Broiling: An Alternative to Grilling or Skillet Cooking:  10-18-11 Dinner Blog

Broiled Turkey Burgers with Caramelized Onions, Roasted Beets, and a Side Salad

Today I got lucky.  Reprieve from yesterday… I didn’t have the late lacrosse carpool so it was with “managed freneticsism” that I prepared dinner.

I was able to do some pre-prep last night after dinner.  Turning the oven to 400, I roasted the beets for tonight. I washed the beets, cut off the tops and the root, covered them in foil, and put them in a roasting pan for a little over an hour – until I could pierce the beet easily with a fork.

Dinner prep tonight, therefore, was pretty easy.  It was a matter of making and cooking the turkey burgers, warming the beets, and making a side salad.

First I mixed 1 ¾ T of Braggs Liquid Aminos and 1 ¾ T of Worcestershire Sauce into 2 lbs of ground turkey (dark meat).  I made 8 – ¼ lb. patties which, like the last time, were sticky and wet feeling.  Don’t be tempted by the urge to add bread crumbs or flour.  They will turn out fine.

I got out the beets, took off the foil and peeled the skin off the beets.  Then I sliced them, and warmed the beets in the microwave for about a minute. Depending on the strength of your microwave they may need to cook longer. If they are still cold, microwave them for another 45 seconds.  If you need to warm again, judge how cold they are and go for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Turkey Burger Patties and Beets Ready to be Cooked/Warmed

Instead of grilling, I broiled the burgers in the oven.  My mom used to make burgers this way during the winter when we didn’t have access to our barbecue.  Ahead of her time, she never cooked burgers (or bacon) in a skillet.  She always broiled both on a rack, letting the grease drip down into the roasting pan.  Wanting my recipes to be healthy and accessible to all geographies and housing possibilities, I decided to try the broiler. I put the burgers in the broiler and watched carefully with one eye, while I prepared the rest of the meal.

Then I cut the onions and started cooking them on the stove at medium heat with a bit of olive oil. Once they were soft, 4 minutes or so, I added 2 t of balsamic vinegar and 1 t of brown sugar.  I turned the heat way down and left them until dinner was ready, stirring occasionally.

Checking the burgers, it was time to flip after about 3-4 minutes.

Then I cut a tomato, portioned some greens and topped with cashews. You could top with any topping you have at home.  Sunflower seeds, green onion, carrots, strawberries, etc.

Then the burgers were ready.  I served each on a mini whole wheat roll with a dollop of caramelized onions on top (except for my son who had his caramelized onions on the side), and we sat down to eat!

Broiled Turkey Burgers with Caramelized Onions, Roasted Beets and a Side Salad- 3 Servings

The Verdict

Everyone, except my son, really liked the dinner and rated it a 9.  My son rated it a 7 ¾.  He said they were good but they weren’t as good as the last time.  Could the grill make a difference for him?  No one else seemed to think so… Maybe it was because he did not put his delicious caramelized onions on his burger like his mother suggested…

Broiled Turkey Burgers with Caramelized Onions, Roasted Beets and a Side Salad - Kids Portion

My husband who came home later, thought they were excellent.  So, if there isn’t a grill around, don’t put the turkey burgers in a skillet.  Put them under the broiler!