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.