Although barbecuing burgers can be the answer to your easy summer entertaining plans, it often doesn't take long for burger boredom to turn into full-fledged burnout. A patty will grill fast enough, but what to do to pep it up pronto?

Some have turned to stuffed burgers. They can be tasty, but take some extra time in forming the patties and often rely on just one filling, like cheese or compound butter. And that can just as quickly become mundane.

Seasoning may be your simple summer solution. The entire personality of your burger can change dramatically just by sprinkling the meat with a strategic blend of herbs and spices before shaping it into burgers.

Excellent ethnic treats emerge almost instantly. For four servings from a pound-and-a-half of hamburger, consider starting with a base of one teaspoon salt and a quarter teaspoon pepper and then add on from there. A pizza burger? Just toss in a half teaspoon each of dried oregano, dried marjoram and dried thyme, and 1 minced garlic clove. Or simply turn the tables even faster by using a store-bought Italian seasoning blend from your supermarket's spice aisle. The recipe below for Thai-style burgers, kissed with cilantro and lime juice, shows how easy it can be to create exotic standouts.

If you've traveled, you can easily imitate favorites. In Japan, for instance, Freshness Burger, a popular Osaka chain, sells Negimiso Burgers seasoned with miso powder and diced green onions, and a ground chicken teriyaki burger that also has cinnamon, prepared mustard, garlic and minced shallots in the patties.

Thinking about how other meat patties are seasoned can give inspiration if you are used to dabbing your hamburger mix with a bit of salt and pepper. Salmon and crab burgers often get dashes of dill, lemon juice and minced onions to add flavor. Since beef often goes well with "reds," instead of lemon juice, you might substitute grape or pomegranate juice or burgundy wine. And when cooking a roast or other cut of meat, what are your favorite spices? Why not plop the same ones into the bowl of ground beef, like rosemary, cumin, sage or tarragon.

Convenience products are often all it takes to propel a burger to another level. Onion soup mix and store-bought barbecue and steak sauces elevate Food Network's "Semi-Homemade" host Sandra Lee's summer recipe to a real treat. And what could be easier than just pepping up your burger with a few dashes of ground black pepper? Joining the trend of flavored salts, spice leader McCormick has just started selling two enhanced peppers. The Smokehouse variety is infused with the flavor of applewood smoke that lends a wood-smoked taste to recipes. The Worcestershire pepper blend also helps dishes pop.

THAI-STYLE BURGERS

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (85 percent lean works well for this recipe)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons finely chopped basil leaves

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 minced garlic clove

2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce or soy sauce (optional)

Yields 4 servings.

Preheat grill to medium-high.

In medium bowl, combine ground beef and the rest of the ingredients, except for fish sauce or soy sauce. Mix gently but thoroughly with your hands. Divide into 4 equal portions; shape each portion into 3/4-inch-thick patty, patting meat just enough to hold together.

Carefully place burgers on grate over heat. Grill until completely cooked through, at least 4 to 5 minutes per side (the USDA recommends to a minimum internal temperature of 160 F). After turning burgers, brush patties with Asian fish sauce or soy sauce, if desired.

- "Vermont Castings Modern Grilling: More than 300 Recipes and Menus for Grilling Year-Round" edited by Gary Ralph (Quarry, $24.99).

BBQ-STEAK SAUCE BURGERS

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1/4 cup store-bought barbecue sauce

1/4 cup store-bought steak sauce

1 egg

1/4 cup store-bought bread crumbs

1 (1-ounce) packet onion soup mix

Yields 4 servings.

Preheat grill to medium-high.

In medium bowl, combine ground beef and the rest of the ingredients. Stir thoroughly. Divide into 4 equal portions; shape each portion into 3/4-inch-thick patty.

Carefully place burgers on grate over heat. Grill until completely cooked through, at least 4 to 5 minutes per side (the USDA recommends to a minimum internal temperature of 160 F).

- Adapted from "Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Cooking 3: Simple, Speedy & Flavorful Recipes That Taste Like They're Made From Scratch" by Sandra Lee (Meredith, $19.95).

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Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." She also writes the Copley News Service "Cooks' Books" column.

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