Turkey & Stuffing Burgers

Or, as I like to call 'em, Thanksgiving in July!

When I first made this recipe, I had a distinct vision of how I wanted this to turn out. It didn't quite work out right, but was delicious. I am, however, going to tell you how to do it, so it will work out beautifully, and act as my original creation. Ain't I swell? Heh. (fear not, I'll give you the flawed one too, at the end.)

What You'll Need:

1 pound ground skinless turkey
1 egg
1 small onion, minced
1 or 2 stalks celery, minced (include the yummy leafy bits)
4 slices bread- cubed
salt, pepper, 1-2 chicken bullion cubes
Poultry Seasoning blend, or your own mix of spices (thyme, rosemary, dill, parsley etc)
finely crushed cracker crumbs or instant mashed potato flakes (amount will vary)
a few tablespoons of milk
a dab of butter or margarine
vegetable oil, cooking spray, and/or a really good nonstick skillet.


Take your celery & onion, and a dab of butter/margarine, and cook over med/low heat until the onion is translucent, and the celery isn't so crunchy. In the meantime, cube up your bread, (white, wheat, or whatever, just make sure it's sandwich bread, and not a big crusty baguette). Pop the bread in one bowl, and your turkey into another. Divide the celery/onion mix between the bowls, probably about 60/40 in favor of the stuffing. Now, season your stuffing, crumble 1 chicken bullion cube over it, and add a dash or two of poultry seasoning (or use a fairly liberal sprinkling of the other herbs), add a bit of pepper, and mix the stuffing with a few tablespoons of the milk- just till it will hold together if squeezed.

Now, turn your attention to the turkey. Add the lightly beaten egg, (or egg beaters, if you like) another healthy dash of poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, and another crumbled up bullion cube, if you like. You'll note this whole mixture is really loose and in no way will make a decent burger. This is where your crackers or potato flakes come in handy. Add by about 1/4 cup at a time, and mix well, then let sit in the fridge for a few minutes, to see if it's stiff enough to handle well. Test the seasonings by pinching off a little bit and frying it in the pan you did the celery in. If you need to, adjust the rest of the seasonings, if not, you're on to shaping.

Make twice as many thin patties as you plan on serving. For example, serving 4 burgers? Make 8 very thin patties. On top of half the patties, place a ball (or a disc, more accurately) of stuffing, then top with the plain turkey patties. Seal the edges together well, and cook in a little dab of oil or cooking spray in a nonstick pan until the turkey is done, and the stuffing is hot.

You could serve with gravy, or pop it on a bun with a little cranberry relish, a side of baked/grilled sweet potatoes, and fresh green beans. Woo!


That's how it's SUPPOSED to be, but if you're pressed for time, you can just mix the stuffing, and some of the cracker crumbs straight into the turkey mixture, form the whole thing into regular patties, and cook like a normal burger. Still tastes just as good, too.