What better way to enjoy a luscious All-American burger without feeling guilty about it, then with a slider right!? Yes…this recipe uses turkey, but it’s absolutely tasty and super juicy, without all the calories. Plus, portion control is key! And how can you resist that oozing cheese inside. I’ve also included a few of my favorite spreads to further pack on the flavor. Serve these up to your friends and family before football season is over!
-Mel
Health tips: Low fat, heart healthy, kid friendly, diabetes friendly and low carb (without the bun)
Ingredients (4 servings-2 sliders each)
- 16 oz. ground turkey, 85% lean
- 1/2 onion, grated
- 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon parsley, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon non-fat greek yogurt
- 32 – 1/2″ cubes of american or mild cheddar cheese (Tip: It’s your choice of cheese as long as it’s soft and melty, such as Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, etc…); if you can only find the american cheese slices, stack them up until they are 1/2″ tall and then start cutting your cubes.)
- Wheat Hawaiian rolls (Tip: If you’re going low carb, just wrap your slider in greens and go protein style!)
- Standard topping ideas: lettuce and/or arugula, tomatoes, grilled onions, pickles, jalapeños, avocado, mayo, mustard, more cheese if desired, etc…
Spread Options (1 cup)
Special Sauce (Similar to In-N-Out; Inspired by Geoffrey Zakarian’s Ugly Burger sauce)
- 1/2 cup spiced ketchup
- 1/4 cup non-fat greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayo (or can be all greek yogurt)
- 1/4 cup finely minced cornichons (tiny pickles) or regular dill pickles
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 1 teaspoon finely minced shallots
- Salt and pepper
Chipotle Mayo
- 1/2 cup non-fat greek yogurt, 1/2 cup reduced-fat mayo (or can be all greek yogurt), a bit of adobo sauce from the chipotle can or hot sauce (to taste), squeeze of lime
Creamy Dijon (Inspired by Virgil Burgers in Atascadero)
- 6 tablespoons non-fat greek yogurt, 6 tablespoons reduced-fat mayo (or can be all (3/4 cup) greek yogurt), 1/4 cup dijon mustard (to taste)
Avocado Ranch – From our Lean-Green Burger recipe!
Steps
- Using a medium bowl, grate onion over the ground turkey using the grater face down over the bowl. (Tip: This keeps all the juices in the bowl and prevents watery eyes. A little birdy also told me that biting a spoon also prevents watery eyes.)
- Add in the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, Dijon, garlic powder, parsley and greek yogurt and massage in thoroughly.
- Add in the cheese cubes and combine evenly throughout the turkey.
- Separate meat into 8 equal pieces and form patties about 3″ in diameter. Make sure there are 4 cubes spread out in each patty.
- Pre-heat grill on medium with some Pam or olive oil. On one side of the grill, grill patties for about 3-5 minutes on each side, until just cooked through. If you prefer more cheese on top, put it on top of the patty once you turn it over and cover until melted. Watch carefully so you don’t overcook them. On the other side of the grill, if using buns, toast them. (Tip: I grilled onions and toasted my buns in that pan for more flavor.)
- Serve burgers immediately with your choice of toppings and spreads. Enjoy!
Family Apron 