"1UP Mushroom" Mushroom Burger!

intro
step 1
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intro"1UP Mushroom" Mushroom Burger!

Your veggie nerd friends will gawk and awe over this deelish burger with a sense of humor.
Remember all those childhood summers spent playing the NES indoors when it got too hot outside? Summer vacation, BBQs, and the NES. Ah...Those were the days.

When I cook dinner for my friends, I tend to put as much attention to the vegetarian dishes as the meat ones. Why not dress up the veggie burgers to make your guests feel special and have a spiffy time at your barbecue?

This instructable was inspired by Barry Rosenstein's The Red Fez Burger from Build a Better Burger Challenge from the Food Network a few years ago. He colored his top bun red to look like a fez to reflect a Moroccan theme. I thought that was the coolest frakkin' thing ever.

For this instructable, I made my own veggie mushroom patties. They taste like okonomiyaki so it has like a soft fritter/pancake/omelet texture. Okonomiyaki is a Japanese household savory pancake dish where vegetables, meat, and noodles are all mixed together in a pancake batter and placed on a griddle, then topped off with a special soy-based sauce. Feel free to change according to your taste: Boca burger, Gardenburger, meat patties, or just a slab of meat... unless you are Bowser, who desperately needs to cut down his meat intake if he wants to be in good princess-kidnapper shape.

Makes 4 burgers

INGREDIENTS FOR THE PATTY:
half of one white onion
2 large portabello mushroom caps (or 6-8 ounces of whatever mushroom you like)
1 tsp. of kosher salt
1 egg
1 tbs. of pancake mix
1 tsp. of minced garlic
black ground pepper to taste

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FIXIN'S:
4 large slices of mozzarella cheese
1 tomato, sliced at least quarter inch thick at room temperature
4 spoonfuls of pesto
*optional: mayonnaise (I personally hate mayo, but it's like crack to some people

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BUNS
4 *very round* rustic crusty buns. The type I decided to go with are my favorite whole wheat kind.
1/2 tsp. green food coloring
1 tsp. of water
4 large slices of mozzarella cheese for the circle decoration
*optional: I also tried this recipe with basil juice instead of the food coloring in attempt to be more "natural." The green looked good but it made the burger WAY TOO PUNGENT. Whew!

"1UP Mushroom" Mushroom Burger!
mushroomburger.jpgfinished_1.jpgfinished_3.jpghalfshot.jpgingredients.jpg

step 1Prepping the Patties

First, wash your hands! Then wash your produce! Washing is important! If you are deciding to use the portabello mushroom caps, then here's an extra step. As mos…

step 2Grilling

The ideal grill temperature for cooking the patties should be medium-low. When it's time to put on the grill, take your bare hands and take enough of the mushroom mix …

step 3My anaconda don't get none unless you got buns, hun.

While the patties are cooking, it's the ideal time for prepping the buns. Mix the water and food coloring together in a small bowl. Brush the outer part of the top halves…

step 4The Fixings

Don't take the patties off the grill after they're done cooking. They should be resting on the top rack and it's time for the works. The goal of the next few steps is to …

step 5Gallery of Other People's 1UP Mushroom Burgers

I'm so glad people are tweaking this project on their own and creating their own awesome 1UP Mushroom Burgers. From [http://www.1up.com/do/my1Up?Dispatch=Display&publicU…

79 comments
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Jul 4, 2009. 5:32 AMtwocvbloke says:
I once tried a red one, I was burping fireballs all day long... :P
Jun 24, 2009. 1:59 PMfirecracker125 says:
now u are making me hungry lol
May 8, 2009. 6:23 AMthe_planarian says:
Have you tried food-colouring the buns with Pesto (or maybe adding the food colouring *to* the Pesto to 'make the colour stick')? :)

Just a thought... (i have yet to try this recipe myself.. x.X ' )

Pr0pZ! :D \m/
May 7, 2009. 9:44 AMcrampedyogapositions says:
im going to make a poision mushroom burger when my freinds come, i wonder if they would eat it ???
May 3, 2009. 10:21 PMkenshin5150 says:
now im hungry
May 1, 2009. 3:29 PMcodongolev says:
sorry, but i really find it disconcerting to eat any bread product dyed green. it makes me think of mold and then I want to puke.
Jan 20, 2009. 7:32 AMriku-riku-chan says:
okay... so this DID NOT turn out well for me! the buns were cute (i had to broil them before adding the green because i couldn't find any that were crusty enough and round) but the "mushroom burgers" were a bowl full of liquid-y chopped veggies that would NOT form patties... we had to make an emergency trip to the store for ground beef, and we fried up the mushroom mess (kind of like a hash) to put on top... not sure what happened... also, you say to add "the olive oil" but no amount is given...
Mar 27, 2009. 8:52 PMrattyrain says:
Did you add eggs? Or pancake mix?
Mar 30, 2009. 4:51 AMriku-riku-chan says:
yes! i made it just as instructed.
Mar 30, 2009. 9:56 AMrattyrain says:
But did you add a touch of love?
Mar 30, 2009. 10:47 AMriku-riku-chan says:
i tried! 8-(
Nov 16, 2008. 11:29 AMPKTraceur says:
Perhaps a form of mint juice for the bun? Looks good!
Dec 28, 2008. 9:53 PMtehjigsawkiller!!! says:
um who wants a peppermint veggie burger????
Dec 29, 2008. 9:39 AMPKTraceur says:
I dont know, I think that sounds pretty good.
Mar 24, 2009. 5:47 PMconrad2468 says:
are you pregnant?
Mar 24, 2009. 6:03 PMPKTraceur says:
wth? Im not, in fact...

-PKT
Mar 24, 2009. 6:06 PMconrad2468 says:
im kidding...pregnant women get all the weird munchies........right?
Dec 30, 2008. 8:09 AMtehjigsawkiller!!! says:
still i would think the strong mint would overpower the rest of it and make taste like a breath mint. Plus, all peppermint oil and essence of peppermint is clear and extremely powerful
Dec 30, 2008. 1:13 PMPKTraceur says:
Hey, just food for thought...
Dec 30, 2008. 9:36 PMtehjigsawkiller!!! says:
oh, sorry if i insulted u
Mar 24, 2009. 6:03 PMPKTraceur says:
w/e

-PKT
Mar 24, 2009. 5:45 PMconrad2468 says:
ba-ding!!!! lol
Jan 14, 2009. 10:50 AMriku-riku-chan says:
i've looked at this several times and now i'm finally going to make them! hooray! it's my husband's d and d night tonight, so i'm hoping they'll be nerdy enough to appreciate them...!
Jan 5, 2009. 12:32 PMFasteners says:
Yes very creative
Jan 4, 2009. 4:57 PMRadioactv Biohazard says:
Looks nasty but creative! I like it.
Jan 3, 2009. 10:45 AMgamemaster87 says:
Best step title ever.
Dec 9, 2008. 3:59 PMTBrady4ever says:
aww u could use sliced black olives and give it eyes!
Sep 28, 2008. 3:18 PMmage says:
but is there i way to make a noraml meat patty white. im not much a vegetariain
Nov 14, 2008. 10:55 PMteh darkcloud says:
It's white because of the mozzarella cheese.
Oct 16, 2008. 2:00 PMDark JoJo says:
those burgers don't look to healthy are you sure they are edible?.
Nov 14, 2008. 7:00 PMkingalexl says:
its all vegtables... no it isn't edible. lol
Oct 19, 2008. 6:59 PMSolderguy says:
That's ingenious.
Sep 28, 2008. 3:17 PMmage says:
rotflmaopimp!!1! awesome! EPIC WIN! infinite compliments!
Aug 7, 2008. 9:58 AMSuperjustin18 says:
This is pretty cool.
Jul 31, 2008. 3:09 AMvincek49 says:
dude im not a big fan of veggies but man this looks good
oh and by the way i insist that you try something similar with other foods such as hotdogs, cakes, maybe even salads
well any way your instructions were well written and easy to understand
Jul 27, 2008. 1:35 PMPKTraceur says:
AWESOME instructable! i would probobly prefer meat for the burger though. Also, can i use a diff colour for the bun? NICE INSTRUCTABLE!!!!!
Jul 26, 2008. 8:42 PMJorad says:
I decided to make some o these.... I used hamburger beef and used a food processor to cut my shrooms up real small and mixed it up good. Afterwards I used a good tomato (I like my tomatoes much the same) and topped it all with swiss cheese. Instead of pesto I used some thick Tatziki sauce... The swiss cheese and the tatziki flavors together worked well. Thanks for the Idea!
Jul 16, 2008. 6:08 AMRedgerr says:
10/10 id eat that any day of the week ;)
Jul 9, 2008. 8:22 PMdooDIY4T7 says:
I've been a vegetarian for almost a year now and I've always loved NES! I voted for this one! I've got to try making one of these.
Jul 9, 2008. 9:21 AMbuttersnake says:
Im not a vegetarian but i do try not to eat a ton of meat if i can help it just for healths sake. I love portabello's cooked in olive oil and some type of steak sauce with peppers and such smothered on top, right in the middle of 2 slices of toasted wheat bread. This looks really good so i am going to have to go get the supplies this weekend. Also, i gave this my vote :)
Jul 9, 2008. 2:50 PMmomo! (author) says:
hey butter, if you really like just plain portabello cooked, you can always take scissors or a cookie cutter and just shape the portabello cap itself into a patty size instead of making a patty for it. so it's like a portabello steak sandwich!
Jul 6, 2008. 2:46 PMheydavis says:
One additional IMPORTANT tip: Always store mushrooms refrigerated in paper (unwaxed or unlined) bags or plastic net bags (like those in which garlic or shallots are often sold), and NEVER in plastic or other non-breathing bags or sealed containers!
Jul 7, 2008. 10:29 PMheydavis says:
'Shrooms need to "breath", but one of those special produce bags would be ok, not the "special" overpriced ones in the infomercials, but those with many tiny holes. White ones especially will keep longer if there's good air circulation, but in a sealed plastic bag they can turn to a disgusting pool of glop in very few days.
Some Agaricus bisporuss that got lost in the back of a reefer shelf dried and dried until they shrank from 1 - 1½ inches to the size of a cranberry. Pop 'em in a stew and they add lots of flavor and soak up the broth as they reconstitute, but remain some what chewy. Yum!
Jul 6, 2008. 3:16 PMLuki101 says:
I usually do store my 'shrooms in paper bags, but why is it not good to store them in plastic bags?
Jul 7, 2008. 7:19 PMvenkatesulu says:
This is an awesome recipe every thing with veggies. Please do keep post more ....
Jul 6, 2008. 2:40 PMheydavis says:
One tip on using the grossly-over-priced "Portabello" mushrooms: Buy the smaller tan/brown Crimini mushrooms instead (same size as the commonplace white button mushrooms). They are exactly the same species! Before some marketing genius decided to "invent" and market the Portabello name, those versatile and delicious giants were relegated to processing into mushroom powder, soups and other mushroom flavored prepared foods. They grow in every Crimini mushroom bed and always have!
The great thing about the Crimini species (usually marketed in sizes from ½" to 2½" caps — anything larger magically transformed into "Mini-Portabellos, at twice the price) is that if the caps are still closed (gills not showing) they will slowly dry out in the refrigerator, becoming smaller and smaller, until they are dry enough to keep at room temperature. Keep them in a net bag in a well ventilated area until they are totally dry. Weeks later they can be added to stews or just reconstituted by soaking in water or broth.
They are a far better choice, more flavorful and "meaty-like" than those pathetic white mushrooms that turn to a disgusting slimy mush if not used-up in a very few days. It is ironic that the markets charge more for Criminis since it is the "ancestor" from which the pristine whites were bred, and they are natural and easy to grow.
Jul 7, 2008. 9:23 AMmomo! (author) says:
I get my produce from a CSA delivery service where every week they send you a box of whatever is in season from local farms. (Not because I'm the hardcore organic type, but because I'm moderately lazy :P). And it just so happens that portabello was in the box.

If I were to go spend extra money on the mushrooms for the patty, I would've chosen to use plain old white button mushroom mixed with oyster mushrooms.
Jul 4, 2008. 11:57 PMcraziemutant says:
that's so creative. nicely done.
Jul 4, 2008. 9:15 AMTwister468 says:
That is So cute!!! this would be perfect for my vegetarian friend.
Jul 4, 2008. 2:06 AMeviloverlord says:
Very nice - The only thing I'd like to add is to make sure you are using vegetarian pesto (most pesto uses non-vegetarian parmesan cheese created using rennet from calf stomach lining).
1-50 of 79

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