Bland. Boring and bland. That's what I've got to say about the turkey burgers we had last night, even though by all appearances they looked like they'd be full of flavor. Just goes to show that appearances can be deceiving.
Let's start with the ground turkey. Quite honestly it was more like mystery meat because it didn't taste one bit like turkey - or like anything for that matter. Loaded with Dijon mustard, Italian breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese, you'd think it would have some flavor wouldn't you? Well you'd be wrong.
Visually it didn't look bad at all. Grilled turkey burger topped with avocado, tomato and bacon on a toasty bun, it made my mouth was water. Oh, then there's the cheesy sauce made of mayonnaise, pepper jack cheese and barbecue sauce. I love sauces so expectations were high. Very high. Too high I guess.
The burger was moist, the pepper bacon crisp and yummy, the avocado perfectly ripe and the vine ripened tomato had plenty of punch. The smoky cheesy mayo was rather wonderful, but the burger itself was pure unadulterated milque toast. I'll post the recipe here like I usually do so you can all scope it out, but pray tell - what do you put on your turkey burgers to spice 'em up? I may in the very, very distant future decide to take another stab at it.
Turkey Burgers with Smoky Cheese Mayo (from Canadian Living Magazine)
1 egg
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dry Italian spiced bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1 pound lean ground turkey
4 hamburger buns
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
1 tomato, sliced
2 slices of bacon, cut in half and cooked until crisp
In a medium sized bowl, combine egg, mustard parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Mix in ground turkey. Shape into 4 patties, cover and chill until ready to cook. Heat grill pan over medium heat and cook burgers for 10 minutes, turning once. Remove to plate and keep warm. Heat hamburger buns on grill until warm. Assemble burgers with smoky cheese mayo on the bottom layer of the bun. Top with burger, then with bacon, tomato and avocado. Serves 4
Smoky Cheese Mayo
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1/2 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
Combine ingredients together until well mixed. Download Turkey Burgers with Smoky Cheese Mayo
Hint - for lower carbs, ditch the bun and serve the turkey burger on a tossed green salad!
This just reconfirms my perception of turkey...
Posted by: Nanan | 10/21/2010 at 07:46 AM
Lea - you are too funny!
Posted by: June | 10/21/2010 at 08:25 AM
You're right about it looking delicious!
I always add sauteed onions,peppers,and garlic to my ground turkey for extra moisture and flavor. I skip the bread crumbs because I think that makes them even drier. I also add Penzey's breakfast sausage seasoning to the mix (about a TBSP per pound of meat) and then season the outsides of the burgers with Montreal Steak Seasoning. LOVE THEM!
Posted by: Mags | 10/21/2010 at 03:56 PM
Thanks Mags. I'll try your suggestions next time and season the heck out'a them. LOL
Posted by: June | 10/21/2010 at 04:32 PM