Grilled Turkey Burgers with Greek Yogurt-Based Sauce

Barbecuing is one of our family's favorite summertime activities. Just imagine...listening to burgers sizzle while sitting by the pool with the kids splishing and splashing, while you sip on a cold cocktail. It doesn't get much better, does it?











Burgers, hot dogs, ribs and steaks are the usual grilling suspects, but often pack a bunch of unnecessary calories. One option to lighten your burgers is to substitute ground turkey for ground beef.





I would recommend using white turkey meat instead of dark meat. Those dark turkey morsels have more fat and calories. However, the dark meat is higher in iron and will make a juicier burger, so if you are craving that, go for it...but maybe cut back on the sauce and non-vegetable garnishes.








When deciding what toppings to choose, you might consider mayonnaise. But have you heard of substituting Greek yogurt instead? I think Greek yogurt is...dare I say it...a better contender to sauce that burger! It's full of protein, comes in a non-fat version, is just as delicious as mayo (if not more), and is so easy to adapt to your family's favorite flavors.










I've created lots of yummy sauces based on Greek yogurt: smoky, chipotle-based dressing for a Southwestern quinoa wrap; cucumber-herb tzatziki sauce; and a garlicky sauce I made for chicken shawarma. Any of them would be great on this burger—or try your own combinations. Mayo fans, you will not miss your favorite condiment when you try this delicious substitute!

Grilled Turkey Burger

Recipe adapted by Epicurean Mom

Yields 4-6 burger patties 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1.5 lbs lean ground white turkey
2 tablespoons basil, chopped
1 teaspoon Worcester sauce
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper



Garnishes:
4 Burger buns
White cheddar cheese
Butter lettuce
Tomato, sliced
Red onion, sliced
Avocado, sliced
Any of the sauce recipes mentioned above



Preparation:
Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium/medium-low heat and add the sliced onions, cook until soft and translucent, about five to seven minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring continuously, until fragrant, about one minute.  Set aside to cool completely.



Preheat grill on medium heat.  Combine cooled onion mixture, ground turkey, basil, Worcester, bread crumbs, salt and pepper, and stir until well combined. Form four patties and set aside until ready to use.



Turn grill to high heat, and clean and oil grill. Place patties on hottest part of grill, and sear on both sides for about two minutes. Move patties to coolest part of grill (turn heat down if needed) and cook an additional 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.



Assemble the turkey burgers with garnishes and slather sauce over the buns. Serve!



This post is part of the BlogHer Light & Fresh Summer Grilling series, which includes 100 percent editorial content presented by a participating sponsor. Our advertisers do not produce editorial content. This post is made possible by Michelob ULTRA Light Cider and BlogHer.

Organic Crispy Chanterelle Mushroom Burger with Caramelized Onions and Gorgonzola

My husband is an avid chanterelle mushroom hunter...Yes mushroom hunter! I never knew about the mushroom culture until I married him. (People will scour the woods, especially after a big rain, and hunt for mushrooms to sell or to enjoy for themselves.)  How lucky am I???  Chanterelle mushrooms, if you can even find them, will run you in a grocery store upwards of $15-$30 per lb.  Expensive little fungi, aren't they!?

Chanterelle's are extremely meaty  and very rich in flavor.  A lot of cooks even consider them to be on the top of the gourmet fungi list, which includes truffles and morels.  Since they're a more robust fungus they really compliment meats.  More often than not I cook the chanterelle's with a beautiful filet mignon, but this time I wanted to try something slightly different. 

Servings: 3
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb organic lean ground beef (of course higher fat beef will have better taste and juicer burgers)
1 cup organic red lettuce (washed)
1 large organic sliced yellow onion
1 Tb olive oil
1 1/2 cup sliced organic chanterelle mushrooms
1 Tb butter
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tsp garlic
1 organic sliced tomato
1 cup gorgonzola cheese
3 hamburger buns
Any condiments of your choosing


Preparation:
Melt 1 Tb butter and garlic in a small or med skillet on med heat for about a min, or until garlic is fragrant.  Add chanterelle's and white wine and cook until chanterelle's are crispy (be sure not to charr them.)

Melt 1 Tb olive oil in a different small or med skillet.  Add the sliced onions and cook until caramelized (browned.)

Heat grill to med/high and oil grates.   Cook the burgers until desired doneness.  Medium is about 5-6 minutes.  Place the buns on the grill for about 1 min.

Assemble the lettuce, tomato, patty, gorgonzola, onions and top with the chanterelles and add any condiment desired.

Recipe adapted from Epicurean Mom