Thanksgiving Burgers

Thanksgiving on a bun any time of year! Use stuffing mix and cranberry sauce to turn ground turkey into an easy and delicious dinner. Serve with sweet potato fries with chipotle ketchup.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup butter

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• ½ cup finely chopped celery

• 3 pounds ground turkey breast

• 1 (6 ounce) package chicken-flavored dry bread stuffing mix

• 2 eggs

• 16 hamburger buns, split

• 1 (16 ounce) can cranberry sauce

• whipped cream cheese

Directions

• Step 1

  Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate.

• Step 2

  Heat the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat, and cook and stir the onion and celery until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

• Step 3

  Place the cooked onion and celery in a large bowl with the ground turkey, stuffing mix, and eggs; mix to thoroughly combine. Form the mixture into 16 patties. Unlike hamburger, these patties will not change shape while cooking, so make them even in size.

• Step 4

  Grill the turkey burgers on the preheated grill until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 5 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Place each patty on a hamburger bun, and top with cranberry sauce and a dollop of whipped cream cheese to serve.

Smashburgers

This smash burger recipe makes super juicy burgers with crispy edges. Don't use meat that is leaner than 80/20 for best results, and make sure the meat is very cold. If you recently got a new griddle-style grill, these are perfect for grilling outside. These grill up very fast because of the high heat, so make sure you have everything ready to go!

Ingredients

• 4 hamburger buns

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened, or as needed

• 1 pound ground chuck beef (80% lean)

• 4 6-inch squares parchment paper

• salt to taste

• 4 slices American cheese

• burger toppings of choice

Directions

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate. Set a cast iron flat-top griddle or large cast iron skillet onto the grill and preheat until smoking.

2. Spread butter on the inside of the buns and toast on the flat-top until lightly browned. Set aside.

3. Form meat into 8 loosely-packed balls, 2 ounces each. Do not pack the meat tightly, as this will prevent it from smashing properly. Place each ball on the hot flat-top, cover with a piece of parchment (to prevent sticking to the spatula; re-use each parchment square on a second patty) and immediately smash down to a 1/4 inch thickness using 2 stiff, sturdy spatulas that are criss-crossed to get proper leverage as you press down. You may also use the bottom of small skillet. Sprinkle the meat with salt.

4. Grill for about 45 seconds, until the edges are dark brown and the centers are a light pink color. Using a bench scraper or firm spatula, gently scrape up the patties, flip over and immediately cover 4 of them with cheese. Grill an additional 15 to 20 seconds; stack the plain patties over the cheese-covered patties so you have 4 stacks. Move each stack to a bun and serve with your favorite toppings.

Campfire Meal: Hobo's Delight

This recipe combines hamburgers with onions, baby carrots, and potatoes in individually cooked foil packets. It’s easy cleanup makes it the perfect meal for camping.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground beef

• 1 onion, sliced

• 1 (16 ounce) package baby carrots

• 4 potatoes, peeled and sliced

• seasoned salt to taste

• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

• Step 1

  Preheat grill for medium-high heat.

• Step 2

  Form the ground beef into individual patties, and place each patty on a piece of foil large enough to hold the patty and some vegetables. Layer each patty with onion slices, carrots, and potato slices. Season with seasoned salt, salt, and pepper to taste. Wrap foil around food, and seal each packet tightly.

• Step 3

  Grill 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Carefully open each packet (the steam that escapes will be very hot), and serve.

Mini Grilled Gyro Burgers

A gyro-spiced beef-and-lamb mixture is formed into little patties, grilled, and topped with tzatziki and pickled pepperoncini for one tasty sandwich.

Why this recipe works:

• A 50/50 mix of ground beef and lamb strikes a nice balance between the flavor of a burger and a gyro.
• Adding additional fat or bacon into the meat mixture ensures a juicy patty.
• Puréeing the meat mixture in a food processor results in a fine texture that's reminiscent of a standard gryo-loaf.
• Tzatziki adds a cooling touch, while pickled peperoncini add heat and tang.

INGREDIENTS

For the Tzatziki:

• 2 cups Greek yogurt
• 1 English cucumber, peeled and grated
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 medium cloves)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely minced fresh dill
• Kosher salt

For the Burgers:

• 1/2 pound freshly ground lamb, well chilled
• 1/2 pound freshly ground beef chuck, well chilled
• 3 ounces pork fatback or bacon, diced and well chilled
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 medium clove)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/3 cup finely minced red onion
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Greek
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 9 slider-size potato rolls, split
• Pickled peperoncini, for topping

Type of fire: Direct
Grill heat: medium-high
 

DIRECTIONS

1. For the Tzatziki: Mix together yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and dill in a medium bowl. Season with salt. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.
2. For the Burgers: Place lamb, beef, fatback or bacon, garlic, salt, onion, oregano, and black pepper in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until smooth puree is formed, about 1 minute total, scraping down side of bowl with rubber spatula as necessary. Form meat mixture into 9 equal-sized patties.
3. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over entire surface of coal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Place buns on grill, cut side down, and grill until lightly toasted. Set aside.
4. Place gyro patties on grill and cook until well seared on both sides and just cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side.
5. Transfer patties to toasted buns, top with a spoonful of tzatziki and a few slices of peperoncini. Serve immediately.

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For Fun:

The official music video for Luke Bryan and Jimmy Fallon's song "I Don't Know How to Pronounce Gyro." Full lyrics below: LYRICS I was born in southwest Georgia, Always tried to make my daddy proud.

YouTube Link