Yes, *that* US Weekly
Confession time: I got this idea from an US Weekly interview with Jessica Simpson’s personal trainer. It’s an easy trick and shaves around 100 calories off a typical burger. Ready for it?
Only eat half the bun.
It’s brilliant. I love open-face sandwiches: hot browns, turkey, cranberry and mashed potato, chicken a la king. So why not do an open-face burger? I’ve come up with a couple variations on the theme, based on my favorite burgers. There are three turkey variations and one vegetarian, and each of the burgers averages between 300-350 calories.
Classic Turkey Cheeseburger
BBQ Turkey Burger
Turkey Fajita Burger
Coeur d’Alene-Style Anasazi Bean Burger
Classic Turkey Cheeseburger with Special Sauce
Ingredients
Sauce:
3/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon pickle relish
Burger:
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
4 whole wheat hamburger buns, separated
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground turkey breast
4 1/2 oz. slices cheddar cheese
To prepare the sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover; refrigerate.
To prepare the burger:
Take just the top half of one hamburger bun and pulse in a food processor until crumbed.
Combine shallots, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, garlic and turkey in a medium bowl. Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1 1/2 inch-thick patty.
Heat a grill or grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Cook 7 minutes on each side or until done.
Place 1 lettuce leaf, 1 tomato slice, and 1 patty on the bottom half of each bun. Spread each patty with sauce. Top with 1/2 oz. cheese.
BBQ Turkey Burger
Ingredients:
1/4 cup barbecue sauce, divided
4 whole wheat hamburger buns, separated
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground turkey
Cooking spray
4 large leaf lettuce leaves
4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato
4 1/2 oz. slices cheddar cheese
Preparation
Take just the top half of one hamburger bun and pulse in a food processor until crumbed.
Combine 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce, breadcrumbs, and the next 5 ingredients (breadcrumbs through turkey) in a medium bowl. Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1 1/2 inch-thick patty.
Heat a grill or grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Cook 7 minutes on each side or until done.
Place 1 lettuce leaf, 1 tomato slice, and 1 patty on the bottom half of each bun. Spread each patty with 1 1/2 teaspoons barbecue sauce. Top with 1/2 oz. cheese.
Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 burger)
Turkey Fajita Burger
Ingredients:
1/4 cup bottled tomatillo salsa
2 tablespoons chopped avocado
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
4 whole wheat hamburger buns, separated
Cooking spray
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
2 teaspoons fajita seasoning, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 pound ground turkey
1 egg white
Preparation
Combine tomatillo salsa, chopped avocado, and cilantro; set aside.
Place the top half of one or two buns in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until crumbs measure 1 cup.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and bell peppers; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon fajita seasoning and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cool.
Combine breadcrumbs, onion mixture, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons fajita seasoning, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, tomato paste, turkey, and egg white in a large bowl. Using damp hands, divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 3/4-inch-thick patty. Heat pan over medium heat. Recoat pan with cooking spray. Add patties; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun. Top each serving with 1 1/2 tablespoons salsa mixture.
Coeur d’Alene-Style Anasazi Bean Burger
Ingredients:
2 tsp canola oil
1 cup dried Anasazi beans
Cooking spray
1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup carrots, diced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
Approximately 1 cup bread crumbs (Use the discarded hamburger bun halves to make the crumbs as noted above.)
4 whole wheat hamburger buns, bottom halves only
4 1/2 oz. slices cheddar cheese
2 tbsp light mayo
4 thin slices tomato
4 lettuce leaves
Cook the beans in water with a pinch of salt for about an hour until soft but not mushy. While the beans are cooking, saute the vegetables in a skillet coated with cooking spray.
Preheat oven to 400.
Pulse the drained and cooled beans twice in a food processor. Add the sauteed veggies to the chopped beans and then add the egg, seasonings and bread crumbs.
Form four patties and saute them in 2 tsp canola oil, about 3 minutes on each side over medium high heat. Finish the burgers in the oven for 2 or 3 minutes until crispy on the outside. Place patties on bottom half of buns and garnish with lettuce, tomato and mayo.