Tasty Turkey Burgers

As some of you may know, my family and I are in San Francisco this week on vacation.  As the saying goes “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.”  This quote could not be any more true! It is 54 degrees F right now, and has been 54 degrees all day long.  With Dallas reaching temperatures in the 100s, 50 degrees cooler is a VAST difference for me.  Unfortunately for me, I only packed two track suits, one pair of jean capri pants, and only one long sleeve shirt.  I’ve been so tempted to go buy a fleece jacket, but when I return to Dallas in two days, it seems pointless since I’ll soon be wearing shorts, flip flops, and sleeveless tops.
Lucky for you my readers, I found some free time here in San Francisco in which I could blog.  My dad and husband are currently at a San Francisco Giants game, while us girls (my mom, sister, and I) are at our hotel (Cavallo Point) watching the Mavs game and ordering room service (Go Mavs!  They won game 5 in the Finals!)
Today’s post is a recipe for Turkey burgers.  Since I’ve not tried these yet, my mom will be contributing to today’s post since she has made them numerous times and loves them!
Lauren’s favorite turkey burger with Feta cheese and arugula, makes for a great turkey burger with a Greek twist.  My favorite turkey burger are these Tasty Turkey Burgers from the Southern Living Farmer’s Market Cookbook.  We have made these burgers twice in the last few weeks because they are so good.  The first time we made them, we also cooked regular beef hamburgers and my husband thought the turkey burgers were the best.  They are moist… not dry like one might expect and I love the bell pepper flavor.  I toasted the buns on the grill, added mustard and topped the burger with pickles, tomatoes and lettuce.  Leftover burgers are even good eaten cold the next day.  If you like classic burgers, you can substitute 1 pound of ground beef for the turkey.  We have tried that and prefer the turkey. 
~The other half of Dallas Duo (mom)
Combine first 7 ingredients.  Shape into 4 equal-size patties.
Grill for 5 to 6 minutes per side over medium-high heat.  Grill buns.
Top with toppings of your choice: mustard, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, cheese, etc.



Tasty Turkey Burgers
Ingredients
1 lb. ground turkey  (for classic burgers, substitute 1 lb. ground beef)
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 Tbsp. minced dried onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
4 hamburger buns

Directions
1. Preheat grill to 350 to 400 degrees F (medium-high).  Combine first 7 ingredients.  Shape mixture into  4 equal-size patties.
2.  Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in center.
3.  Grill buns, cut sides down, 2 minutes or until toasted.

Yield:  4 servings
Southern Living Farmer’s Market Cookbook:  A Fresh Look at Local Flavor

Arugula Feta Turkey Burgers

Oh my goodness…these Arugula Feta Turkey Burgers are my new favorite!! Ever since I went to Colorado this summer and discovered the Veggie burger, I have been on a quest for eating anything BUT your typical ground meat burger.  I’m up for all of the different kinds of meat and condiment combinations out there. 
On a blog called Eat.Live.Run. , I discovered a recipe for these delicious and healthy turkey burgers.  I am a huge fan of turkey and ever since high school I have packed myself a turkey and spinach sandwich for school everyday.  Well, now that I’ve found these turkey burgers, I grill up 4 to 5 burgers, freeze them and have a whole week’s worth of lunches ready for the week in less than 10 minutes!  
As you know, I am a huge fan of Greek food, in particular hummus, red onions, and FETA cheese!  I cannot get enough of it, so with these turkey burgers I can incorporate all my favorites in just one sandwich.  These burgers are moist, juicy, and flavorful from the feta, and pair perfectly well with extra arugula or spinach and a red onion sliced on top.  Hummus coats the Oroweat Sandwich Thin perfectly for my turkey burger and is full of healthy fats and proteins for a complete meal. 
Let me know what you think of these!  My husband never tried them because I didn’t give him the chance.  He is country boy, and likes his meat that way it should be (he won’t let you alter the classic “American hamburger”).  He also hates Feta cheese… he has no clue what good food he is missing!  Enjoy!
Combine feta, egg, arugula, and turkey together in large bowl.



Grill over medium-high heat on the stove for 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

Serve on a toasted Oroweat Sandwich Thin, sliced red onion, arugula, and extra Feta cheese.
Take a big bite and enjoy!

Arugula Feta Turkey Burgers
Ingredients
1 lb. ground turkey
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 handful of arugula
3/4 cup feta cheese
1 tsp salt
pinch of pepper

Directions
1.  Mix together all ingredients with a fork or your hands, and form four medium sized patties.
2.  Cook patties in a greased skillet over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes per side, or until meat is completely cooked.
3.  Serve on toasted buns with extra feta, sliced red onion, arugula, and ketchup, mustard, or hummus.

Serves:  4
Eat, Live, Run