Cajun Turkey Burger with glazed bacon and peppers

Pairs well with:

Zinfandel

Bright and full-bodied, this Zinfandel wine is a curious contradiction in tastes.

Ingredients:

Cajun Seasoning:
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoons black pepper
1 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 pounds ground Turkey
2 green onions – chopped
6 tablespoons Cajun seasoning mix (recipe follows)
3/4 – 1 cup bread crumbs
6 slices Provolone cheese
1 1/2 cup Panko
10 slices of bacon – diced
1 1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 red pepper – Julienne
1 yellow pepper – Julienne
6 Kaiser Rolls – cut in half

Instructions:

In a small bowl combine seasonings for Cajun seasoning in order as listed. Mix well, set aside.

In a medium sized glass or metal bowl combine ground turkey, green onions, bread crumbs and 6 tbs. of Cajun seasoning mix. Mix by hand until well blended.

Place remaining seasoning mix in a air tight container and save for future use.

Quarter the slices of provolone.

Divide ground turkey mixture into 6 equal round balls, than divide the 6 equal balls into 2, so that you will now have 12 equal size balls. Take one of the 12 balls and make a large patty in your hand, take 3 or 4 pieces of the provolone cheese that has been quartered and place in the middle of the meat patty. Now take another ground turkey ball and place on top of the cheese and flatten so that cheese in now in the middle of the two meat patty and can no longer be seen, work meat around the edges to seal cheese inside of the turkey burger patty. Repeat until you have 6 equal sized turkey burger patties with cheese sealed in the middle of the patty. Place into refrigerator for 1 hr. or until ready to use.

Place Panko on a plate, coat each side of the turkey burger with Panko before placing them on the grill.

Place turkey burgers on hot grill over in-direct heat ( we use charcoal). Cook on each side for about 12-15 min. on each side ( this may take a few minutes longer depending on the temperature of your grill ). You want a nice golden color on each side of the turkey burger.

When you place burgers on the grill also place a medium sized heat safe skillet on grill. You need to watch this very closely so the pan doesn’t get too hot, when skillet is warm add bacon. cook until crispy, when bacon is done remove bacon from skillet and place on paper toweling to drain off any excess grease off the bacon. Drain bacon grease from pan. Add butter to skillet, keep butter moving around pan to melt and so that the butter doesn’t turn brown or get too hot. Add brown sugar and whisk constantly until brown sugar is dissolved in butter. Whisk occasionally until peppers are added. Again, make sure that this doesn’t get too hot or it will burn.

To skillet add julienne red and yellow peppers and cooked bacon to brown sugar mixture, stir around for 1-2 minutes, you want peppers to be al dente ,remove from heat.

Place Kaiser rolls on grill , you want to toast each side, this will take approximately 1-2 minutes on each side.

Remove buns and burgers from heat when cooked all the way through. Assemble burgers on a plate. Place bottom bun on plate, on top of bottom bun place a turkey burger, add equal amounts of peppers and bacon on top of each burger, drizzle some of the extra brown sugar glaze from pan over pepper mixuture and cover with top bun.

Serve immediately – enjoy