Turkey Patty Melts

I know this may sound un-American, but I've never been much for turkey, even on Thanksgiving (although I highly recommend deep frying a turkey, if only just for the sheer thrill of it). The only exceptions so far seem to be turkey meatballs and turkey patties (which, when it comes down to it, are basically smushed turkey meatballs). Add some cheese, caramelized onions and toasty rye bread and I'm enjoying turkey. (Cue patriotic music ♪ ♫.) 

   

TURKEY PATTY MELTS

Yield: 4 servings

Caramelized Onions:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 large, yellow onions, 1/4-inch slices

salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1/4 cup dry sherry

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

Turkey Patties:

1 1/4 pounds ground turkey

1/2 cup whole milk ricotta

2 tablespoons minced fresh sage

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil

8 slices Swiss cheese

8 slices light rye

4 tablespoons salted butter, softened

yellow mustard, for serving

1.      Caramelized Onions: Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil, let the butter mel,t and then add in the onions and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then cover the pot and lower the heat to medium-low.

2.      Let the onions sweat, steam and soften for 10 to 15 minutes. Uncover the pan and let the onions cook for about an hour, checking on the onions frequently and stirring.

3.      Once the onions are fully caramelized, and a deep golden color, add the sherry and scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the thyme, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

4.      Turkey Patties: In a large bowl, combine the turkey, ricotta, sage, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Divide into 4 equal patties and press them into 1/4-inch-thin rounds.

5.      Heat a cast-iron griddle pan to medium-high heat.

6.      Add the canola oil and sear the patties on the first side until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until cooked through.

7.      For the sandwich build: Place a slice of Swiss cheese on each piece of bread, then a turkey burger, followed by about 1/4 cup caramelized onions. Place the top piece of bread on and then butter each side of the sandwich.

8.      Griddle each side over medium heat until golden, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. If you have a metal bowl, cover the sandwiches so they steam a bit and the cheese will melt faster. Serve with good ol' yellow mustard.

from Jeff Mauro

raw onions

adding sherry to caramelized onions

adding thyme

turkey patty ingredients

mixed

raw turkey patties

cooking the turkey patties

cooked turkey patties

turkey patty on rye and swiss cheese

adding caramelized onions

buttering the bread

grilling

I did cover it with a metal bowl, but all the
photos came out with a hideous reflection
of me in them (and no, you can't see any).

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White Turkey Chili

Seeing as how I don't really like turkey much in the first place, the job of eating most of the leftover turkey at our house fell on my husband's shoulders. So I took pity on the poor guy and jazzed it up into something new so he wouldn't get bored. Of course it's not a bad dish for people who don't like turkey either. There's so much other stuff going on in there to distract you, you might not even notice you're eating turkey at all. That might have worked on me if I hadn't actually cooked it.

WHITE TURKEY CHILI

Yield: 6 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 stalks celery, diced (about 1/2 cup)

3 medium poblano peppers (seeded & white ribs removed), finely diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more to taste

2 (15.5-ounce) cans white beans such as cannelini, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1 lb. cooked white meat turkey, chopped (about 4 cups)

1 (15.5-ounce) can hominy, drained and rinsed

sea salt to taste

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

lime wedges for garnish

1.       Heat the oil in large pot or Dutch oven over moderate heat. Add the onion, celery and poblanos; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander and cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2.       Add the white beans, broth and oregano. Cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes.

3.       Add the turkey, hominy and salt and more cayenne pepper, to taste, and continue cooking, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until liquid has reduced to desired consistency.

4.       Ladle into individual bowls and top each serving with 1 tablespoon yogurt and 1 1/2 teaspoons cilantro. Garnish with a lime wedge.

slightly adapted from Ellie Krieger

poblano peppers

onion, celery and poblanos

adding garlic and spices

adding beans, broth and oregano

adding turkey and hominy

Hominy are hulled corn kernels that have been stripped of
their bran and germ. It comes in white and yellow (I used white).

white turkey chili

My chili would have been whiter, but I ran out of
white meat, so I added some dark meat too.

topped with Greek yogurt, chopped
cilantro and a sprinkling of lime juice

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