Not Your Mama's Burger

Remember that from Eddie Murphy's Raw? Or was it Delirious? That's all I could think of when making these ginormous turkey burgers!

In my effort to get Oscar and I out of our food rut, you know the one where you eat basically the same 4 meals every week then get so tired of it you eat out for the rest of the week only to start the whole ridiculous process over again on Monday. Yeah that food rut.

Not to mention as an aspiring domestic goddess, I consider it my duty to find new and exciting yet healthy meals for the family. I want to get my practice in now so I have quite the repertoire of healthy and delicious meals under my belt before Ozzie starts eating every meal with us.

So enter this turkey burger. Oscar and I frequently eat turkey burgers, remember the food rut? Our usual turkey burger consists of ground turkey, salt, pepper, Worcestershire maybe some onions or jalapenos. A few weeks ago I wanted to try a new turkey burger recipe and remembered an old magazine clipping from Self magazine that I have been hanging on to for years. This is when I love my recipe binder. It took days to put together but the organized recipes are so wonderful and easy to find.

Okay back to this burger. It was delish. I am so glad I hung on to this recipe and only wish we would have tried it sooner. Give it a try, I bet you like it too. Just remember to buy HUGE buns since the burger is big.

Southwestern Turkey Burgers (from Self magazine)

Ingredients

1 egg white, lightly beaten

1/3 c cheddar cheese, diced (I used shredded)

12 oz. lean ground turkey

1/4 tsp salt

1 c kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/3 c bread crumbs (I used Panko)

2/3 c chopped onion

1/3 c chopped fresh cilantro (from my garden thank you very much!)

2/3 c salsa (plus more for topping)

1 tbsp canola oil

4 large green lettuce leaves (also from my garden!)

4 buns

Directions:

In a large bowl combine egg white, cheese, turkey, salt, kidney beans, bread crumbs, onion, cilantro and salsa and mix thoroughly. Divide mixture and form into four patties. Tuck any pieces of cheese into the burgers with your fingertip to prevent scorching. Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. (I used our Le Creuset grill pan and sprayed with cooking spray) Add burgers and cook 7 minutes per side until cooked through. Serve on buns with lettuce and top with extra salsa (optional).

This from Self, "Turkey's tryptophan spurs your brain to produce feel good serotonin. Have this burger with a chocolate shake since chocolate has stress relieving polyphenols and have a mellow meal!"

Nutritional Analysis per serving:

495 cal

17 g fat (6 g saturated)

54 g carbohydrates

34 g protein

Enjoy!