Sundried Tomato Turkey Burgers.

I was reminded over the weekend how much I love sun dried tomatoes and remembered I had some at home. There was some ground turkey in the freezer as well, so I decided to combine that with the tomatoes and make a somewhat healthier burger. I served the turkey burgers with my "I have mastered making frozen fries taste delicious" frozen french fries. Because sometimes I am lazy, not to mention using frozen fries is just plain easier. So I guess I'll share my secret.... let the fries thaw out a bit before you put them in the oven. How simple is that? After they have thawed out some, drizzle them with olive oil, salt, pepper and your desired seasoning. This time I used sprigs of rosemary and parsley from the garden.

I don't measure much when I make up a recipe, which I guess is bad when posting a recipe for others to try. But with burgers, you really don't need exact measurements. Just add what sounds good to you, add more if you really like it! It's really hard to mess up a burger, well unless you over cook it.

Aside from the turkey & tomatoes, I just randomly went through the cupboards and the herb garden and picked out what I thought would be good. The end result was a very flavorful & moist (I hate that word, but couldn't think of another to use) turkey burger. The addition of spinach on top of the burger, added some extra healthiness. Actually the spinach would have been really good in the burger as well. Next time I make these, I'd add more of everything listed below - for even more flavor! This mixture would also be good as meatloaf or meatballs.


Sun Dried Tomato Turkey Burgers

1 lb. turkey
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 Sun dried tomatoes, chopped
Balsamic vinegar
Dried onion
Plain bread crumbs
Fresh rosemary, parsley, thyme & oregano, chopped
Salt & pepper, to taste
Basil mayo

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, except the basil mayo. If the mixture appears to wet for grilling, add more breadcrumbs. If you are using a skillet, the mixture can be more wet - since it can't fall through anything. Form turkey mixture into patties.

2. Grill burgers for about 10 minutes, or until done. Add sliced mozzarella cheese, or cheese of your choice, and allow to melt 1-2 minutes.

3. Serve on a toasted bun topped with basil mayo and spinach.

Yield: 4 burgers

Recipe obtained from: the depths of my brain.


Basil Mayo

Fresh basil, chopped
Mayonnaise

1. Combine basil and mayo in a small container; stir well to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.

You could also add salt & pepper or any other herbs/spices for additional flavor.

Oh and a grilling trick for you, courtesy of the husband's Grandma. After you form the patties, make a hole with your thumb in the middle of the patty. Apparently it allows the burger to retain their size, allowing the burger to stay flatter and reducing the chances of the burger shrinking. Here are some additional links on this amazing fact: how to make a hamburger patty stay flat?, hamburger patty question and oddly enough even the Democratic Underground has posted about this as well.