Stuffed Turkey Burgers (CEIMB)

I've really been looking forward to this week's recipe for Craving Ellie in My Belly. Not a lot of people seem to really appreciate a well-made turkey burger. I realize that there are many turkey burgers that are not so well made - underseasoned, too dry, or too tough. But I am a big fan of the turkey burger. I try not to eat a lot of beef, so it's a great way to get a burger fix without venturing into beef territory too often.

This recipe seems almost too simple to be a tasty turkey burger. Somehow Ellie worked her magic, and these just work. Some of the other bloggers mentioned it wasn't flavorful enough, so to be on the safe side I added a little bit of cracked red pepper flakes. It was fabulous, but honestly I think I would have loved it even without the addition.

These are big, satisfying burgers with just the right amount of roasted red pepper and melty cheese inside. They are juicy, filled with flavor, and best of all, relatively guilt free. I had mine with just some lettuce, but if you feel like dousing it with your usual burger toppings, you can certainly feel free. I promise you, though, it doesn't need it.

Stuffed Turkey Burgers
adapted from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave
makes 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
1 teaspoon cracked red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
cooking spray
4 whole wheat buns

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat.

2. Divide the ground turkey into four even sections. Divide each section in half, and form 8 small(ish) patties, keeping them pretty flat. Top four of the patties with 2 tablespoons chopped red pepper, 2 tablespoons cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes each. Cover with the remaining patties, and work the turkey around the edges to seal the burgers closed. Season fairly generously with salt and pepper.

3. Spray grill pan with cooking spray. Cook the burgers until cooked through, about 5 minutes each side. (Trust me, when you're eating turkey, medium rare is not a good idea). Put burgers in buns and serve.

Enjoy!