Recipe: Pear & Jalapeño Turkey Burgers

Recipe

Pear & Jalapeño Turkey Burgers
with Bacon Tomato and Blue Cheese Salsa

Runner Up, 1996 Bays English Muffin Contest

burger

by Eileen Watson

Parmesan-Butter

4 tablespoons butter, softened
1-1/2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Combine softened butter and parmesan cheese in a small bowl and set aside.

Bacon Tomato & Blue Cheese Salsa

4 slices crisply cooked bacon, crumbled
2 medium, ripe, plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise (or reduced fat mayonnaise)
1 tablespoon milk (or reduced fat milk)
1-1/2 ounce crumbled blue cheese

Combine crumbled bacon, tomatoes and mayonnaise in a medium sized bowl. Stir in milk and blue cheese. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pear & jalapeño Turkey Burgers

1 pound lean, ground turkey
1/2 cup puréed canned pears
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons shallots, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
Vegetable oil spray
4 Bays English Muffins

Heat grill to medium-hot.

Combine ground turkey, puréed pears, jalapeño and shallots, cayenne pepper and bread crumbs. Shape into 4 round patties. Place patties on a vegetable sprayed grill rack. Cook 18 to 20 minutes, turning once, or until cooked through. During the last few minutes of cooking, split the English Muffins, and place split side down on the outer edges of the grill until lightly toasted.

Spread about a teaspoon of Parmesan-Butter on the split side of grilled muffins. Top four muffins with burgers and cover with Bacon Tomato & Blue Cheese Salsa. Cover with muffin tops.

Serves 4