Fun Fearless Foodie

According to my dear friend Wikipedia, Brie is a cow’s milk cheese that is named after Brie, the French providence that it originated from.  The most popular way to enjoy brie, other than just eating it straight up, is to have it baked, whether on its own or in some type of puffed pastry.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love baked brie, its so retro and seventies feeling and it is almost always a hit at any party.  But I would like to think that there is more to this cheese than wrapping it in dough, I mean it’s cheese!

I had the pleasure of having some good friends over for dinner at my house last week right before thanksgiving and I wanted to prepare something casual, but that still incorporated the flavors of thanksgiving.  I thought turkey burgers would be a fun solution, but the few times I’ve tried to make them they always come out super bland.  After doing some quick recipe serches on foodnetwork.com I came across a Bobby Flay recipe for a brie and grilled apple turkey burger, perfect!

The original recipe was pretty basic so I made some modifications to pump up the flavor and instead of topping with brie, incorporated it into the burger mixture so each bite would carry the brie flavor.  And as with any good burger, I of course added grated onion and garlic, as well as an egg to keep it moist and held together.  I also used a 50/50 mixture of ground turkey and ground turkey breast.  The difference is that ground turkey contains parts from the whole bird, including the dark meat, and has a higher fat content but more flavor.  To keep it somewhat lean, I used some ground turkey breast which is strictly white meat.  The final touch? Carmaelized onions!  If you’ve been reading this blog you might have picked up that I love these, they are my favorite topping for just about anything.  To top off the thanksgiving flavor theme, I served them with baked sweet potato fries.

Verdict? I was super pleased with the final result and unless they were just being super nice, I think my friends did too The burger stayed moist, and the grilled apples added a really interesting sweet flavor. The brie was not too overpowering and in fact I would probably add a bit more next time.

Grilled Apple and Brie Turkey Burgers with Caramelized Onions

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 pounds of ground turkey
• 1/2 onion, grated or finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, grated or finely minced
• 1 egg
• Brie cheese, cubed (use as much as you see fit here, I used a 1/4 wheel but would have liked a bit more)
• Poultry seasoning, pepper
• 2 tablespoons of worcestershire
• 1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and sliced 1/2 inch crosswise and tossed in a bit of vegetable oil
• Caramelized onions
• Olive oil for brushing
• 4 french hamburger rolls

Directions

To make the burgers, combine the first 7 ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well.  Draw a cross in the burger mixture to create 4 equally sized sections.  Roll each section in the palm of your hand and flatten to a patty.  Press a thumb depression in the center of each burger and place on a plate.  The next step is key, pop them in the freezer!  I know it sounds strange, but when the burgers are slightly chilled they hold their shape better and prevent breakage on the grill.

After you place the burgers in the freezer pre heat your grill on medium high heat (gas grill) for at least 15 minutes.

When the grill is ready, remove the burgers and coat both sides with some olive oil and place on the grill.  Cook the burgers for roughly 5 minutes per side, or until they are firm and cooked through all the way. Remember these are turkey burgers so there is no medium rare, they must be completely cooked to prevent bacteria like salmonella.  Also keep in mind that the burgers need to rest for at least 5 minutes so they can retain their juices.  While the burgers are resting, place the apple slices on the grill and cook for about 2 minutes on each side until they become soft but retain their shape.

Serve the burgers on french hamburgers buns and top with the grilled apples and caramelized onions.

But wait, there’s more!

I had a 1/2 a wheel of brie leftover after preparing this dish and wanted to find a creative way to use it.  I always see brie in omelette’s when I go out for brunch so it seemed like a nice pairing.  I also happen to be a huge fan of breakfast for dinner, so tonight I whipped up a brie, roasted red pepper and caramelized onion omelette and it was delish!  If you have jarred peppers and some prepared onions this dish will take you no more than 5 minutes.  Even better?  If you make this the day after you prepare the burgers, you can replace the peppers with the extra grilled apples for a great round 2 recipe!

If you did the math than you know I still have more brie left, not sure what will come of it, but i’ll keep experimenting.  Do you have a favorite unexpected way to enjoy brie?  Please comment!