USA Slider Trio: Cowboy Burger, Diner-Style Burger, and Taco Pizza Burger
Our Burger of the Month for July is actually a trio of three mini burgers, or sliders, themed in honor of Independence Day. Each mini burger represents a different cultural ideal and historical era in America’s unique history. Can you guess what each one signifies?
America Burger Trio: Intro
Our nation is too complex to pick one single burger—or anything else, for that matter—that would characterize its entire history, culture, or population. With more than 300 million people, spread out over 3.8 million square miles across fifty individual states, it’s no wonder we’re so diverse.
Since July 4, 1776, our country has consisted of individuals from varying backgrounds and traditions, united as one nation; as one of the original mottos states, “E pluribus unum” or “out of many, one.”
This shared history and combined cultural heritage is what makes the United States of America so unique. Each of the fifty states has its own separate personality, yet the country as a whole shares a common story. For state-specific recipe inspiration, check out our Grilling Recipes for All 50 States blog!
Our July America Burger Trio represents this “many as one” concept. These three separate recipes each resemble an important piece of American history while also incorporating some top national foods. Together they make a delicious trio of sliders, almost like a burger “flight.” Try this creative themed recipe idea for your upcoming July 4th barbecue!
Cowboy Mini Burger
The first burger in our trio symbolizes the early days of our nation’s history. 19th century America was a time of rapid expansion, exploration, and determination. Through conquests and battles, purchases and negotiations, we grew from thirteen independent colonies to more than forty unified states (with more to come soon after). Stretching from coast to coast, we had a vast and open land to explore.
If there’s any one icon that resembles this time in American history, it’s the cowboy. This iconic symbol of the “great frontier” is so deeply rooted in our nation’s story. It represents a willingness to work hard and forge our own path.
Still today, Texas and the southwest bring to mind many similar images, with their country music, rural landscape, and deep-fried comfort foods. These qualities are so uniquely American that we can’t help but to embrace them.
This burger celebrates the iconic American cowboy with its juicy beef patty, American cheese, crispy bacon, fried onion strings, and sweet & smoky barbecue sauce.
https://potatorolls.com/recipes/cowboy-mini-burger
All-American Diner-Style Mini Burger
Arguably the next influential era chronologically in American history was the mid-20th century. The 1950s seemed to be a time of general contentment and satisfaction with the current way of life. Even now we reminisce on those “good old days” with images of the simple suburban lifestyle, booming economic growth, and pop cultural icons from film, TV, and music.
Also commonly associated with this time period is the rise in fast food restaurants, diners, and drive-ins, along with their now-retro design aesthetic and “Americana” vibe (think black and white checkered floors with colorful leather booths).
The nostalgia associated with this “simpler” time in our history makes the joy of eating a classic burger, fries, and milkshake something quintessentially American. Perhaps it’s this era that solidified the burger as one of the most recognized foods associated with our country.
The classic diner-style burger is simple: a thin ground beef patty (salt and peppered to taste), American cheese, tomato, lettuce, onions, dill pickles, ketchup, and mustard. Don’t be tempted to switch up the toppings on this one; it’s a classic for good reason!
https://potatorolls.com/recipes/diner-style-mini-burger
Taco Pizza Mini Burger
The third era of American history is the one we’re currently in. It’s no secret that our nation looks different than it did a few decades ago. But that’s not a bad thing. Our culture is ever-changing and evolving and adapting.
America is, and always has been, made up of numerous backgrounds and customs, all connected and intertwined. The beauty of this is that we’ve taken the traditions of our ancestors and made them into something uniquely “us.”
Particularly in cuisine, you’ll find “American-style” versions of other countries’ traditional recipes. Even more than that, we’ve made state and region-specific variations on those American classics, from New York-style pizza to Chicago-style hot dogs. The metaphor of a melting pot or a mosaic certainly rings true when it comes to food.
The third and last burger in our trio represents this “mashup” of cultures and cuisines, our changing palate. It starts with the basic concept of the traditional burger, and mixes in the flavors of taco pizza (already a food mashup in itself). The result is a taco-seasoned ground beef patty topped with salsa, Colby-jack cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, and cilantro.
https://potatorolls.com/recipes/taco-pizza-mini-burger
Tip: Consider making all three recipes at once. Each serves four sliders using Martin’s 12-Sliced (Slider) Potato Rolls, so you can make all three for a total of twelve burgers—perfect for a large party or family gathering this summer!
Happy Independence Day!
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