Why Eat a Plain Burger?

Smoky Sun-Dried Tomato Turkey Burgers

Photo by Lorelle Del Matto

 Autumn will be here in a couple of days and I waged a small culinary protest to the end of summer by heading out to grill a batch of burgers.  Not that weather ever stops me from grilling.  I go out in boots and raincoats as needed; it’s just so much more pleasant when the air is warm, as it was when I made this recipe using a quintessential summer ingredient, barbecue sauce.  Why eat a plain burger when you can have fun doctoring up lean ground turkey?  This recipe adds green onion and sun-dried tomato along with the sauce for a zesty finish.  It begs for a slice of sharp cheddar on top. 

 Turkey Tip:  With the exception of ground meat, I don’t freeze uncooked meat as the quality suffers.  I keep a couple of 1-pound cylinders of frozen Diestel ground turkey in the freezer for burger and meatball cravings.   For burgers, I use turkey with 5 grams of fat per 4-ounce serving, lean but not too lean.  Ground turkey breast produces a dry burger unless you add a fair amount of additional fat to the mix. 

 Cheese Tip:  If you’re looking to trim saturated fat from you diet and must have cheese on your burger, try reduced-fat cheddar.  We  always keep a block of  Kerrygold  Reduced Fat Aged Cheddar or  Trader Joe’s Reduce-Fat Sharp Celtic Cheddar on hand for sandwiches, snacks, omelets and even pizzas.    

 Smoky Sun-Dried Tomato Turkey Burgers

 1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup fresh whole grain bread crumbs*
1/4 cup chopped oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
1/4 cup smoky barbecue sauce
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 whole grain buns
Toppings, as desired

 In large bowl, combine turkey with remaining ingredients; blend well.  Form into 4 patties.  Grill, broil or pan-fry as desired, turning once, until cooked through.  Makes 4 servings. 

 *Remove crust from 1 slice of bread and whirl in food processor.

 Copyright © Lorelle S Del Matto 2011

lorelle About lorelle

Crazy about cooking, eating and sharing good food – my work and leisure revolve around the kitchen. As a culinary dietitian my professional life encompasses nutrition counseling and education, recipe development, product development, food and nutrition writing, marketing communications, corporate test kitchen and consumer affairs management, food styling and work as a product spokesperson.

Trackbacks

  1. […] Burgers have gone wild over the past few years.  No longer just a patty of ground beef, you can easily find  recipes for veggie, salmon, Greek, Southwest, California, Middle Eastern falafel, Japanese pork and shitake, French herbes de Provence burgers– and more. And then there are the add-ons.  Stuff your burger with the best artisan cheese, top it with homemade sauerkraut or kimchee and drizzle it with exotic mustard, salsa, sriracha or something similar.    Here’s a link to a recipe I shared for a Smoky Sun-Dried Tomato burger.  […]

Speak Your Mind

*