Bio-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 11, 1991 Rafting down the Mississippi River, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn nosh on jui cy cheeseburgers made with Swiss cheese and fresh-picked tomatoes “borrowed” Great American heroes are admired far and wide and by young and old alike. Tales of their accomplishments and life stories are told again and again. The cheeseburger—called a hero even among heroes —is a tale you might not have heard, and so the mythical story goes. . . . On the Wild Frontier Famed for their explorations along the banks and islands of the Mississippi River, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn were loyal cheeseburger fans. Cheeseburger supplies were never forgotten on their wild rafting expeditions, and typical fixings included Swiss cheese and fresh vegetables like tomatoes and lettuce “borrowed” from Aunt Polly’s garden. In Paul Bunyan's neck of the woods, cheeseburgers were like everything else BIG. He liked an extra-thick beef patty topped with two slices each of sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Robust condiments like wild mushrooms, chopped onions and coarse grain mustard were also found on an oversized bun. In the Midwest, Johnny Appleseed enjoyed an original apple-cheeseburger combination. Slices of fresh-from-the-tree green apples added a pleasing crunch to a burger topped with Colby and Mucnster cheeses on a whole A Tall Cheeseburger Tale wheat bun. Further west, Billy the Kid was a character not to be messed with as posters often warned. He cooked burgers over an open fire and topped them with American cheese and lots of raw white onions. For bread, his top choice was a toss-up either garlic toast or a fresh onion roll. In the History Books Well-traveled Amelia Earhart flew across the country looking for the best cheeseburger. Her favorite was cooked medium-rare, served on toasted French bread and topped with Limburger cheese, tomato slices, and sweet pickles. Basic was better as far as Abra ham Lincoln was concerned. Just a plain lean ground beef patty on one of Sarah's homemade rolls with Brick and Cheddar cheeses suited him fine. On the other hand, patriotic Uncle Sam liked a burger dressed in red, white and blue. Crumbled Blue cheese starred with two slices of ripe red tomato and White Cheddar on a lean U.S.A. ground beef patty for his "cheeseburger of choice." In the Land of Make-Believe Bamum Bailey and the Ringling Brothers claimed they had the "Greatest Cheeseburger on Earth," a fun-filled burger featuring 0 American cheese cut-outs shaped like elephants, lions and tigers (made with animal-shaped cookie cutters). The cheesy circus animals danced amidst catsup, mustard and pickles on a lean beef patty beneath a sesame seed bun. In "Never Never Land," Peter Pan's cheeseburger was strictly for kids. Yummy peanut butler spread on a basic hamburger bun was a Cheeseburgers Cookout Star Cheeseburgers are one of the preferred main dish choices of the small-fry set. According to a recent Gallup poll sponsored by Con Agra, kids ages 3to 11 choose cheeseburgers as a favorite food 42 percent of the time. They taste great, are easy to eat and can be topped in all kinds of creative ways. All Mom and Dad need to provide are the all-beef patties, choice of cheese, buns and assorted fixings. CHEESEBURGER BABIES Yield: 8 small burgers 1 pound lean ground beef 8 dinner rolls or small hamburger buns ( 2'A -inch diameter) Assorted cheese and condiments from Aunt Polly’s garden. popular addition to a burger topped with melted Cheddar cheese. Dorothy learned a different trick when she visited the Wizard of Oz. The Emerald City's flavorful beef patty was made with a mixture of lean ground beef, chopped green bell peppers and thinly sliced green onions. Topped with Mucn stcr cheese and served on pumper nickel bread lined with salad greens, it was a favorite in the Land of Oz. Divide ground beef into 8 equal portions; shape into patties 3 inches in diameter. Place patties on grid over medium coals. Grill 6 to 7 minutes for medium* or to desired done ness, turning once. *To broil, arrange patties on rack of broiler pan so surface of meat is 3 to 4 inches from heat Sail Burger Babies: Arrange lettuce leaf and small tomato slice on roll bottom; top with burger and pickle slice. Cut a 1 ounce slice of American cheese into quarters to form triangles; insert pretzel stick along one side to form sail. Carefully push bottom of pretzel stick through pickle and into burger. Serve roll top along side. /^yr r\ In Yellowstone Park, a cheese burger cookout was and still is a common sight. To this day, Smokey Bear can be seen noshing on a well-done lean beef patty topped with smoked Gouda and smoked Cheddar cheeses, extra crisp smoked bacon and a spoonful of sweet honey. The bun, of course, is lightly toasted. Fact or Fiction, one thing is cer tain the cheeseburger legend lives on.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers