Chris and I decided to avoid the super hot and humid weather yesterday (90 degrees in May?) and held our picnic inside, basking in the comfort of Central Air. (Ahhhhh.) And, instead of grilling outdoors, we used a grill pan on the stove -- with fantastic results.
We wanted burgers, but since we were making turkey burgers and not beef, I decided to go beyond the normal slice of cheddar and give that ground turkey all the help it could get flavor wise. So, I dug around the fridge and pulled out some lovely Gorgonzola and bacon. I thought some soft, buttery onions on top would be amazing, but didn't think Chris would be up for it---until he suggested them himself! Awesome.
This is a lovely, juicy turkey burger recipe that is delish and totally easy yet restaurant-worthy. Yum! (And yes, he ate the onions!)
Gorgonzola and Bacon-Stuffed Turkey Burgers and Brandied Onions
(Makes 4 burgers)
1lb ground turkey (don't use turkey breast--it's too lean)
1/2 cup of Gorgonzola (crumbled)
4 strips bacon (cooked and diced)
Ground Pepper
1 large onion
4 TBS unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 TBS brandy
Red Leaf Lettuce leaves (washed)*
Tomatoes (sliced)*
Barbecue sauce
4 Split-top hamburger buns (toasted)
*optional
To Do:
- Turkey Burgers:
- In a medium-sized bowl, gently mix the ground turkey, Gorgonzola, bacon and a few twists of your pepper mill until incorporated. Do not squeeze.
- Form into 4 round (but not tightly packed) patties and chill until ready to use. When you are ready to grill, bring to room temperature before cooking.
- When ready to grill burgers, gently leave a thumb-print in the middle of each burger and prep grill pan by spraying with cooking spray before heating it.
- Grill burgers about 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through -- the cheese will ooze through and get all caramelized on top. If you want, take a heavy pan or pot lid and place over burgers for the last 3 minutes or so to help finish cooking through.
- Brandied Onions:
- Slice onion and add to pot of melted butter over medium heat.
- Stir onions gently and add in sugar and salt. Stir constantly -- do not let the onions turn brown.
- Once onions have softened a bit, stir in brandy.
- Lower heat and then cook for about 10-15 more minutes or until very soft, stirring often.
- Remove onions from heat and set aside.
- When the burgers are almost done, and if there's room on your grill, add the onions to heat them through. Add the buns to toast (or put them in a 325 degree oven for a few minutes), too.
- Assembly:
- Chris suggests putting your condiments on the bottom part of the toasted bun for less mess. So, top the bottom part of your bun with of a few leaves of lettuce, some tomato slices and a spoonful of onions, add the burger and finish with a dollop of your favorite smoky barbecue sauce.
- I served the burgers with summer pasta salad and grilled asparagus.
- Enjoy!
Happy Summer Picnicking!
xoxo
