Herbed Turkey Burgers with Curried Sweet Potatoes

For the second year in a row, I did not celebrate American Thanksgiving.  While I did get to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving this year, it just wasn't quite the same.  So to take my mind off of missing my family, I cooked and I baked a lot this week.  And, most of what I made reflected elements of Thanksgiving dinner.  For example, I made the most delicious turkey burgers in the world - piled high with goat cheese, arugula, grainy mustard, and of course, cranberry sauce.  The burgers were juicy and moist, with all the flavours you'd expect to find at the Thanksgiving table, like fresh sage and rosemary.  I added a tiny bit of spice with some jalapeno peppers and switched out the suggested spinach topping with arugula for a peppery kick.  I also took one of these burgers for lunch at work, and three people stopped by my cubicle to ask if that was my lunch that smelled so good.  Yes, it was!  I could imagine these burgers at a Thanksgiving BBQ in lieu of an actual turkey, they are just that delicious!

P.S. I can't say enough how much I love Pinterest!  It helps me find lots of pretty things and recipes from awesome blogs (like Hungry Girl Por Vida).

P.P.S. You also may have noticed a new badge on the sidebar of the blog.  K&K Test Kitchen is an official member of Food Bloggers of Canada, a new community dedicated to the amazing, talented food bloggers of the Great White North. 

Herbed Turkey Burgers

Slightly adapted from Hungry Girl Por Vida

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 medium onion, diced

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, diced and de-seeded

1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced

1 pound lean, ground turkey

1 egg

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 

2 tablespoons greek yogurt

3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs (add more if necessary)

salt and pepper to taste

goat cheese, grainy mustard, cranberry sauce, and arugula to serve

multi-grain buns

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, sauté onions, garlic, and jalapeno in olive oil. Once onions become translucent, add sage and rosemary and saute another minute. Do not brown or the garlic may burn. Set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl combine ground turkey, egg, yogurt, Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs, and cooled onion/herb mixture. Mix gently to combine. Divide meat into 4 sections and shape into patties (about 1/4-1/2 inch thick), making a shallow well in the center. Refrigerate patties for 20 minutes to firm up.

Heat a heavy skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle patties liberally with salt and pepper, cook, flipping only once, for about 4 minutes on each side. Top with goat cheese, add a splash of water to the pan and cover until liquid evaporates. This will soften the cheese, but not melt it since goat cheese doesn’t really melt. Place burgers on toasted buns with grainy mustard and arugula, top with cranberry sauce.

Curried Sweet Potato Rounds

2 medium-large sweet potatoes, cut into rounds

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 tablespoons olive oil

Pre-heat the oven to 425°F.

Place the sweet potato rounds in a large bowl.  Pour white wine vinegar over the sweet potatoes, to wet them so that the spices stick.  Toss the sweet potatoes with curry powder and chili powder, until well coated.  Finally, add the olive oil and mix well (to seal in the spice). 

Bake at 425°F for 30-45 minutes, depending on the thickness of the rounds.  Potatoes will be done when browned and crispy.