LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Calling all Derby Festival foodies! Festival Fans can help pick the 2023 ‘Derby Burger Champion. Dozens of original recipes were submitted for the competition sponsored by the Kentucky Beef Council with Official Seasoning Dan-O’s Seasoning.
The recipes have been narrowed to the top 8 recipes, and voting is open online to help choose the final four burgers to move on to the 2023 Derby Burger Challenge Cook-off. Now through March 17, fans can visit KDF.org/DerbyBurger to vote for the burger they want to see make it to the cook-off.
The top 8 Derby Burger Challenge finalists are:
- The Bacon Smoked Gouda Backstretch Burger (Gouda, Hickory Bacon, BBQ Sauce) – Joshua Pitvorec, Louisville
- The G.O.A.T. (fig spread, goat cheese, hot honey, Dan-O’s Spicy) – Brian Capps, Louisville
- Hometown Hot Brown Burger (thick-sliced bacon, cheese gravy, tomatoes, Dan-O’s Spicy) – Lisa Smith, Louisville
- 80/20 Gourmet Lavender Burger (lavender oil, bourbon, bacon, mushrooms, onions, white cheddar, Dan-O’s Original) – Ira Mowman Louisville
- The Texan (Texas toast, bacon, pepper jack & cheddar cheese, pickles) – Chris Smith, Bloomfield, KY
- Bourbon Bacon Jam Burger w/ Spicy Sauce (American cheese, bacon, onion, bourbon, brown sugar, maple syrup, red wine vinegar, chili powder, hot sauce, Dan-O’s Spicy)- Daniel Dunn, Union, KY
- Hall’s Beer Cheese Banana Pepper Burger (Hall’s Beer Cheese, fried banana pepper rings, Dan-O’s original, lettuce, tomato, onion) – Karl Crase, Winchester, KY
- Maw’s Chili Slaw Burger (Panko breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, chili w/ beans, slaw mix, poppy seeds, fried onions) – Melissa Thompson, Brandenburg, KY
All burgers must be 100 percent beef. The burger recipes are judged based on Taste, Appearance, Creativity and Ease of Preparation. The final cook-off is set for Tuesday, March 28. Official rules of the competition can be found online at www.kdf.org/beef.
The winning burger will be featured at Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville during Derby Festival and inside Kroger stores. The winning chef receives a 2023 Official Derby Festival Poster, 2 VIP tickets to Thunder Over Louisville and VIP tickets to Republic Bank BourbonVille, and a $100 gift certificate to Kroger, a grilling prize package from Kentucky Beef Council and a year’s supply of Dan-O’s Seasoning.
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