Turkey Burger Sliders

Who isn’t a sucker for a good, juicy hamburger? The warm buttery bread, the juicy meat, the gooey cheese all melding to create a perfect bite! I feel like in recent years burgers have gotten a pretty bad rap. A hamburger by nature is not a “naughty food.” It consists of carbohydrate, protein, sometimes a few veggies. But when you go to a restaurant for a burger you are generally signing up for more than you bargained for. Added fat, salt, cheese, bacon, avocado… Oh my! I don’t know about you but sometimes I really want a burger but I just don’t feel like devoting that many calories to one meal.  

This past weekend Boris worked on Saturday, so that left me with my hamburger craving and the kitchen to myself!  I think he was pretty pleased with the results, blue cheese turkey burger sliders with honey Dijon mustard. This recipe cuts down on the restaurant burger side effects in a few ways. By making it at home you are already in control of how much salt and added fat you put into the burger. You are also inclined to eat less when you are eating sliders simply because of the size. That’s my theory at least, and I’m sticking to it ;-). Ground turkey is also a great substitute for ground beef because of its low fat content. For this recipe I used the 99% fat free ground turkey which has 120 calories and 1.5grams of fat. per 4 oz serving. Extra lean ground beef or 95% contains 150 calories, 6 grams of fat per 4 oz serving.

I hope you enjoy these little guys as much as we did!

Blue Cheese Turkey Burger Sliders with Honey Dijon Mustard

Turkey Patties

Ingredients

• 1 lb (16oz) 99% fat free ground turkey
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 medium sized red onion
• ½ cup blue cheese (you can also substitute shredded cheddar or mozzarella)
• 1 TBS of chili powder
• ½ TSP of cayenne pepper
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Yield: 20 palm sized sliders

Directions

1. Empty the ground turkey into a large bowl.
2. Finely dice the onion and green bell pepper and add to the turkey meat.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix well with a spoon.
4. I eyeballed the size of the patty by making each patty about the size of my palm. For a more accurate estimate, use a an ice cream scoop to scoop out the mixture then  roll the mixture into a ball and flatten with the palm of your hand.
5. Lightly coat the bottom of a sauté pan with olive oil. Place the sauté pan over a medium heat.
6. Test to see if the pan is ready by sprinkling a drop of water on the pan. If it steams immediately, the pan is ready.
7.  Place the patties into the sauté pan. Cook each patty until the underside has turned a golden brown (approximately 2 minutes). Flip the patty over and cook until golden brown (approximately 2 minutes).
8.  The patties are done when a meat thermometer inserted horizontally, reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit.   

For the bun, I used garlic bread from the previous night’s meal, lightly toasted in the oven and cut into squares. I garnished each slider with spring salad mix and a honey Dijon mustard dressing.

The Easiest Honey Mustard Dressing (Ever)

Ingredients

• 2 TBS Dijon mustard
• 1 TSP honey

- Place the mustard and honey in a bowl and mix well.