Home Entertaining Ideas - New Survey Reveals The Route To Burger Bliss

Whether it's American, Swiss or cheddar, many believe cheese makes a burger better. In fact, that's the opinion of seven out of 10 Americans who like to say "cheese!" when ordering a hamburger.

This is one of the key findings of a study that took a look at consumers and their hamburger preferences.

The survey, conducted by the Johnny Rockets hamburger chain, also found that ketchup is the most preferred condiment (63 percent), followed by mustard (50 percent) and mayonnaise (42 percent). Less than 2 percent of those surveyed said they prefer their hamburgers plain.

Johnny Rockets has been serving up its fresh, grilled-to-order hamburgers for more than 20 years. For a delicious hamburger to make at home, try the recipe for the popular Johnny Rockets Route 66, which is being made available to the public for the first time.

THE ROUTE 66 HAMBURGER

Ingredients

1/3 pound fresh ground beef

1 hamburger bun

2 teaspoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon oil or butter

1/2 cup small mushrooms, sliced

2 slices onion, cut into quarters

1 slice Swiss cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Preheat grill, barbecue or broiler. Season ground beef with salt and pepper, form into a patty and cook according to preference so that internal temperature reaches at least 160 F. Heat oil or butter over medium-high heat in a small saucepan. Add onions and mushrooms and season to taste with salt and pepper. Saut onions until they are soft and mushrooms until they release their juices.

Meanwhile, toast the hamburger bun and spread mayonnaise evenly across the top and bottom. Place cooked hamburger patty on bun and top with grilled mushrooms, grilled onions and Swiss cheese. Serve with your favorite soda pop and American fries.

To learn more, visit the Web site at www.johnnyrockets.com. According to a recent survey, seven out of 10 Americans like to say "cheese!" when ordering a hamburger.