Pan Seared Turkey Patties Smothered in Sauteed Mushrooms

Let me start with an apology. I am so sorry for the poor quality of these pictures! My photographer is back at college in GA, so I was left to go this alone...

and at night with no natural lighting.  Not a good combo!

Rest assured - these patties taste amazing....the pictures don't do them justice

Now that is out of the way, let's talk TURKEY! I like ground turkey as an alternative to ground beef. It has a nice mild flavor that pairs well with your favorite herbs, it is low-carb and leaner than ground round. Just be sure to purchase the ground turkey that includes the dark meat. If you purchase ground turkey breast you will be making a leaner choice, but you will end up with a dry tasteless turkey patty - blech! and you'll pay more for that too :o(

I like to pan sear ground meat patties to seal in the juices with the delicious crust that forms from the high heat. The key to pan searing is using a hot pan. First you'll want to heat the pan over mid-high heat and then spray with cooking spray or add butter, olive oil, or whatever kind of fat you are using.  Don't let the fat burn in the pan, add your patties right away and leave them alone! This is key - you have to let them sit in the pan to get that nice sear on them. If you move them too soon that yummy crust will be left in the pan, and that would be sad :o(  In most cases the food is ready to be flipped when it releases easily from the pan 

I could go on and on about how good these were, but you really have to try them for yourself! It was love at first bite for me! I was originally going to serve these with a cauliflower mash (recipe here) and freshly steamed green beans, but my local grocer was out of cauliflower! WHAT??  That was a first! So I grabbed a bag of salad (actually 2 because they were on a BOGO Free sale!), and the salad worked well with this for a deliciously easy low carb (and low cost) meal that I would eat again tonight if I could!

Ingredients

8oz container of sliced fresh mushrooms

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1 to 1.5 lbs ground turkey

1-2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1-2 teaspoons freshly minced garlic

1/4-1/2 cup shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese

4 slices of your favorite cheese

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions

Place your ground turkey, fresh basil, and minced garlic in a large bowl and combine well.  Add salt and pepper. Mix in enough Parmesan cheese to bind it together nicely, and form into patties.  Adjust your seasonings according to the amount of turkey you have and to suit your tastes. For example: I used 1 1/4 lbs ground turkey with about 1.5 tablespoons of fresh basil, 1 teaspoon of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese (I do not recommend using the grated Parmesan that comes in the can - it will not produce the same results as shredded or shaved). I used american cheese slices because I like how creamy it is. This made 4 patties.

In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat and add mushrooms. Saute until mushrooms start to release their juices (about 5 minutes) and then reduce heat to mid-low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until soft and tasty. Salt to your liking, and remove from pan and keep warm.

Reheat the same skillet over mid-high heat. When good and hot (water droplet should sizzle on it), melt 1 tablespoon of butter. The butter will melt very quickly, so be sure you have your turkey patties ready to go in the pan. Add the turkey patties, cover and let cook for a good 5 minutes. It is important not to move them around! Just let them sit there so they get a nice sear. If they start to burn (you'll smell it), then your pan is too hot. Adjust the temp and flip to other side. Once they have a nice sear and release somewhat easily from the pan, flip them over. Be careful not to let them stick to the pan - the parmesan cheese might want to stick, so be sure to get under the patty when flipping. Cover and let cook for 3-5 minutes until juices run clear.

Top with cheese slices and cover to melt.

Transfer to a plate and smother with reserved mushrooms. Enjoy!

TIP:  If you are using stainless steel cookware you'll want to have some Bar Keepers Friend® on hand for cleaning up the skillet. Bar keeper's Friend works like a champ and is cheap too! A little goes a long way! You won't use this on non-stick cookware though.

I use stainless steel cookware with a magnetic base, because I have an induction cooktop. I used to have an anodized aluminum set that I absolutely loved, but because it wasn't magnetic I had to retire that set after 20 plus years of good use! Madison now has that set at college, and she loves it too!  After much research on stainless steel, I settled on the Emeril set made by All Clad. I've been using this for more than a year now and I am crazy about it! It still looks brand new, too, thanks to BarKeepers Friend! If you are in the market for a high quality, affordable set I suggest Emeril by All-Clad E914SC PRO-CLAD Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Cookware Set, 12-Piece, Silver