What's For Dinner Wednesday: Turkey Burgers Parmigiana

I'm starting this What's For Dinner Wednesday out on a slightly different foot this week.  A very happy birthday wish goes out to my bff of 16 years (how is that possible?) Lisa.  Have a fabulous birthday, friend-- so good to see you in New York!

I looked for an actual photo of us from 16 years ago but I think they are buried in my storage unit somewhere.  Or maybe in my parents' basement.  In the meantime, enjoy this throwback from 6 years ago instead.







The second thing I want to talk about on this Wednesday is, of course, dinner!  Turkey burgers are one of my favorite weeknight meals to make, especially in warm weather when we can grill them.  Sometimes though, I just get so bored with the typical burger and need to change the flavors up a little.  I discovered this recipe in Cooking Light magazine a few years ago and because it combined two of my favorite things-- turkey burgers and Italian food-- it quickly became one of my go to recipes.

This week I was noticing that the cold weather front seems to be taking a toll on my herb plants-- yes, they are still alive.  But just barely.  So, I had some basil leaves that needed to be used ASAP.  Then we also stopped by the farmers market over the weekend and discovered HighRise Baking Company's amazing baked goods.  They were selling fresh baked ciabatta rolls so we scooped up a bag.  Although the ones we get at our regular grocery store are good, now that we have tried these I am not sure how we will go back-- the rolls were crusty on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.  Just how real Italians intended!  Between the basil and the rolls everything fell into place and we enjoyed one of our favorite easy weeknight dinners tonight and I wanted to share the recipe with you this week.  Enjoy!

 

Ingredients

• 2 square ciabatta rolls
• 1 garlic clove, halved
• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons marinara sauce, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 8 basil leaves

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Cut rolls in half. Place bread, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Broil for 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove bread from pan. Rub each slice with cut side of garlic. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 375°.
4. Combine turkey, 1/3 cup marinara, rosemary, thyme, red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Divide into 2 portions, shaping each into a 1/4-inch-thick patty. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties to pan; cook for 4 minutes. Turn patties, and place pan in oven. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes. Top each patty with 2 tablespoons cheese; bake 1 minute.
5. Layer bottom half of each roll with 2 basil leaves, 1 patty, 1 tablespoon marinara, 2 basil leaves, and roll top.

Adapted from recipe by Lauren Zembron, Cooking Light