The Best Types Of Cheese To Pair With Apple-Topped Burgers

If you want to make your next homemade burger a little more unique, then you may want to add apples as a topping — whether raw and crunchy or baked and soft, apples make for a sweet and delicious (and unexpected) burger topping. Once you've decided if you want your apples crunchy or soft, there's another big decision to make — what kind of cheese will pair best with the apples? To find out, Daily Meal spoke with an expert: John Warr, the executive chef of Radisson Blu Mall of America, and FireLake Cocktail Bar & Grill.

Warr has a few cheese options in mind: sharp cheddar, brie, and gorgonzola or blue cheese. For anyone unfamiliar, gorgonzola is a type of blue cheese — or, in other words, not all gorgonzola is blue cheese, but not all blue cheese is gorgonzola.

Firstly, Warr chose cheddar because it "adds a sharp, savory bite to balance the apple's sweetness." Meanwhile, brie "brings creaminess and richness, enhancing the apple's texture." Finally, Warr likes blue cheese as an option because it "creates a strong, contrasting flavor that elevates both the burger and apple with its pungency."

Warr had good reason for choosing all three cheeses — cheddar, brie, and blue cheese — when it comes to pairing cheese with an apple-topped burger. So how do you decide between the three? Well, start with what type of burger you plan to make. For example, Warr says that sharp cheddar pairs well with beef, turkey, or veggie burgers — and we agree with this assessment (Daily Meal's turkey burgers are stuffed with cheddar). Warr says, "It brings out the brightness in the apples while complementing the savory elements of the burger." Further, he notes that the "tangy sharpness of cheddar" is a complementary match for either sweet or tart apples.

As for brie, Warr suggests pairing it with either turkey or veggie burgers. He adds, "Soft and creamy, brie's mild flavor complements the sweetness of apples, especially caramelized ones, for a rich, indulgent flavor profile." Since turkey and veggie burgers are the lighter burger options, they can handle the richness of the brie without the meal becoming too heavy. 

Finally, gorgonzola or blue cheese work best with either a traditional beef burger or, if you're in the mood for something a bit more unique, a lamb burger, "where their boldness can stand up to the richness of the meat.," Warr says. He also suggests using sweet apples, like honeycrisp or gala, in this case, as a contrast to the saltiness of the blue cheese. Try adding gorgonzola to our classic lamb burger to take it to the next level.