Tandoori Portobello Burger
University of North Texas, Denton
This flavorful vegetarian burger was created for the University of North Texas by celebrity chef Maneet Chauhan as part of Mushroom Mania!, sponsored by the Mushroom Council. As part of the special, the burger was served with sweet potato fries seasoned with chaat masala and drizzled with tamarind chutney.
Chicken Burger
North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, N.Y.
Lyndon Espiritu, the hospital’s assistant director of production, café and catering, created this tasty alternative to beef burgers by grinding chicken thigh meat and blending it with a variety of herbs. He tops it with a spicy mix of mayonnaise and sriracha sauce.
Banh Mi Burger
Carilion Clinic, Roanoke, Va.
“I have an obsession with this little Vietnamese place here in Roanoke, and I have been getting their banh mi for a while,” says Darla Mehrkens, executive chef at Carilion Clinic. “I thought it would be fun to do the burger form for football kickoff weekend. I just took all the flavors that I love from the food I have been eating there and added it to pork and chicken. The addition of basil kind of gives it a Thai flair, and if I want it extra spicy I add Thai peppers to it. The Asian spices and the sweet pickled veggies along with fresh vegetables and herbs is such a great combination, and the sriracha mayo just tops it off. I think just having all those wonderful flavors in a burger keeps things interesting.”