I use a lot of ground turkey because it's inexpensive (or at least it used to be...) and nutritious. Ground turkey also tastes really good, especially if you turn it into turkey Parmesan burgers or patties. This recipe requires only a modest amount of ground turkey--a half to three-quarters of a pound will be fine--and relies on cottage cheese to boost the protein content in the burgers as well as to keep the burgers moist and tender. The burgers--or patties, if you prefer--are seasoned with onion and Italian seasoning and have plenty of flavor. I use Parmesan cheese in the meat mixture as well as to top the finished burgers/patties. The cheese and breadcrumbs in the mixture provide plenty of saltiness as well as flavor, so use a gentle hand with the salt. Try the turkey burgers/patties on crispy buns or atop pasta. Enjoy!
Turkey Parmesan Burgers/Patties -- Serves 4
1/2 -3/4 pound of ground turkey (93 percent)
1/4 cup of chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
Salt if you want (1/4 teaspoon is plenty)
1 teaspoon of Italian herb seasoning
1/2 cup of cottage cheese (low fat is fine)
1 large egg
1/4 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs
1-2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
2-3 teaspoons of olive or canola oil
8-ounce can of tomato sauce
1/4 cup of shaved Parmesan cheese
In a large bowl mix together well the ground turkey, onion, garlic powder, pepper, salt, Italian seasoning, cottage cheese, and egg. Stir in the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese until blended. Heat the oil over medium heat in a non-stick skillet. Form 4 burgers/patties with the turkey mixture and put the patties in the warm pan (the pan doesn't need to be super hot, or it will burn the turkey burgers). Add a tablespoon or so of water to the pan and cover the pan. Let the turkey burgers cook for 5-6 minutes, then turn them over, add another spoonful of water to the pan, and let the burgers cook another 5-6 minutes or until they are done (reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees). Pour the tomato sauce over the burgers/patties and sprinkle the shaved Parmesan on top of the burgers/patties. Turn the heat down to low and cover the pan for a few minutes until the sauce is hot and the cheese has melted. Turn off the heat and serve the patties on toasted buns or on top of pasta.
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