice of blue cheese to your chicken, beef or veggie burger, melt, then voila, your traditional burger is transformed into an epicurean sensation with creamy, tangy blue notes and sweet and salty undertones that amp up the flavour of your grilled patty.
Global tastemakers who are passionate about discovering, influencing and sharing food ideas were, of course, the first to jump on the burger and blue cheese bandwagon. Katie Quinn Davies, a food stylist, photographer and the genius behind the successful food and lifestyle blog What Katie Ate, was one of the first tastemakers to create a series of blue cheese burgers using beef, chicken and veggie patties – and Katie has seen the trend catch on.
“Burger makers are becoming more adventurous and love to have a bit of fun with their creations,” says Katie, who is also a James Beard-winning author of two cookbooks. “Adding blue cheese to a burger creates a full bodied flavour, and it’s easy to do. So it’s inspiring home cooks as well as burger and cheese lovers to experiment.”
And now, with the recent launch of Castello® Burger Blue cheese slices in Australia, this tasty duo is set to be a hot topic on Aussie foodies’ lips.
Sydney-based cheese expert Alison Brien, who is a Brand Manager for Castello® Australia, host and co-producer of ‘Channel Cheese’ and has managed some of Sydney’s best cheese rooms, says the timing of the Castello® Burger Blue cheese slices launch in Australia couldn’t be better.
“Given the popularity of burgers in Australia right now and more gourmet foods making their way onto the shopping list, it’s the perfect time to launch Burger Blue,” explains Alison. “We’ve seen hundreds of new burger restaurants pop up all over the country in the past few years, and watched burger enthusiasts eagerly explore and experiment in the quest to find their favourite creation. Burger Blue is a great way for burger lovers to be creative when building their burgers.”
Cheese fan’s will also be in their element, with a new way to enjoy their favourite savoury treat. As an accredited cheese judge, Alison has judged at cheese shows both in Australia and overseas, and knows a hit when she tastes one.
“Along with the trend for better burgers, we’re also seeing a rise in Australia’s taste for better cheese, with the take-up of premium cheeses increasing,” she explains. “Bringing the two together, we think Aussies are ready to discover the taste of blue cheese on their burger.”
Here’s your step-by-step guide to create three hit blue cheese burgers – the Spicy Buffalo Chicken Blue, Classic Beef meets Blue, and Deluxe Veg with Blue.
Spicy Buffalo Chicken Blue
A Castello® Burger Blue cheese slice melted over a buttermilk chicken fillet burger with spicy buffalo sauce and crisp celery, radish and apple slaw. Yes, please…
* image courtesy of Katie Quinn Davies
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
650g chicken breast tenders cut into strips
250ml buttermilk
1 tablespoon hot sauce (medium strength)
Salt and Pepper
½ cup rice flour
½ cup plain flour
Rice bran oil, for deep frying
For the buffalo-style sauce:
250ml white vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons hot sauce
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cornflour
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon butter
For the slaw:
1 large Granny Smith apple, skin on, cored and halved
2-3 sticks celery
4-5 large red radishes
Juice ½ lemon
¾ cup good-quality aioli
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
You will also need:
4 slices Castello® Burger Blue cheese
4 soft white dinner rolls
Oak leaf lettuce
* image courtesy of Katie Quinn Davies
Method
- Marinate chicken with buttermilk, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Chill for 2-3 hours.
- Mix plain and rice flours together in bowl and set aside.
- For the slaw, finely slice the apple, radish and celery. Place in a second bowl and toss with lemon juice. Combine aioli and vinegar. Add to mixing bowl and coat everything well. Set aside.
- For the buffalo sauce, place the vinegar, honey, hot sauce, paprika, garlic powder and 125ml water in a saucepan. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium simmering for 10 minutes. In a cup, whisk the cornflour with 1 tablespoon water until smooth. Add to sauce. Simmer over medium heat whisking continuously for 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, and cook over medium heat until sauce has reduced by half and is a thick consistency. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted and sauce is smooth and glossy.
- To cook the chicken, coat each piece in flour mixture. Heat oil in a medium-sized pot. When hot, add in batches of 3-4 until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towel and season with crushed sea salt.
- To assemble, place lettuce on the burger bun base, add slaw then 3 chicken pieces. Drizzle with buffalo sauce and add Castello® Burger Blue cheese slice while the chicken is still hot so it melts slightly. Top with burger bun lid.
Deluxe Veg with Blue
A Castello® Burger Blue cheese slice melted over a pumpkin, broccoli, mushroom and walnut pattie, finished with a creamy avocado mayo dressing. Foodie heaven on a plate!
* image courtesy of Katie Quinn Davies
Serves: 4
For the patties:
500g pumpkin, peeled and
cut into 3cm cubes
200g broccoli florets
1 medium brown onion,
peeled and finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic,
peeled and minced
200 g Swiss Brown mushrooms, finely chopped
150g walnuts
400g tin brown lentils, drained
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1½ cups firmly-packed
fresh breadcrumbs
2 large egg yolks
For the avocado mayo:
2 ripe avocados
3 tablespoons sour cream
Juice from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
You will also need:
Rice bran oil
4 slices Castello® Burger Blue cheese
4 soft, seeded bread rolls
Small bag baby spinach
Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
* image courtesy of Katie Quinn Davies
Method
- Preheat oven to 180˚C.
- Line a tray with baking paper. Place pumpkin on tray and coat with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 20-25 minutes or until soft in the middle. Allow to cool. Blitz to a smooth consistency in a food processor.
- Whilst pumpkin is roasting, cook broccoli florets in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain and allow to cool. Blend to a bread crumb consistency in a food processor.
- Heat a tablespoon of rice bran oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft. Add garlic and chopped mushrooms stirring often for 5-6 minutes or until moisture is removed from mushrooms and cooked through. Allow to cool.
- In a large bowl thoroughly mix onion/mushroom mixture, pumpkin puree, broccoli, walnuts, lentils, cumin, parsley, breadcrumbs and egg yolk. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Shape mixture into 8 patties with a pattie ring. Place on baking tray lined with baking parchment, cover with cling wrap and chill in fridge for 2-3 hours.
- For the avocado mayo, add avocado flesh to a food processor along with remaining mayo ingredients and blitz to a smooth, creamy consistency. Taste Test for seasoning and add more salt and pepper as required.
- Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Cook patties in 2 batches over medium heat for 2 minutes carefully flip and repeat on second side. Transfer to oven to cook for 20 minutes.
- To assemble, place a small handful of spinach leaves on the bun base. Top with pattie, then add Castello® Burger Blue cheese slice whilst pattie is still hot enough to melt the cheese slightly. Add sauce and Top with burger lid.
Classic Beef meets Blue
A Castello® Burger Blue cheese slice melted over a beef pattie, crispy bacon, creamy mushroom sauce and watercress. All your favourite flavours in a bun.
* image courtesy of Katie Quinn Davies
Serves: 4
For the patties:
800g minced beef
1 brown onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 teaspoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons horseradish cream
For the creamy mushroom sauce:
200g Swiss Brown mushrooms, cut into 1cm slices
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped
200ml créme fraiche
1 tablespoon butter
You will also need:
8 thin slices round pancetta
Good quality tomato relish
Bunch watercress (or rocket)
4 slices Castello® Burger Blue cheese
4 white burger buns
Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
* image courtesy of Katie Quinn Davies
Method
- Preheat oven to 180˚C.
- To make the patties combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Shape into 4 patties about 11cm in diameter and place on a plate lined with paper towel. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Line two trays with baking paper. Spread out the pancetta on one of the lined trays and bake for 6-10 minutes or until crisp and browned.
- Heat a griddle pan until hot. Cook patties for 2-3 minutes on each side then transfer to second lined tray, place in the oven and cook for 6-8 minutes or until done to your liking. In the last 2 minutes of cooking add a slice of Castello® Burger Blue so it softens slightly on the pattie.
- Meanwhile heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the sliced mushrooms along with thyme leaves and season well with salt and black pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, tossing frequently for 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add butter and cook for a further 1-2 minutes or until butter is melted and mushrooms are coated. Remove from heat and add the créme fraiche.
Stir until combined. - To assemble, add watercress to burger bun base, add tomato relish, pattie with Castello® Burger Blue cheese slice, mushroom sauce and top with burger bun lid.
Find more recipe inspiration on castellocheese.com