Apple Maple Turkey Burgers with Maple-Dijon Sauce

I am on such a burger kick. I have a slew of slew of new recipes and this one was so unique I had to give it a try. Sounds a bit odd and I had to buy some of the ingredients just for this recipe. They came together super fast, no chopping which I always like too.

DO you have any burgers that are out of the ordinary? I am always on the hunt for some new recipes to add to my collection

Apple Maple Turkey Burgers with Maple-Dijon Sauce

borrowed from The Food Network

Ingredients

For Maple-Dijon Sauce:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons real maple syrup

For Burgers:

• 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey breast
• 1/4 cup real bacon bits
• 1/2 cup chunky applesauce
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Hamburger Buns
• Hamburger condiments

Directions

Set up grill for direct cooking over medium heat. Oil grate when ready to start cooking.

For Maple-Dijon Sauce: In a small bowl, stir to combine mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and 2 tablespoons maple syrup; set aside.

For Turkey Burgers: In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients for burgers. Wet hands to prevent sticking and shape into 4 patties.

Place burgers on hot oiled grill for 5 to 6 minutes per side or until done.

Serve on buns with traditional burger condiments and a dollop of maple-Dijon sauce.

Note - Indoor: Prepare burgers as directed. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot add burgers and cook 5 to 7 minutes per side or until done.

VERDICT

These had a really different, unique flavor. I really liked them for something different. They were very juicy and I really liked the sauce....A LOT! They could have used some lettuce or something to make the picture look better because they dont look so hot, but seriously they are really delicious. The hint of bacon with the hint of apples really comes through.

Pretzel Chicken

I made this recipe on Nov. 2nd. I guess with the computer crash of 09' and then the holidays I never blogged it. I am doing this for 2 reasons. 1-Its a great idea that has a lot of promise 2-Its probably the most fattening meal I have made in 09' so it deserves to not be forgotten just for the 2 lbs I probably gained by eating it. AND silly me, I just found the entry I meant to post but never did with verdict and everything. Wish I knew that sooner. Oopsie.

Pretzel-Crusted Chicken and Zucchini Strips with Cheddar-Spicy Mustard Dipping Sauce

adapted from Rachael Ray Show Dec. 26 2006

Ingredients

• 1 bag of salted pretzels, any shape
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 eggs *** I ended up needing 3 eggs***
• 2 small, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips 1/2-inch thick
• 2 medium to large zucchini, cut in quarters lengthwise then into strips 3 to 4 inches long
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) (eyeball it) **I don’t know how ¼ cup of EVOO would be ¼ of the way up the skillet—I guess it was a small skillet***

I halved the sauce recipe because it was just the 3 of us. It was just the right amount.

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups milk
• 3/4 pound (about 2 1/2 cups) sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 heaping tablespoons spicy brown mustard, such as Gulden’s
• 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 3 to 4-inch sticks
• 3 celery stalks, cut into 3 to 4-inch sticks
• 2 large sour dill pickles

Yields: 5-6 servings

Preparation

Preheat oven to 200°F.

Place the pretzels in a food processor or blender and grind until fine.

Transfer the ground pretzels to a shallow dish, add the thyme and some pepper, and mix to combine.

Crack and beat 2 eggs in a second shallow dish with a splash of water.

Coat the chicken breast and zucchini strips in the ground pretzels, then in egg, then in the pretzels again.

Preheat a large skillet with the EVOO, enough to go 1/4 inch up the sides of the skillet.

Add the pretzel-coated chicken breast to the hot oil.

Cook in a single layer, in two batches if necessary, about 3-4 minutes on each side, until cutlets' juices run clear and the breading is evenly browned.

Transfer the finished chicken strips to the oven to keep warm. Repeat the same process with the zucchini.

While the zucchini is frying, heat a medium saucepot over medium heat, melt butter and add the flour.

Cook flour and butter for 1 minute then whisk in the milk.

When the milk comes to a bubble, stir in cheese and mustard with a wooden spoon.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and remove from heat.

Transfer the fried pretzel-crusted chicken and zucchini pieces to a serving plate.

Serve the mustard-cheddar sauce, carrot and celery sticks, and pickle spears alongside

VERDICT
Ok so if you know me and you follow this blog you know we don’t really eat fried food in our house. This recipe is FULL of FAT. ALL OVER THE PLACE. You cant escape it. I didn’t realize when I chose this recipe that it was really just frying the entire meal in oil. A few carrotts and celery arent going to make up for it. BUT it was good. I cant lie. The cheese sauce was awesome and would be perfect for soft pretzels too. I need to work on a lighter version because I did like the pretzel crumbs. I guess if you made these for a party or a special treat it isnt so bad but wow, that was a lot of fried everything on my plate. I just wasn’t expecting it!!!!

Cheesy Stuffed Shells

First off, I have been sick as a dog so my cooking has been slacking. I Still got dinner on the table but it wasn’t out of love of cooking it was the basic need to feed a bunch of hungry family members. And my blogging had to wait also, this was from last week. Tonight I had a new recipe all planned out and then I did a switcheroo and made the yummy Chicken Cacciatore Ravioli Stew again. I do love that soup. I had to change a few things because I didnt know I was making it, and it was just as good. This will be a regular this fall/winter

I still am not sure why I tackled this recipe on a weeknight…while I was sick…after I took a long nap….and only had a short time to get a hungry toddler fed. This is a Sunday night meal for sure. I was really wanting something Italian and I went through my cooking magazines that I obsessively buy and this was a pull from the latest Food Network Magazine. I always buy the magazines and then never make what’s in them. So I decided it’s time to get my money's worth. This makes a ton of food. We had leftovers for days. I would suggest using the biggest darn pan you have.
I altered the original recipe because it used Tofu and hmm, well I can't be comfortable with spending hours making something and then gambling on tofu. It also had cottage cheese as the stuffing cheese. No self respecting Italian uses Cottage cheese!!!! They pictured the mom who made up this recipe and she in fact looks very mid-western so it isn't her fault, how could she know--but we know better!!!!

Cheesy Stuffed Shells
adapted from Food Network Magazine Oct 2009
this picture doesn't really do them justice since they are covered in sauce and cheese--sorry

Ingredients
For the Sauce
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup grated zucchini
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 20 ozs package of ground turkey
Freshly ground pepper

For the Shells
1 12-ounce box jumbo pasta shells
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Cooking spray

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Cook ground turkey until crumbled and brown

Add the carrot, zucchini, onion and celery and saute until soft but not brown, 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the basil, oregano, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and 2 cups water.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, prepare the shells: Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 8 minutes; drain. Mix the spinach, ricotta cheese, Parmesan, 1/2 cup mozzarella, the egg and garlic in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Mist a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Spread about 1 cup of the sauce in the dish.

Stuff the cheese mixture into the shells and place in the baking dish, open-side up.

Pour the remaining sauce over the shells.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Uncover, sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and bake for 15 minutes.

Let cool slightly before serving.

VERDICT

Ok so it was a lot of work. Lots of steps, lots of ingredients, but WOW!!!

It was worth the effort (thank goodness). What I really liked was the extra addition of the hidden veggies. Even if you don't make shells, the sauce would be great with regular pasta. You didn't know the veggies were there but it was a really great sauce on its own. I really liked the shell cheese mixture too. Sometimes there is something about the stuffing I don't quite like but this one was excellent. I didn't like that I had so many shells leftover that I threw in the garbage. I think I over stuff my shells....so next time I think I will stick with 1/2 the box. I think it made around 25 shells as it is. I think I could have even stuffed them more. I am not sure how the original recipe was but this was really awesome. It would be a great meal to Entertain with because a few shells go a long way and they just look really impressive. I know my picture kind of stinks but after cooking them forever, and being near collapse, I just wanted to eat.