Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Truffle Mac n' Cheese

 I made a special dinner for my father this week for his birthday. He is not a herbivore by any means, in fact, he is the exact opposite...more like a meat and fast food extremist. When I asked him what he wanted me to cook him for dinner, he said "burgers and hot dogs." Really?! Of all the yummy creations I can make, you want a burger and a hot dog. OK, I will give you a burger and a hot dog...just not the kind loaded with red meat and sodium :) I decided I might be able to trick him into eating healthier by using ground turkey and adding veggies like zucchini and carrots. The zucchini and carrots added a lot of flavor to the burgers and also kept them moist inside. My parents called this meal "Augi food" which basically means "fancy food." They used to know a man by the name of Augi that cooked gourmet meals.

I absolutely loved this dish, it is not the healthiest by any means when you add in the truffle mac n' cheese but you could always substitute another side if you prefer. That was my way of giving him something more familiar...buttery and cheesy! Yum! I also made a quick Apple Slaw as another side dish and I would highly recommend you making it as well. It ended up being a great topping for the burgers too, added the sweet to the savory.

To finish it off I made some delicious homemade Chocolate Raviolis with different fillings like sauteed bananas and peanut butter for dessert. Be on the lookout for that recipe in my next post.

Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Truffle Mac n' Cheese and Apple Slaw

Prep Time: 20 Min

Cook Time: 35 Min

Ingredients

Turkey Burgers

- 1 3/4 lb ground turkey

- 1/2 package of medium soft tofu (you can make without if you prefer)

- 2 zucchini, grated or shredded

- 2 carrots, grated or shredded (I bought store bought shredded to save some time)

- 1/4 onion, diced

- 3 garlic cloves, minced

- 1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce

- salt/pepper to taste

- 1 egg or egg substitute

- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

- hamburger buns (I used whole wheat and english muffins, toasted)

- Pesto

- Brie Cheese

- Spinach or lettuce leaves

- Dijon mustard

Apple Slaw

- 2 apples, peeled and julienned

- 1/2 cup grated carrots (I used some that I had leftover from the store bought bag)

- 1/4 cup cider vinegar

- 3 tbs maple syrup

- 2 tbs dijon mustard

- 1/3 cup honey

- 2 tbs mayo

- salt/pepper to taste

Truffle Mac n' Cheese

- 3/4 box of elbow pasta

- 2 cups of hazelnut milk (1 cup of milk and 1 cup of cream will also substitute)

- 3 tbs of truffle butter (you can find at local market like Fresh Market or Whole Foods)

- 2 tbs of flour

- 2 chopped portobello mushrooms

- 1 package of fontina cheese (you could also substitute another creamy cheese like a havarti)

- parmesan

- panko breadcrumbs

- truffle oil

Directions

Turkey Burgers

- In a mixing bowl, combine the first 10 ingredients. Mix well. Shape into patties.

- I shaped my patties the night before and put them in the fridge in between layers of wax paper. That way all I had to do was throw them on the grill right before our guests came over.

- Grill for about 4 minutes on each side until blackened and not pink on the inside

- Top burgers with some brie cheese right before they are done

- Spread some pesto and dijon mustard on the toasted buns

- Put the burgers on the buns, top with spinach and apple slaw if you prefer.

Apple Slaw

- Combine all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl. You can add more honey, maple or dijon to your liking if the cider vinegar is too tart. Place in the fridge until ready to use. 

Truffle Mac n' Cheese
- I recommend preparing this first, then you can put in the oven about 30 minutes prior to dinner time.
- Bring a medium saucepan with salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to directions
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- In a large saute pan, saute flour and truffle butter on medium heat with a whisk to form a roux
- Add the hazelnut milk and bring to a boil for a couple of minutes
- Reduce to low and add mushrooms and fontina cheese
- Let simmer to thicken for about 5 minutes
- Drain pasta and mix with sauce
- Pour in a lightly greased casserole dish
- Top with parmesan and breadcrumbs. Drizzle with truffle oil.
- Bake for 25 minutes, covered with foil
- Broil on low for 2 minutes uncovered to brown the topping
- Serve with turkey burgers and apple slaw. Enjoy!