Harvest Turkey Burgers

Pairs well with:

Sauvignon Blanc

With hints of passion fruit, melon, and citrus, this wine beckons you to kick back and find a perfect porch swing.

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. It is a time when family and friends get together to say thanks, enjoy laughter and of course food. This is my way of bringing fall and Thanksgiving flavors to life in the summer months. The flavors of turkey, sage and cranberries in this burger will transport you to Thanksgiving. However, it will not take all day to prepare!

Ingredients:

Cranberry Wine
½ cup Sutter Home Riesling
½ cup dried cranberries, chopped

Patties
2 pounds 93% lean ground turkey
1 teaspoon ground sage
2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoon Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 tablespoons onion, minced
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 ounces goat cheese

Mustard Pecan Sauce
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon honey
3 tablespoons of reserved wine
2 tablespoon pecans, chopped

Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
6 romaine lettuce leaves, trimmed to fit the buns
6 King’s Hawaiian Sandwich Buns, split

Instructions:

Place wine and cranberries into a small bowl. Let marinate for 20 minutes. Separate and save cranberries and wine.

To make the patties, place ground turkey and the next 6 ingredients (through black pepper) in a medium sized bowl. Add drained cranberries to turkey mixture. Mix slightly until incorporated but not over mixed. Crumble goat cheese and place in bowl with turkey mixture. Gently fold together. Form into six (6) evenly sized patties. Make a thumb size indention in the middle of the patty. Place on non-stick foil lined cookie sheet and place in refrigerator until ready to grill.

Preheat gas grill to medium-high heat.

While grill is preheating and the burgers are in the refrigerator. Make the mustard topping. Add mustard, honey and 3 tablespoons of reserved wine into a bowl. Discard extra wine. Whisk sauce until incorporated. Mix in chopped pecans. Cover and set aside.

Brush grill with vegetable oil to prevent sticking. Place patties on rack, cover and cook for 5-7 minutes, flipping once and cook other side for 4-6 minutes or until a food thermometer reads an internal temperature reaches 165.

Remove patties and add buns to grill, cut side down, until lightly toasted.

To assemble the burgers, spread a generous amount of the mustard pecan sauce on top and bottom of toasted bun. Place turkey patty on bottom bun, top with romaine lettuce leaves and add top bun. Enjoy!