Was anyone else obsessed with Top Chef All-Stars? I was sooo excited to see some of my old favorites return for a chance at redemption. And since we always watch with my best friend and her husband, we decided to make things interesting and create a fantasy league. Sadly, my team didn't fare so well (even though I really chose what I thought would be a solid team), but we had so much fun watching every week - especially when Atlanta's own Richard Blais took the title! Anyway, thanks to Fabio and his broken English, I don't think I'll ever be able to eat a burger again without pronouncing it "boooger."
I'm always on the lookout for fun and unique burger recipes, but sometimes a simple and straightforward dinner is what I'm looking for. These burgers are pretty basic, but they are gussied up a bit by the addition of fresh herbs. I added sliced Havarti cheese to mine, and we loved the addition - cheese is always good, right? I actually grilled these burgers the first nice weekend we had here, and while I didn't photograph them, I loved them so much I added them back to the menu shortly thereafter.
I served these burgers with the asparagus with rosemary and goat cheese, and I felt like we were enjoying an upscale burger dinner. And one that we definitely plan to repeat again this spring.
Herbed Turkey Burgers
adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from Simply Recipes
makes 4 burgers
- 2 Tbs olive oil, divided
- 3 Tbs finely diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp minced fresh thyme
- 2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
- 2 tsp minced fresh sage
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 4 slices Havarti cheese
- For serving, tomato slices, onion, lettuce, and buns
In a small saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and transluscent, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
In a large bowl combine the turkey, onions and garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, parsley, rosemary, sage, mustard, and red pepper flakes. Mix in the remaining tablepsoon of oil.
Shape the meat into 4 equal-sized patties.
Oil the grill and cook the burgers 4-6 minutes per side, or until they are evenly browned and cooked through. Add a cheese slice to each burger, close the grill, and cook just until the cheese has melted. Toast the buns if desired. Serve with lettuce, tomato, and onion.
