~All About the All-American Cheeseburger in Paradise~

A cheeseburger, eaten anywhere in the good old USA -- each one a cheeseburger in paradise. It's become the quintessential American food.  There are two claims* as to who slapped that first slice of processed American cheese on the lonely hamburger, but, we can all agree it was the best marriage of food since sliced white bread married peanut butter and jelly.  And, we've come a long way baby -- nowadays the cheeseburger is eaten in fast food chains, fine-dining restaurants and all points in between.  Cheeseburgers are for pick-up, delivery, drive-thru, eat-in, eat-out, eat-alone or invite-some-friends from sea to shining sea.  They're kind of patriotic.

*Most historians credit the all-American cheeseburger to Lionel Sternberger, a 16-year-old fry-cook from Pasadena, CA, who, in kindness, placed a piece of American cheese on a sizzling hamburger at the request of a hungry, homeless man.  This occurred in his father's sandwich shop, the Rite Spot, in 1924 or 1926.  He named his new menu item the "cheese hamburger", and some claim this small technicality disqualifies Lionel from having invented the cheeseburger.  (Some things never change.)  The first sandwich to actually be called a "cheeseburger" was at a restaurant in Louisville, KY, called Kaelin's, in 1934.  Charles Kaelin claims he wanted to add some a tang to a hamburger, so he topped it with a slice of cheese.

Over the years, the American 'burger & cheeseburger went global.

Nowadays hamburgers and cheeseburgers can be found in almost every corner of our planet. That said, depending on your destination, you shouldn't be surprised to find the traditional ground beef replaced with other meats, poultry, grains and/or vegetables -- to satisfy the dietary restrictions and taste preferences of that culture.  For the same reasons, toppings, condiments and cheese choices will be different too.

Try my ~ All-American All-Purpose Hamburger Seasoning ~:

And ~ My Perfectly-Steasoned 16-Min. Broiled Cheeseburger ~:

Or, ~ For the Love of 'Burgers, the Smashed Cheeseburger ~:

And, ~ The Juicy-Lucy Cheese-Stuffed 'Burger ~:

Or, ~ The McDonald's-Style Big Mac Cheeseburger Salad ~:

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2022)