Monday, July 24, 2006

Kid-Friendly Turkey Burgers

I pulled this recipe from Epicurious.com for Saturday night. The kids did love them, as did Shane. I thought they were kind of bland (missing beef, I guess) nor did I care for the breadcrumbs, though no one else seemed to notice them.

It's not a horrible burger, just boring (note the amount of toppings recommended in the recipe).

A few notes: I substituted garlic salt for the regular salt, reduced the turkey to one pound and the breadcrumbs to a cup, and doubled the amount of olive oil. Even with the reduced amount of turkey, the burgers were big and filling.

Kid-Friendly Turkey Burgers
1½ cups fresh breadcrumbs
½ onion, very finely chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1½ pounds ground turkey meat
4 slices cheddar cheese
4 buns, warmed
Lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced red onion, pickle for serving
Ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, for serving

Combine breadcrumbs, onion, olive oil, salt, pepper, and ground turkey in a medium bowl. Mix with hands until well-blended. Form mixture into four patties, about 1/2-inch thick.

Heat a grill pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Place patties on grill pan. Cook 3 to 5 minutes per side, until completely cooked through. The juices should run clear when poked with a knife. Once patties are flipped, top each with a slice of cheese. Transfer burgers to warmed buns. Serve immediately with choice of toppings. Makes 4 servings.

Grade: B-



10 comments:

Acme Instant Food said...

You are suffering from your own special strain of mad cow disease--you're mad that you have to swear off eating cows!!!

There is an amazing turkey burger recipe on Epicurious that I love
(http://www.epicurious.com/
recipes/recipe_views/views/13254) but it's on the spicy side. I think your kiddos might taste em and turn into Captain Jack Sparrow -- aaarrrrrhhhh!!!

Laura Rebecca said...

Better yet, can they turn my husband into Johnny Depp?

Acme Instant Food said...

D'oh!!!

Laura Rebecca said...

If Shane can nurse a crush on Reese Witherspoon so fierce that I'm forced to sit through a viewing of Just Like Heaven, I'm justified in harboring a deep-seated Depp fetish. (I'm just sayin'.)

Acme Instant Food said...

Maybe you two should officially set up one of those "Celebrity Shag" marriage clauses. Some couples officially agree (because they know it won't ever happen) that if the opportunity arises for either to sleep with their pre-named celebrity obsession they can go for it with no repercussion.

Hhhmmmm...is this off topic? ;)

Laura Rebecca said...

Sure it's off topic, but isn't that what the Internet is for?

Now all we need is a flame war...

Acme Instant Food said...

That doesn't sound good. The world has enough wars right now. I'll behave myself (it'll be tough) and stick to food comments. :)

Anonymous said...

So - back to the subject of turkey burgers (but yes I do love Johnny Depp)and how to make them fabulous. Here is the secret.....terriyaki sauce! I never measure - more than a teaspoon less than a table. I also like to add a few dashes of worcheshire, ketchup of course, and a spoonful of gourmet, grainy mustard - not dijon because I think it is too dry. They taste great and dont even need cheese! Good luck!

Anonymous said...

And WAIT! What is with egg and breadcrumbs?!?! This is burger right? It's not a loaf that bakes in the oven for an hour, but a grilled, juicy, flavorful burger. I understand that turkey is not cow and that turkey meat needs to be cooked till done - but turkey burgers can still be delicious!

Laura Rebecca said...

Teriyaki sauces sounds like something everyone would go for -- great idea!