Mango Turkey Burgers

I know what you're probably thinking - "Mango? In a turkey burger?" I was thinking the same thing when I first stumbled across this recipe. I decided to give it a try, though, and I was very glad that I did! 

I am not a huge fan of red meat, but I do love burgers. Typically I'll choose a turkey burger over a regular hamburger, but turkey burgers often taste very plain and sometimes dry. I was drawn to this recipe because I figured that the mango preserves would add some flavor and moistness to the burgers - and mozzarella cheese makes everything taste better!

Finding mango chutney wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, but I found mango preserves in the second grocery store I tried and it was worth the hunt. The mango adds a perfect amount of sweetness to the ground turkey. I'm not sure whether any other flavor of chutney or preserves would work as well, but you can certainly try.

It took less than 10 minutes of prep work to mix the ingredients and form the patties, then I had an excuse to use my new grill pan for the first time (there was no way we were grilling outside during the polar vortex!).  I charred the outside of the burgers a bit more than I would have liked, but that's more a symptom of not knowing how to use the grill pan settings properly.

The end result was exactly as I hoped it would be - the burger was juicy, and flavorful enough that we didn't need to add any condiments. Homemade sweet potato fries were a perfect compliment to the burger, and I think it was a much tastier meal than your standard burger and french fries (and healthier, as well!).

Mango Turkey Burgers

(Recipe Credit: The Dinner Mom) 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella 
• 1/4 cup green onion, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup mango chutney/preserves 
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 lb. ground turkey breast
• Hamburger buns

Directions:

1. Add the first 6 ingredients to a large bowl and mix well.
2. Add the ground turkey to the bowl and fold in the other ingredients so that they are evenly distributed. Don't overmix.
3. Shape patties into 4 equally sized burgers. 
4. Grill over medium heat until cooked through.
5. Serve in a hamburger bun.

*Makes 4 patties

Baked Turkey Croquettes

I love the traditional turkey dinner at Thanksgiving - as long as I could get my hands on some of the dark meat! However, I've always most looked forward to the turkey croquettes that my mom makes with the leftover turkey a few days after Thanksgiving. Fried turkey goodness, what's not to love? 

For the past 2 years, I haven't been able to go home for Thanksgiving, and so I got my mom's recipe for the croquettes. She's been using the same recipe that she found in a newspaper for as long as I can remember. I knew I wanted to make them slightly healthier than my mom makes them (she fries them in lots of oil).

The few healthier recipes that I found online strayed too far from the recipe that I know and love. I realized that I could just make a few simple changes and bake the croquettes rather than fry them to create a healthier, but equally delicious, meal. 

This recipe is a great way to use any leftover turkey you may have from the holidays, and they freeze well so feel free to double the recipe if you have a lot of turkey. This year, we knew we wouldn't have any leftovers from Thanksgiving because we weren't hosting, so we bought an extra turkey just to have some leftovers! 

Baked Turkey Croquettes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp instant onion mix
1 cup low-fat milk
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 slices white bread, shredded
2 cups cooked turkey, shredded
1/2 cup flour (for rolling)
1 egg (slightly beaten)
3/4 cup packaged breadcrumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Melt margarine in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

3. Add 1/4 cup flour, salt, pepper, and instant onion to the saucepan, and stir.

4. Slowly add in milk and Worcestershire sauce, stirring consistently. Cook over medium heat until the mixture becomes thick and bubbly.

5. Add in the shredded bread slices and the turkey, and stir until the mixture is fully blended.

6. Shape the turkey mixture into approximately 10 equal-sized balls (they should be about the size of golf balls).

7. Roll each ball lightly in flour, then dip in beaten egg mixture and roll in breadcrumbs until thoroughly coated.

8. Add each croquette to a greased baking sheet. Spray the top of each croquette with olive oil.

9. Bake the croquettes for 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, and enjoy!

Serving size: 2-3 croquettes

Light Deep Dish Taco Pizza

If you can’t tell already, I’m a huge fan of Mexican food. Like any good Italian-American, I also love pizza. So when I discovered a recipe for a skinny taco pizza (deep dish, no less!), I obviously had to try it out. And I was very glad that I did!

The pizza was very easy to make; the only step that took any real time was browning the ground turkey, and the entire recipe used only one skillet and one baking dish. The results were fantastic (albeit a bit messy to eat) - the crescent roll crust was fluffy and buttery, the taco filling was flavorful, and one slice was very filling. 

You’ll also notice that the recipe calls for 1 ½ cans of crescent rolls, which left me with an extra ½ can of crescent rolls. I rolled them up and popped them into the oven after the taco pizza finished cooking, for an extra treat!

And the best part of this meal was that Rick and I had enough leftover taco pizza for another 2 servings each! The crust was slightly soft when microwaved, but it still made for a delicious lunch the next day.

Light Deep Dish Taco Pizza

(Adapted from Skinny Mom)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 14.5oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel), drained
• 1 packet reduced-sodium taco seasoning
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cans reduced fat crescent rolls
• 1 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese
• Salsa (to garnish)
• Fat free sour cream (to garnish)

Directions:

1. Brown ground turkey meat and onion in a large skillet and drain well
2. Stir in water, seasoning, and drained tomatoes to meat/onion mixture
3. In a 9x13 baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray, press crescent rolls into the bottom and halfway up the sides
4. Spoon meat mixture over the crescent roll layer
5. Bake at 425 degrees F for approximately 10 minutes (it may take less time to cook, keep an eye on the crust)
6. Remove from oven and top with cheese
7. Return to the oven for approximately 5 minutes, or until the cheese melts and crust browns
8. Garnish with sour cream and salsa and serve

*Makes 6 servings