One of my favorite burgers, which is from Marie Callender’s made with plants! It’s the Vegan Frisco Burger!
Back in the 1980s, I would get this burger every time we went to Marie Callender’s. It’s so good that I find myself, 40 years later, still craving it every now and again. It’s a pretty standard burger except it’s served on Sourdough that’s been grilled in a parmesan butter spread!
And this Burger hit all the notes that I remember, I was instantly transported back to 1980s Van Nuys on the first bite.
Ingredients for a vegan frisco burger
- Sourdough Bread – you can really use any Sourdough Bread you like. But for this burger, I used the Seattle Baking Sandwich Rounds, since they perfectly match a burger patty. Sometimes regular sandwich bread is too big. You could always shape the patty to match the bread! I’ve also used the thick cut bread from Nature’s Own.
- Vegan Butter & Parmesan – the other really important components is making a Parmesan Butter spread! I used the grated stuff by Follow Your Heart, but any grated Parm will do! You can also sub with Nutritional Yeast, just use half as much.
- Burger Sauce – the Frisco Burger came with a Thousand Island style sauce, so I just whipped up my Classic Burger Sauce!
- Meat – You can use something like Impossible or Beyond Meat, or you can make my TVP Burger or Veggie Smash Burger (though this will be different, it will still be good!)
- Cheese – I used Follow Your Heart American, but use whatever you like!
- Lettuce, Tomato, Pickles – The classic trio of California Burger! Use Iceberg lettuce, beefsteak tomatoes, and dill pickles.
How to Make a Vegan Frisco Burger
This is very simple! First whip up the Burger Sauce!
Combine the softened vegan butter, parmesan and garlic powder.
Spread a nice, even layer of the parmesan butter on each slice of sourdough bread. Grill each slice of bread until golden brown.
Add a 4 oz. ball of vegan meat to the skillet and smash it with a burger press or spatula. Grill the burger for 2 – 3 minutes per side. After flipping, add a slice of vegan American cheese. Add a few squirts of water to the pan, cover and steam to melt the cheese.
Assemble the burger as follows from bottom to top: bottom bread, burger sauce, pickles, lettuce, tomato, burger patty, more sauce, top bread! If you have some fancy toothpicks use ’em like Marie Callender’s did!
storage
The Burger Sauce and Parmesan Butter should be good in the fridge for about a week!
other Burger recipes you’ll dig!
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Vegan Frisco Burger
- 2 Slices Sourdough Bread
- 4 oz Vegan Meat (Impossible, Beyond, See Notes)
- 1 Slice Vegan American Cheese
- Burger Sauce
- Iceberg Lettuce
- Tomato Slices
- Dill Pickle Slices
- Salt & Pepper
Garlic Butter
- 2 Tbsp Vegan Butter
- 2 Tbsp Vegan Parmesan (or 1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast)
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
Frisco Burger
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Spread a nice, even layer of the parmesan butter on each slice of sourdough bread. Heat a skillet over medium heat for 2 – 3 minutes to preheat.
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Grill each slice of bread until golden brown, set aside on a wire rack so they don’t get soggy.
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Add a 4 oz. ball of vegan meat to the skillet and smash it with a burger press or spatula. You can use some parchment paper in between so it doesn’t stick. Or form your burger patty with cookie cutter or by hand!
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Grill the burger for 2 – 3 minutes per side. Season with salt and pepper. After flipping, add a slice of vegan American cheese. Add a few squirts of water to the pan, cover and steam to melt the cheese.
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Assemble the burger as follows from bottom to top: bottom bread, burger sauce, pickles, lettuce, tomato, burger patty, more sauce, top bread! If you have some fancy toothpicks use ’em like Marie Callender’s did!
