Turkey Patty Melts

This blog has definitely given me the incentive to make some of those things I've always wanted to but just have never gotten around to. I've never made patty melts at home before today, but I've always been pretty sure that this would be the type of recipe that would be well suited to making at home. Diner food is so yummy, but often times I'll order something with a certain expectation just to be disappointed by what I ultimately get. Usually the complaint for me is that some of these "comfort foods" come out too greasy and/or bland. I was pretty sure that a homemade patty melt held a lot of promise compared to what I might get if I opted to order one from my local diner.

I decided to make my version using ground turkey instead of the standard ground beef. Recently I read a patty melt recipe in a cooking magazine that used torn up rye bread, soaked in milk to make a "panade" or paste to add to the patty mixture. I knew, like a meatloaf or meatballs, that this addition would add tenderness to the burger as well as flavor. Since I typically make both meatloaf and meatballs using ground turkey, I figured it would fit the bill nicely for this application. 

This recipe is pretty fast to throw together, like a "30-minute meal" caliber dinner. I was kinda surprised that it came together so quickly since patty melts are a bit of a multi-step process, caramelize onions, form and cook  burger patties, put together a sandwich and grill it. But it came together swiftly and only dirtied one skillet. 

When I offered up one of these patty melts to my 11-year old son, Caleb, he took one bite and said, "Aw dude, that tastes awesome!". I think that's good enough for me!

Turkey Patty Melts

~makes 4 sandwiches~

Ingredients:

2 large onions, thinly sliced

5 t. canola oil, divided

10 slices of rye bread

2 T. milk

1 T. worcestershire sauce

3/4 t. onion powder

1 t. salt, divided

1/2 t. pepper

1 1/4 lb. 93% lean ground turkey 

8 oz. swiss cheese, shredded

8 t. Thousand Island Dressing (plus additional for serving with the sandwiches, if desired)

2 T. salted butter

Instructions:

1. Heat 2 t. of the canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering. Add onions and 1/2 t. salt and cook stirring often until the onions are nicely browned and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Transfer onions to a clean plate and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, form the patties: Tear 2 slices of the bread into 1/2-inch pieces. In a large bowl place bread pieces, milk, worcestershire, onion powder, 1/2 t. salt and pepper. Mash with a potato masher until smooth, add ground turkey and using your hands, thoroughly mix. Shape into 4, 4x6-inch patties. When the onions are out of the pan, add remaining 3 t. canola oil. When the oil is shimmering again, add the patties and cook until well browned on the first side, about 5 minutes. Flip patties and reduce the heat to medium and cook until the patties are cooked all the way through, about 7 minutes more. Remove patties from skillet. Wipe out the skillet with paper towel.

3. Assemble the sandwiches: Divide half the cheese between 4 of the bread slices. Top with the turkey burgers and spread each patty with 2 t. Thousand Island dressing. Divide onions between sandwiches and remaining cheese. Top with remaining bread. 

4. Grill the Patty Melts: Melt 1 T. butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add two sandwiches and grill until golden brown on both sides, 3-4 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining 1 T.butter and the last two sandwiches. Serve with additional Thousand Island dressing, if desired.

Skillet Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

What if I told you that you could have spaghetti and meatballs on your table in under an hour and you'd only have to dirty one pan to make them?

Seriously!

This recipe will change your life.

That is, if you love spaghetti and meatballs but always thought they were too much of a hassle to put in the weeknight dinner rotation.

I love spaghetti!

A lot.

Skillet Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

~serves 4~

Ingredients:

2 slices of bread, crusts removes and bread torn into chunks

1/4 c. buttermilk

1/3 c. grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

1 egg yolk

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 T. minced fresh parsley

1/4 t. dried oregano

salt and pepper

1 lb. (93% lean ground turkey

2 T. olive oil

26 oz. spaghetti sauce of choice (about 3 c.)

2 c. water

8 oz. thin spaghetti, broken in half

2 T. minced fresh basil

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mash together the bread and buttermilk with a fork until a paste forms. Add in 1/3c. parmesan, egg yolk, garlic, parsley oregano,1/2 t. salt and 1/8 t. pepper. Mix well. Add in the ground turkey. Using your hands mix until well combined.

2. Form into approximate 1 inch meatballs (about 2 T. meat mixture per meatball). Heat olive oil in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over high heat until the oil shimmers. Add meatballs and cook until well-browned on one side, 1-2 minutes. Gently turn meatballs and brown briefly on the second side. Remove meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Pour off the oil in the skillet (but leave behind any browned bits).

3. Lower the heat to medium-high. To the empty skillet add the tomato sauce, water, spaghetti and 1/2 t. salt.  Cover and cook, stirring often (watching and adjusting the heat to maintain a lively simmer),until the spaghetti begins to soften and bend, about 8 minutes.

4. Nestle the meatballs down into the simmering pasta and sauce, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, gently stirring (and scraping the bottom of the skillet to keep it from sticking), until the spaghetti is al dente and the meatballs are cooked through, about another 8 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle with the basil. Serve with extra parmesan cheese.

Recipe source: adapted slightly from The Best 30-Minute Recipe.