Have More Fun with Your Bun! Upgrade Your Burger These Tasty Suggestions

The funny thing about the history of hamburgers, or in this case, hamburger buns in the United States, is that the original creators are often hotly disputed with many cities and towns claiming to be the inventor.  While hamburgers themselves date back to the era of Genghis Khan, when did we figure out that serving them on a bun with garnishes was a tasty idea?

Texas has a claim to an early burger on a bun invention.  Fletcher Davis of Athens, Texas sold what we know as hamburgers at his café and sandwich bar, starting in the late 1880s.  How did news travel?  Apparently, the restauranteur showcased his hamburger on a bun at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, where the concept caught on.

Hamburg New York was named after the German city of Hamburg, and was home to many German immigrants who flocked to America by ship, in the 1800’s.  Two brothers from Akron, Ohio were serving sandwiches as vendors at the Erie County Fair (near Buffalo) in 1885.  Their speciality?  Frank and Charles Menches served sausage on a bun.  But when the brothers ran out of sausage meat for sandwiches, they switched to beef instead.

The city of Seymour Wisconsin also believes that historically, they were the place where the traditional hamburger (beef on a bun) was introduced.  Similar to the story of the Menches brothers, Charlies Nagreen (nicknamed Hamburger Charlie) was famous for his meatball sandwiches. He stated that he invented to bun, to make it easier for customers to eat while walking at the 1885 Seymour Fair (present day Outagamie County).  The Seymour Community Historical Society states that Charlie named the hamburger after the Hamburg Steak, which was a common breadless all beef patty made popular by local German immigrants.

In 1933 Weber’s Root Beer Stand owned by Oscar Weber Bilby, was believed to be the first indoor restaurant to add hamburgers to the menu.   The first burger was sold at that location in Tulsa, Oklahoma (on a fresh baked bun) on July 4, 1891.

Because the two states of Texas and Oklahoma have a history of being competitive, and after author Michael Wallis “Rout 66, The Mother Road” established the lineage of the traditional beef patty on a bun, the Dallas Morning News reported in 1995, that Tulsa Oklahoma had in beat Texas to the invention. Until that time, Dallas restaurants served sliced or seasoned ground beef on an open piece of bread called a ‘patty melt’.

Texas conceded the win by announcing on April 13, 1995 that Tulsa Oklahoma was “The Real Birthplace” of the traditional hamburger as we know it today.

Start Experimenting with Different Kind of Rolls and Buns

Who said that you are limited to only using the kind of hamburger buns you find pre-packaged in the grocery store?  There are so many unique ways you can change the flavor and have more fun with your Sizzle King burger, when you start to experiment with a variety of different breads and rolls.

Homemade Buns

If you really want to go gourmet for a special occasion, why not try our Sizzle King burgers with your own home-baked hamburger buns?  It’s not hard as long as you follow the directions; if you thought our burgers tasted great, you should try them on a fresh baked bun!

We found some great recipes for you to try at home.  Check out:

·         The Forty Minute Burger Bun from Taste of Home

·         Light Brioche Buns from The New York Times

·         Homemade Crusty Burger Buns from Serena Bakes Simply from Home

The Kaiser Roll

Originating from Austria, the crusty roll is the best one to choose, if you plan to put a lot of toppings on your burger.  The reason is the crisp exterior and less dense interior of the bun.  It holds everything in place, resists getting soggy, and keeps the focus on the tasty beef patty and all the toppings (instead of feeling full on bread).

The Ciabatta Bun

Invented by Francesco Favaron in Verona, Veneto Italy, the Ciabatta bun is an Italian white bread that was only recently popularized in the West.   It has a rough exterior crust that is lightly dusted and somewhat crusty, with a thick density of soft bread in the center. 

If you are using our Sizzle King classic Beef Patties, you can combine it with some hot tomato sauce, melted mozzarella cheese and a half teaspoon of pesto, to create an Italian inspired burger that is really satisfying, with authentic flavors. If you are craving a bakery style veal (inside round) sandwich, this is the next best thing at home.  Try it with sautéed mushrooms and grilled sweet (or hot) peppers.

Portobello Mushrooms

Wait…what? As a bun? Sure!  If you are looking to enjoy more of your favorite burgers, but you are trying to cut down on refined carbohydrates found in bread, you can bypass the bun and try this healthy hack instead.

Simply wash and de-stem two portabella mushrooms and grill them first for about 3-7 minutes on medium heat or until they are cooked (but still rigid in texture).  Remove from the grill and let them rest while you cook your Sizzle King burgers.  Next stack it how you like it. 

The portobello mushroom caps are also loaded in healthy folate, selenium potassium, vitamin B-6, magnesium, iron, zinc and protein.  Now you know why they cost a little bit extra at the grocery store, but they are definitely worth the nutritional benefits.

Unhealthy but Still Worth Trying (At Least Once)

If you have been to your local State Fair, you know that some pretty strange and wonderful things can be substituted for the traditional hamburger bun.  There’s no delusion that any of these combinations is actually good for you (except the burger patty) but you can scratch them off your burger bucket list by trying them at home.

Or at your next tailgate party, because fan food should be fun!

Top It with a Cinnamon Roll

We’ve seen this combination done both ways.  Some people suggest that the cinnamon roll should only go on top, with a traditional burger bun below for support (or to avoid sugar overload).  But some more adventurous folk have eaten (or sold) burgers between a sliced donut.  Depending on the donut, it could be really good, like for instance a maple bacon donut?  And now we’re hungry again…for a walk on the wild side of burgers.

Fried Funnel Cake and a Grilled Burger

Mixing the sweet with the rich taste of savory beef is nothing new, but framing a fresh grilled burger between two funnel cake patties, to substitute?  At the Sizzle King test kitchen, we haven’t tried it yet, but we probably will sometime soon.  Just to retain our reputation as burger experts.

Let us know what your favorite style of burger bun is and leave us a comment below.  Priced on average 20% lower than most frozen premium blended burgers, try our great flavors this week.  Smart savings start with Sizzle King.