Mushroom Crusted Turkey Burgers

A few years ago, I made mushroom crusted filets that were divine... so when I saw a twist on that, in a burger form, I knew I had to give it a shot. These were delicious! The mushroom gives an earthiness to the burger and, I think, holds in the moisture better. Though I may just be making that part up, I do know that these turkey burgers were not dry at all - which is often the case when you swap beef for turkey.

I'm sure you could grill these (they hold together fairly well) but since it was raining, I reached for my handy dandy cast iron skillet to get a great sear on it. Either way you cook it, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how easy and delicious these turned out.

PSA: Don't attempt to grind your dried mushrooms in your mini chopper like I did. It nearly killed my machine. Go for the food processor and save yourself the headache (though a coffee bean grinder might work!)

Mushroom Crusted Turkey Burgers
1 oz dried mushrooms
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/4 lbs ground turkey
1 scallion, minced
2 Tbs minced fresh parsley
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs oil
4 slices Havarti cheese
4 burger buns, split
arugula, for serving (we used spinach instead)

In the bowl of a food processor, grind the dried mushrooms until they are a coarse powder. Reserve 2 teaspoons of the powder, and transfer the rest to a shallow bowl or pie plate and mix in the salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, reserved mushroom powder, scallion, parsley, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Form into 4 equal-sized patties.

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat, and add the oil.

Working one burger at a time, coat the outside with the mushroom powder, pressing lightly to adhere.

Cook the burgers 4-5 minutes per side, or until the meat is cooked through. Add the cheese for the last minute or two, and continue cooking until it has melted.

Toast the buns and serve the burgers topped with arugula.

Source: Pink Parsley