
Graduations are coming to an end, you’re breaking out your fun pool floats and everyone is grilling up their signature burgers — that’s right, summer is officially upon us. Every year, May 28 marks National Burger Day, a holiday that most people are pretty happy exists. Coincidentally (or not), it coincides with Memorial Day weekend, meaning you have the perfect excuse to grill up all of your favorite summer burger recipes (and favorite side dish Mexican corn elote). If you’re stuck in a burger rut, don’t worry — we have 23 mouthwatering burgers you’ll love, whether you’re vegan or as carnivorous as they come. Grab an iced tea and settle in, because the following recipes will give you serious burger FOMO.
1. Classic Bacon and Cheese Burger: Sometimes, simplicity is key. Fancy cheese and gourmet toppings have a time and a place, but a classic bacon cheeseburger never goes out of style. (via Simply Delicious Food)
2. Southern BBQ Pork Burgers: Why choose between having pulled pork or a burger when you can just have both? Pile high with creamy slaw and extra BBQ sauce for a one-stop meal. (via Spicy Southern Kitchen)
3. BBQ Bacon Western Burgers: There’s no reason onion rings should be relegated to a measly side dish. Top your thick Angus burger with a few rings for a texture and flavor that’s almost too good to be true. (via Tastes Lovely)
4. Beef Burgers With Mushrooms and Chipotle Mayo: This health-conscious burger combines lean ground beef with quinoa and mushrooms, so you’re getting the benefits of both animal and plant protein. Show off your work of art by serving on homemade buns. (via Bibby’s Kitchen)
5. Stuffed Smokey Black Bean Veggie Burgers: These may look like regular beef burgers, but they’re actually full of beans and veggies. The addition of smoked paprika and liquid smoke give them that flavor you would find in a typical burger, but without any meat. (via Elemental Custard)
6. Caramelized Onion Arugula Burger: Garlic and herbs flavor this burger from the inside out, while the caramelized onions bring a slow-cooked sweetness to the sandwich. Finish it off with peppery arugula and the contrast of flavors will blow your mind. (via Munchkin Time)
7. Coffee Rubbed Burgers With Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce: Coffee on our burger? Yes, please! With thick-cut peppered bacon and a flavorful Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce, this burger is NOT for the faint of heart. (via The Chunky Chef)
8. Filthy Burger (Beef, Barbecue Pulled Pork and Bacon Burgers): You’re probably used to seeing bacon or pulled pork on top of a burger, but what about mixed into the ground beef? While the burger is cooking, the bacon and pulled pork are infusing the whole patty with their flavor, creating a taste experience like no other. (via Foodie With Family)
9. Greek Burgers: Fresh toppings like cucumber, tomato and feta allow for the pure flavor of this burger to really shine. Creamy tzatziki would be a great topping for these Greek-inspired patties. (via The Ruby Kitchen)
10. BBQ Havarti Burgers With Sweet Potato Curly Fries: Grab a bib, because this burger doesn’t care if it ruins your favorite summer dress. Crispy sweet potato fries are definitely the perfect topping for this over-the-top masterpiece of a sandwich. (via How Sweet It Is)
11. Grilled Pineapple Hawaiian Burgers: Grilling your fruit intensifies the sweetness, giving it a caramelized char-grilled flavor that goes perfectly on top of a burger. Tangy Swiss cheese is a nice balance to the richness of the meat, but you could also use something like a white cheddar if you prefer. (via Joanie Simon)
12. Jalapeño Turkey Burgers With Grilled Corn Cotija Salsa and Avocado: Take your burgers south of the border with this spicy recipe. Using ground turkey lightens up the meal, but doesn’t skimp on the flavor. (via Spices in My DNA)
13. Ranch Burgers With Secret Sauce: Craving that classic burger taste with a certain “special sauce”? No need to hop in the car to hit up the drive-thru — this one will do the trick and then some. (via Lil’ Luna)
14. Red Wine Cheeseburgers: Nothing will soothe your soul more than a juicy burger soaked in a red wine reduction. SLAY. Caramelized onions complete the dream, but if you really want to make it a meal to remember… add bacon. (via Jennifer Meyering)
15. Salmon Burgers With Pickled Onion and Lemon Garlic Mayo: If fish is more your speed, you can’t go wrong with a salmon burger. Lemon and pickled onion both add a tart freshness that pairs perfectly with this bright sandwich. (via Southern Boy Dishes)
16. Salsa Chicken Burgers With Cilantro-Avocado Sauce: Ground chicken is a great blank canvas to build your burger around. Since it doesn’t have a distinct flavor, you can really play with fun ingredients that pack a serious punch, like salsa and guacamole. (via Back to Her Roots)
17. Spicy Chickpea Veggie Burgers With Jalapeño and Zucchini: These burgers may be made entirely of veggies and beans, but they’re a winner for meat eaters and vegetarians alike. Topped with a honey-lime slaw and Sriracha mayo, the flavors here are finger-licking good. (via Peas and Crayons)
18. Cheeseburgers With Stout-Glazed Bacon, Crispy Onions and Sriracha Aioli: You might call this burger high maintenance — a diva, if you will. But sometimes a diva is just what we all need. These would be great served to company with a stout on the side. (via Yes to Yolks)
19. Surf ‘N’ Turf Sliders: Date night surf ‘n’ turf doesn’t have to mean expensive filet and lobster tail. A good quality beef burger, fried jumbo shrimp and roasted asparagus are all you need for a special and delicious meal. Genius. (via The Candid Appetite)
20. Super Juicy Teriyaki Burger: These thick six-ounce burgers are so juicy and flavorful, you won’t believe how easy they are to make. Brie or blue cheese works best with the teriyaki sauce, but feel free to sub in whatever you prefer. (via Hapa Nom Nom)
21. Lentil Walnut Burgers: Lentils are a great option for vegan burgers. The resulting texture is similar to that of ground meat, and they hold together well while cooking. Whip up a quick avocado ranch to drizzle on top and chow down! (via Vegan Richa)
22. Whiskey Beef Sliders With Caramelized Onions, Bacon and Homemade Buns: Slider buns are pretty easy to find these days, but if you want a truly bite-sized burger, you may want to make them yourself. The good news is homemade buns are easier to make than you would think and are SO worth the effort, especially if you’re serving them at a dinner party, which these burgers are made for. (via Cooks With Cocktails)
23. Asian Turkey Burgers With Kimchi: The star of this recipe is definitely the crunchy homemade kimchi gracing the top. Each ingredient is perfectly coordinated to enhance the flavors without competing with one another. If you’re a fan of Asian cuisine, this is your burger. (via The Gourmet RD)
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Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
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You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures