Monday, March 9, 2009

Really Good Turkey Burger Sliders


With Crispy Shallots and Spicy Pimento Cheese

Baby, if you want a burger, you’ve come to the right recipe. Use aged cheddar cheese and do NOT forget the pickles. There’s no secret sauce going on here – this burger is just for you …. and your pals!!

Note: Ask your butcher for a mixture of dark and white turkey meat from a source that produces humanely raised birds without unnecessary hormones or steroids. When grilling, make sure that the burgers reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Watch carefully, so that you do not over cook or you may dry out the burger.

For the crispy shallots:
6 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced, about 3 cups (or 2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup canola oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the pimento cheese:
2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated, about ½ cup
1 (4-ounce) jar chopped pimentos, drained
3 green onions, thinly sliced, about 2 tablespoons
3 tablespoons good quality mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
¼ teaspoon paprika

For the burger:
2 ½ pounds ground turkey (use white and dark parts)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

12 soft potato rolls (about 2-inches in diameter) sliced open horizontally and warmed
2 to 3 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
Sliced dill pickles

Heat the canola oil in a small pot over medium high heat. Add the shallots and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer the shallots until golden (this will take about 20 to 30 minutes). Remove the shallots with a slotted spoon to a dish layered with paper towels. The onions will become crispy. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm in a warming drawer or in the oven on low heat.

Place the cheese, pimento, green onions, mayonnaise, horseradish and paprika into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until the mixture is just combined. Set aside.

Place the ground turkey into a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and Worcestershire sauce. Generously season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to combine and form into 8 patties.

Coat a grill pan with vegetable oil spray and heat on medium high. Place the burgers onto the grill pan and sear on one side, about 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully flip the burgers and cook until seared on the second side, about 3 minutes more. Top each burger with a slathering of pimento cheese. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more so that the cheese begins to melt over the burgers. If the burgers are cooked through and the cheese has not quite melted, melted, remove the pan from the heat and tent with aluminum foil for 5 minutes.

To assemble the Sliders, place the warmed rolls onto a platter. Open the rolls and place a burger patty with the melted cheese onto the bottom half of the roll. Cover the burger with crispy onions. Layer the top half of the roll with slices of tomato and dill pickle. Put the two halves together and dig in!
Makes 6 servings, 2 Sliders per pal
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes for the shallots, 8 minutes for the burgers

1 comment:

Mary A. said...

Can't wait to try these this weekend for my football-watching family!

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