Greek turkey burgers

I stepped on the scale last week and was not happy with what I saw. Of course, with the way I've been eating lately I should have known that I would be less than pleased with the numbers on the scale, but a girl can dream.

So in an effort to shed some of this baby weight I've still got hanging around, I am trying to cook and eat healthier. I don't really have much time to read these days, what with an infant in the house and all, but while (very) quickly skimming through the latest issue of Southern Living I found a recipe for turkey burgers. We're big burger fans in our house, but I've heard mixed reviews about turkey. I've heard that they can be dry and tasteless, but this recipe looked like it might be something we (or I...) would like. Anything with feta cheese is worth a try in my book.

Patrick was skeptical. He's a traditional burger kind of guy. But he humored me and grilled them anyway. He even ate one. And liked it!

These burgers aren't dry at all (I think the cucumber sauce helps) and are packed full of flavor. I really liked them a lot - they were so tasty and different from what we usually eat. Patrick liked them, too, and said that they didn't make him feel as full and heavy as a regular hamburger.

If you're looking for an alternative to your usual hamburger, give these a try. We finished them today and will be making them again.


Greek turkey burgers
Recipe courtesy of Southern Living
1 1/3 pounds ground turkey breast
1 (4-oz.) package crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
Vegetable cooking spray, if using a grill pan
1/2 cup grated English cucumber (I couldn't find one, so I used a regular cucumber)
1 (6-oz.) container fat-free Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 French hamburger buns, split and toasted
Toppings: lettuce leaves, tomato slices, thinly sliced cucumber
Garnish: pepperoncini salad peppers

Stir together first 6 ingredients. Shape mixture into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) patties. Heat a grill pan* over medium-high heat. Coat grill pan with cooking spray. Add patties; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Stir together cucumber, yogurt, mint, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a small bowl. Serve burgers on buns with cucumber sauce and desired toppings. Garnish, if desired.

*We used our gas grill and cooked them at 300-400 degrees for about 7 minutes each side.