Make Any Burger Denver-Style By Smothering It In One Canned Ingredient

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Denver has a well-earned reputation for green chile. When added to burgers, the sloppy dish becomes iconic. You don't need to travel to the Mile High City to sample this satisfying recipe, however. Those canned chiles in your pantry can be put to good use and bring extra flavor to this weekend's cookout. Simply drain and warm the diced chiles before spooning them on top of a cooked burger patty. A slice of melted cheese can help hold ingredients in place. 

Though the green chile will become a prominent feature in this burger, a perfectly executed patty and a toasted brioche or potato bun can complement instead of compete for attention. For added crunch, a fresh piece of crispy lettuce can bring texture contrast to this treat, and a quick swipe of mayo can offer a refreshing creaminess that gently underlines this compilation of ingredients. The presentation of your chile-topped burger is entirely up to you. Just be prepared to serve this juicy burger with extra napkins.

Use spicy pepper Jack cheese to layer heat, place ingredients into a pretzel bun for texture, or add strips of crispy bacon for savory depth. Cooks who want to skip canned ingredients can roast peppers over flames or beneath a broiler to make their own spicy topping. Once roasted, the charred skins and seeds will be removed, the peppers will be diced, and the smaller pieces will be warmed in a buttered, seasoned saucepan. This extra work will add some time to your prep, however, and you'll need to calculate how many peppers you need to spoon enough on top of each burger.

Those who want even more heat can add chile relleno on top of each burger patty in addition to the canned chiles; it can offer satisfying flavor for an easy weeknight meal. Or, hatch green chiles, grown in New Mexico's Hatch Valley, offer a smoky, earthy heat that can be the simple upgrade your next burger calls for. To keep your cupboards stocked with the hot stuff at all times, Amazon sells 3 packs of 4-ounce cans of Hatch diced hot green chilies for just over $5, and Walmart sells 4 ounces of diced green chilies for under $1, so you can enjoy the flavors without having to make your way to the Rocky Mountains.