Deconstructed Pesto Turkey Burger with Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries

I had my first turkey burger a few weekends ago and have been thinking about it ever since. I'm not really sure why we haven't ever made them before because they are healthy and tasty, and turkey can take on so many flavors. I have now made two different kinds of my own, and this is the first. I love pesto so I decided instead of just doing the burger plain and adding the pesto on top that I would put all the flavors of pesto right into the patties. They turned out great!

Deconstructed Pesto Turkey Burger

Deconstructed Pesto Turkey Burger 

1 lb ground turkey breast

1/2 C fresh basil leaves, torn

1/2 C toasted pine nuts

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 C Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Zest of 1 lemon

Pesto (optional for topping)

Roasted red peppers (optional for topping)

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together with hands to incorporate well. Form into 4 patties. 

They even look good raw!

Heat a large skillet on medium to medium-high heat and spray with cook spray. Place all 4 patties in the pan and put the lid on it. Cook burgers on each side for 3-4 minutes, or until cooked all the way through. (Normally we would have grilled these, but a little critter chewed through our propane hose! Weird!) I think having the lid on the pan made the burgers stay juicy.

1/2 C of pine nuts may seem like a lot for 1 lb of meat, but you will loose a few in the pan. 

I topped my burger with a little pesto and some roasted red peppers just to finish it off. I paired it with my homemade chipotle sweet potato fries.

 

Homemade Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries

2 large sweet potatoes, washed

Cook spray

1 tsp seasoned salt

1 tsp Cajun/creole seasoning

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line large baking sheet with foil. Cut sweet potatoes into strips and try to keep them the same size. Put potatoes in a large bowl and coat with cook spray. Add seasonings and toss to coat evenly. Put potatoes on baking sheet and cook for about 40 minutes.