Havarti and Almond Turkey Burgers

When most think of tailgating food, the thought of a turkey burger does not pop up, especially with men.  Nonetheless, when I started creating a new cheeseburger recipe for the tailgating season, I could not get turkey out of my head!  So, I followed my instinct and went with it.

My husband and I are hamburger fanatics.  We can never pass up trying out new burger dives, and when we grill at home, most of the time we are grilling burgers.  It somehow just resonates in our blood to eat burgers, and eat them well.  Our toddler is definitely our offspring, as he also joyfully gobbles them up.

Whenever we’d invite people over to a “bring your own meat” type cookout, we would usually snicker about those who brought turkey burgers, exclaiming how flat and unappetizing they looked.  Just seeing them was a huge turn-off for us, and we nobly assured one another that we “would never” perverse our grill to ground turkey.

Are you following me on how peculiar it is that I decided to create a turkey burger recipe at the beginning of this football season??  I still have no idea why I chose it, but I am immensely elated with the results and now this turkey burger has become a regular in our household.

Turkey and Havarti cheese go well together, and the addition of the ground almond into the meat was a perfect way to blend in more fitting flavors while helping to hold the patties together.  If you are familiar at all with turkey burgers, you will find that one of the main obstacles is shaping the perfect patties so they do not dry out and fall apart.  For these, I was able to put together the perfect combination of liquid and dry spices, while avoiding a typical flat patty.  (We make only 3 patties out of 1 lb of meat to ensure thicker burgers.)

The best way to grill turkey burgers is to directly place them over the hottest area for the first interval (flipping once) then slide the patties to the cooler part of the grill to finish cooking.  This helps you achieve the desired 160˚F internal temperature without charring the outside.  I hope your perspective of turkey burgers is refashioned after trying this recipe, as was mine.

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Havarti and Almond Turkey Burgers

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 3 turkey burgers

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey (preferably 93% lean)
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup ground slivered almonds
• 3 slices of Havarti cheese
• 3 burger buns
• Tomato slices and lettuce , and other toppings as desired

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl. Use your hands to thoroughly mix, then shape into three thick patties.
2. For a charcoal grill, place patties directly over hot coals for 6 to 8 minutes (flipping once) then slide the patties away from the coals and cook for an additional 5 to 7 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 160?F.
3. For a gas grill, cook for 8 to 10 minutes over high heat (flipping once), then slide to medium-low heat and cook an additional 5 to 7 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 160?F.
4. Place a slice of Wisconsin Havarti cheese on top of each cooked patty and continue to heat on the grill until the cheese is partially melted. Grill the buns, if desired. Serve topped with a tomato slice and lettuce.