Stuffed Jalapeño Turkey Burgers

LOL I am WELL AWARE of how #CookingForBae these pics are, but I wasn’t on my photog game this night. Anyway, I promise these burgers don’t disappoint and are super easy to make. They are bursting with flavor and ooooozing with melty cheese. I always hate myself for being vegetarian when I make these. But I DO make a KILLER veggie burger that I’ll be sharing later on.

Ingredients:
• 1 lb of lean ground turkey
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 cup of shredded cheese (I use a mix of cheddar and colby jack)
• 2-3 tbsp jalapeño (seeded and diced)
• 2 cloves garlic (diced)
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1/2 tbsp chili powder
• 2-3 tbsp breadcrumbs (this acts as a binder, so you’ll need more or less depending on how moist your turkey is)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
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Optional toppings:
1 small onion (sliced and caramelized)
Bacon (CRISPY)
BBQ sauce or choice or spicy mayo
Crispy lettuce
More cheese

Directions:
• Add all ingredients, EXCEPT for the cheese, to a large bowl. By hand, mix until well combined, then divide into 4 equal parts
• Take a large pinch (about 2 tbsp..I’d say X amount of ounces, but I don’t know shit about ounces) from each of the 4 sections and set aside
• By hand, flatten your larger sections into patties, and press down into the center of each patty to create a shallow “bowl” (leave about half an inch of space along the edge of the patty, and about a quarter inch in the bottom thickness of the patty). Say “patty” again, Trill.
• Press cheese into the shallow bowls
Note: if you want the centers to come out exxxxtra creamy, mix the cheese with a bit of spicy mayo
• Take the smaller portions you removed from each section, and by hand, flatten to about a quarter inch thick and lay over the cheese. With a fork, press the edges of the top patty into the edges of the bottom patty (sorry I forgot to take a picture of this part)
• Heat a skillet or grill pan over high heat and, working with 2 at a time, cook each side of the patty for about 3-5 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through
• Build your burger with your toppings of choice and serve immediately
Note: I served these with homemade crispy baked fries. Let me know if you want the recipe!
Note: these are freezer friendly, and great to have on hand when you just don’t feel like cooking. individually wrap cooked patties in saran wrap, place in freezer bag, and freeze. let completely thaw (sitting about 1-2 hours on counter, OR for expediency, place bag in shallow dish filled with warm water) before reheating on skillet.