February 21, 2024. Louisville, KY. – Calling all Derby Festival foodies! Festival Fans can help pick the 2024 ‘Derby Burger’ Champion. Dozens of original recipes were submitted for the competition sponsored by the Kentucky Beef Council along with Official Seasoning, Dan-O’s Seasoning, and Kroger. The recipes have been narrowed to the top eight recipes and voting is open online to help choose the final four burgers to move on to the 2024 Derby Burger Challenge Cook-off. Now through February 28, fans can visit KDF.org/DerbyBurger to vote for the burger they want to see make it to the cook-off.
The top eight Derby Burger Challenge finalists are:
- Candy Dan (candied thick-cut bacon, Murray’s Gouda Cheese, hickory bacon, Kroger Sweet & Tangy BBQ Sauce) – Grant Ruble, Louisville
- Chipotle ¡Ole! (cinnamon, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, Roma tomato, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, Gruyere cheese, avocado) – Chase Schnatter, Louisville
- Derby P.L.T. Burger (fried green tomato slices, remoulade, pimento cheese) – Stacy Hoehle, LaGrange, Ky.
- Greek Feta Beef Burger (oregano, parsley, mint, basil, garlic cloves, roasted red pepper, lemon, crumbled feta, tzatziki sauce, tomato, olive oil) – Stephanie Brunell, Bessemer, MI
- Hangover Helper – (spicy guacamole, sharp cheddar cheese slice, smoke center cut bacon, over-easy egg) – Lisa Smith, Louisville
- Jamaican Jerk Burger (Caribbean Rhythms Jerk Seasoning, pineapple, red, green, yellow and orange bell peppers, parsley, cilantro, Malibu Rum, Gouda, arugula) – Ira Mowman, Louisville
- Pesto Provolone Burger (Provolone cheese, DeLallo Traditional Basil Simply Pesto, tomato) – Brian Capps, Louisville
- Southern Smasher (hand-battered fried green tomatoes, applewood smoked bacon, American cheese) – Chastity Owens, Louisville
All burgers must be 100 percent Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef and include Dan-O’s Seasoning in the recipe. Burger recipes are judged based on Taste, Appearance, Creativity and Ease of Preparation. The final cook-off is set for Tuesday, March 12. 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 on the Waterfront during Derby Festival, as well as inside Kroger stores. The winning chef also receives a 2024 Official Derby Festival Poster, two VIP tickets to the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport Thunder VIP Rooftop Party, two VIP tickets to Republic Bank BourbonVille, a $100 gift certificate to Kroger, a grilling prize package courtesy of the Kentucky Beef Council, and a year’s supply of Dan-O’s Seasoning.
