It doesn't get more traditional than turkey on Thanksgiving! Who doesn't enjoy a few slices of juicy, savory, nap-inducing poultry this time of year?! As delicious as it is, cooking the whole bird is a lot of work. I would know...last year I used all of my grocery store points to earn the free turkey giveaway and went on a personal mission to prove to myself I could accomplish this Thanksgiving classic. It was a success (see below, I was so proud!) but it was a three day event for me. THREE DAYS. Ain't nobody got time for that.
When planning this year's feast I decided to add a modern (and easier!) twist on the Thanksgiving turkey.
Turkey Sliders-
Ingredients-
3 lbs ground turkey
1 Granny Smith Apple
1 large onion
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Pinch of salt
Instructions:
Dice your onion and apple into small pieces. I use my Pampered Chef food chopper (thanks Mary Beth!). Add to a saucepan with the butter, garlic, and salt.
Step two:
Sauté onion and apple mixture for approximately 10 minutes over medium heat. Onions will become translucent. Set aside and allow to cool
Step three:
Once the onion and apple mixture has cooled, add to ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Using your hands or a strong wooden spoon, mix all ingredients until incorporated. Form equal sized mini patties, I used my ice cream scooper as a guide.
Step Four-
Over medium-high heat sear each burger for about 2 minutes per side. Place them onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the turkey is cooked through the middle of the slider.
Fix your baby turkey burgers up with a cheese of your choice. My husband preferred cheddar, where as my sister and I liked goat cheese... mmmm. Slap them on a bun (I used pepperidge farms potato slider buns) and dress it up with some cranberry sauce (do I smell another recipe coming?) It's like Thanksgiving to go, and who wouldn't like that?!
Aren't feeling sliders? The same recipe can be modified to make turkey meatballs. Simply add 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs and 1 egg to your turkey mixture and form into golf ball sized balls. Bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. These are a good option for a unique thanksgiving appetizer!
I got rave reviews at my house for my thanksgiving turkey with a twist, and I hope you do too! Look out for another Thanksgiving series post soon featuring a perfect condiment for this recipe... cranberry sauce!
Gobble gobble!
Happy Thanksgiving friends!