What to do with Ground Turkey

[Photobug]

Does anyone have a great recipe for ground turkey? It was on sale, (buy one, get two) so I bought some to make turkey sloppy joes which is the only recipe I have for ground turkey. Now I have two pounds sitting in my freezer waiting to be used and I have no idea what to do with them.

Any recommendations?

[ManteoChik]

My stepmom doesn't eat red meat and she turned me on to ground turkey. She substiutes it for just about anything that calls for ground beef. Some of her favorites are:
Tacos
Spaghettie
Hamburgers (turkey burgers)
Baked Ziti w/ Meat Sauce
Hamburger Helper (using ground turkey of course)

[bookworm]

I haven't tried this, but it's on the list for next week (or the week after, depending on work/time): turkey spanakopita burgers (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_31815,00.html)

[jaeger]

I've made tacos with ground turkey and they didn't taste too bad.

[Smiley124]

I second ManteoChik. I never use hamburger - I use ground turkey in any recipe that calls for it -- tacos, chili, spaghetti....pretty much anything. I personally don't know the difference anymore!

[Delaney21]

Same as everyone else - turkey wherever hamburger was called for. I'm to the point where I don't even like things that are made with hamburger anymore. It just seems so greasy.

[southerner]

same here!

I use it for hamburgers, meatloaf, chili in the crockpot, tacos, etc.

[eli1126]

Just wanted to chime in and say exactly what everyone else was!! Substitute ground turkey in anything that calls for ground beef!

Beth

[Montaukbea]

Our newest favorite recipe and it is so easy!!!


Turkey Meatloaf

1 package ground turkey (about 1 1/4 lb.)
1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 Small can Hunt's tom. sauce
1 clove garlic
1 egg
1 slice of bread moistened with water then squeezed

Mix all ingredients together and shape into loaf. Mix together enough brown sugar and ketchup to paint top of loaf (start w/2 Tbls. each and increase if needed). Bake at 375 for 40 minutes.

[Lizard]

We have used ground turkey for all kinds of stuff.... tacos and burgers primarily. It's surprisingly good in Hamburger Helper as well. :D

[ohsowicked]

I LOVE ground turkey. When I make tacos at home, that's the only thing I use. Here is my favorite recipe (from Shape):

Crunchy Low-Fat Tacos


Ingredients

olive-oil cooking spray
8 corn tortillas
1 pound ground turkey breast
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
2 cups shredded Romaine lettuce
2 beefsteak tomatoes, diced
1 cup reduced-fat shredded cheese
1/2 cup nonfat sour cream


Directions

Robin Vitetta-Miller, M.S., author of The Newlywed Cookbook (Sourcebooks Inc., 1999), shows you how to say adios to the deep-fried, high-fat taco shells from the supermarket and bake your own crunchy tacos at home in minutes. Follow her other tips for nonfat/low-fat substitutions and cut as many as 212 calories and 30 fat grams per serving compared to conventional preparation.

Preheat oven to 400F. Coat a large baking sheet lightly with olive-oil spray. Place tortillas on baking sheet; spray top sides with olive-oil spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake 2 minutes; remove sheet from oven; fold tortillas in half and bake 8 more minutes, until golden and slightly crisp but still flexible.

Meanwhile, coat a large, nonstick skillet with olive-oil spray. Set pan over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add turkey and sauté 4 minutes, until browned, breaking up meat as it cooks. Add chili powder and cumin; mix well. Add tomato sauce; simmer 2 minutes, until liquid is reduced. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon turkey mixture into taco shells. Serve with lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream as garnishes.

The technique: oven "frying"
Crunchy tacos are an American favorite, but the deep-fried, high-fat taco shells add calories you don't need. Tacos are easy to revamp, and you don't have to give up the crunch you love. Coating corn tortillas lightly with olive-oil cooking spray before baking them moistens them just enough so they brown without burning, allowing them to become slightly crisp. Fill the lightened-up shells with seasoned ground turkey instead of ground beef and garnish with fresh lettuce and tomatoes, low-fat cheese and sour cream to complete the meal. Add a spoonful of salsa or some hot sauce for even more taste.

5 calorie cutters
* Baking corn tortillas coated with olive-oil cooking spray and using them instead of fried taco shells cuts 5 fat grams per serving.

* Substituting ground turkey breast for ground beef eliminates 146 calories and 15 fat grams.

* Replacing store-bought taco seasoning mix with a blend of chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and tomato sauce saves a few calories.

* Using a reduced-fat shredded cheese blend instead of the customary grated Cheddar cuts 44 calories and 5 fat grams.

* Substituting nonfat sour cream for the full-fat version slashes 16 calories and 5 fat grams.

[mrsfromage]

I use ground turkey in spaghetti sauce instead of hamburger all the time. And of course turkey burgers.

[Photobug]

Thanks for all your replies. I didn't know ground turkey was pretty much interchangeable with hamburg. I think I'll try making the meatloaf tonight (thanks Montaukbea) and give the tacos a try next week (thanks to ohsowicked). Yum! Now I just have to make it to lunch time, because I'm suddenly very hungry. :)

[KarenS]

Ditto what everyone else has said about sub-ing ground turkey for ground beef with one caveat. Since the turkey is *very* low fat, it sometimes doesn't "behave" like ground meat. I've found that using it in any recipe that calls for browned ground beef works really well. If you want it to hold together like in a hamburger or meatloaf, you'll have to add something to it to get it to "stick". Sometimes I add an egg to the mix and somtimes if I'm making meatloaf or something like that, I mix 1/2 ground turkey and 1/2 ground beef to give it a bit of richness and "stick".

karen

[emmjay]

Ditto what everyone else has said about sub-ing ground turkey for ground beef with one caveat. Since the turkey is *very* low fat, it sometimes doesn't "behave" like ground meat. I've found that using it in any recipe that calls for browned ground beef works really well. If you want it to hold together like in a hamburger or meatloaf, you'll have to add something to it to get it to "stick". Sometimes I add an egg to the mix and somtimes if I'm making meatloaf or something like that, I mix 1/2 ground turkey and 1/2 ground beef to give it a bit of richness and "stick".

karen
This is definitely true - I sometimes use plain yogurt (about 1/2 cup for every pound of turkey) to help it stick together better when I'm making burgers.

I have a recipe that makes a ton of food and is very healthy - I don't really know it should be called though!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 pound uncooked ground turkey breast
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
1 6-oz can tomato paste
6 medium zucchini/summer squash or combination (you can also use eggplant), diced
3 bell peppers, diced
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 tsp ground basil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Spray 9x13 baking pan w/ Pam.
Spray large saucepan/Dutch oven with Pam; heat over medium.
Add turkey, onion and garlic.
Stir as needed until turkey is browned and onion translucent, 5-6 mins.
Add squash, tomatoes/paste, peppers, bread crumbs and basil; bring to a boil.
Transfer to pan, cover w/ foil and bake 45 - 50 minutes.
Sprinkle w/ cheese and bake 15 more minutes.
Let stand 5 mins before serving.
Serves 6.

I serve it over spaghetti squash.

[Janey]

A friend gave me this recipe. B and I made it on our first date - it is yummy. :)


Turkey Moussaka

2 ea eggplant
Spray Pam
2 ea onions
2 tbs olive oil
4 ea garlic cloves
1.25 lbs ground turkey
3 tbs tomato paste
1.5 tsp cinnamon
.5 tsp allspice
.5 cups fresh parsley
2 ea cans diced tomatoes
salt
pepper

1. Peel the eggplant and slice thinly. Spray with pam and brown the eggplant under the broiler.
2. In a large pan fry the onions in olive oil until soft and golden, add the garlic and fry till the aroma rises. add the ground meat, cinnamon, allspice, salt and plenty of pepper. Cook until the meat changes color. Add the tomato paste and cook for about 10 minutes, then stir in parsley (fresh is better).
3. In a baking dish arrange a layer of eggplant to cover the bottom. Then add tomato over the eggplant (slices if fresh, haggled bits if canned). Pour the meat and onion mixture over all. Top with another layer of eggplant and more tomato.
4. Bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes.

[Brady]

I just made chili with it last night. I never tell anyone that it's turkey and I get compliments all the time on it (especially most men that would probably "ewww" it if they knew it wasn't hamburger) :rolleyes:

Easy, Quick, Turkey Chili

1 lb ground turkey, browned
2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans (I switch this up with one can black beans, one can kidney, two cans black beans, maybe red beans.. if you don't love beans, just use one can.. you get the idea)
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 (14.5 ounce) can garlic and onion flavored diced tomatoes
2 (1.25 ounce) packages chili seasoning mix
1 (4 ounce) can green chile peppers
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 small can corn (drained)
1 onion, diced
1 cup water

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DIRECTIONS:
In a slow cooker, combine turkey, beans, tomatoes, chili seasoning, chile peppers, tomato sauce, onion and water. Cook on low 3 to 4 hours. Serve hot.

If you are pressed for time, I just cooked it all in a big pot and once it came up to a boil, reduced the heat to simmer and let it hang out for about 45-60 minutes.

It makes a ton, so invite people over!

[Linnybubbles]

I have a recipe for ground turkey chili, soooo good.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 chipotle chile en adobo, coarsely chopped, with 1 tablespoon sauce
1 pound ground turkey
1 (12-ounce) Mexican lager-style beer
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juice
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Sliced scallions, cilantro sprigs, avocado, sour cream, grated Monterey jack cheese, and/or tortilla chips, for garnish, optional

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt, chili powder, and oregano and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and the chipotle chile and sauce; cook 1 minute more. Add the turkey, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook until the meat loses its raw color, about 3 minutes. Add the beer and simmer until reduced by about half, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes—crushing them through your fingers into the skillet—along with their juices and the beans; bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 10 minutes.

Ladle the chili into bowls and serve with the garnishes of your choice.

Cook's Note: A skillet's larger surface area reduces sauces faster than simmering in a saucepan.

[Pamela]

I use ground turkey to make lasagna (has spinach and mushrooms and hollandaise sauce instead of regular).

[Secret_Squirrel]

Our newest favorite recipe and it is so easy!!!


Turkey Meatloaf

1 package ground turkey (about 1 1/4 lb.)
1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 Small can Hunt's tom. sauce
1 clove garlic
1 egg
1 slice of bread moistened with water then squeezed

Mix all ingredients together and shape into loaf. Mix together enough brown sugar and ketchup to paint top of loaf (start w/2 Tbls. each and increase if needed). Bake at 375 for 40 minutes.

Montaukbea: Just wanted to say thanks - I've got dinner planned for tonight, now!

[Rosebud]

Reviving this thread because I'd love more ground turkey recipes. We don't eat beef and cook with turkey all the time. Actually, I made a great turkey dish last night that was really tasty and incredibly easy. Here it is:

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

1/4 c. olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey
2 med. carrots, diced
1 med. zucchini, chopped
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 c. soy sauce
Dash of garlic powder (or a pinch of fresh garlic)
Crisp lettuce leaves
Salt to taste

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet. Add the turkey and cook until browned, about 5 minutes, stirring to break up meat. Add salt to taste. Remove from skillet. Heat remaining oil in skillet and saute vegetables 1 minute. Add turkey, soy sauce, and garlic powder. Cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Turn into serving dish and accompany with lettuce leaves. To eat, wrap the filling in lettuce leaves. Makes 4 to 5 servings.

[njdiva]

Here is the recipe that I use for turkey Meatloaf:

2 Tb butter or margarine
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pckg Lean Ground Turkey (but I am sure you can also use beef)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 large egg
3/4 cup Ketchup
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook 5 minute, stirring occasionally. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; cool 5 minutes.
Add turkey, bread crumbs, egg, 1/4 cup Ketchup, Worcestershire, salt, pepper to onion mixture; mix well. Pack into an 8x4-inch loaf pan. Spread remaining 1/2 cup Ketchup over top. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until no longer pink in center and internal temperature of loaf reaches 165 degrees. Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before slicing. Makes 5 serving
(Calories 243; Carbohydrates 16g; Fat 7g; Cholesterol 110mg, Sodium 890mg)

[looch]

What do you all think of a turkey meatloaf that tastes, well like turkey and stuffing? i think i would like ground turkey more if i didn't try to treat it like ground beef.

[Astara]

the turkey burger I get does tast like ground beef.. its just not as fatty and doesnt have the nasty grizzle in it like beef. That *really* grosses me out~ I also make tuerkey meatloaf with liptons onion soup mix but I strain out the onions~ I use ritz crackers.. they give it a little richness I think. I might have to try out one of these recipes too~

[looch]

that sounds interesting astara. if you have a recipe, i would love to see it!

i just don't think that turkey tastes like beef ever, if it did, i wouldn't eat steak!:p

[vwinkel]

BUMP. I was at the grocery store and saw that it was only $.59 for a pound of ground turkey. I bought two packages without knowing how to cook it!

Any other recipes out there to share?

[endymion411]

we make these a lot..

tuscan meatballs...

yield: 6 servings
prep: 15 minutes, cook 7 minutes, bake at 350 for 20 minutes

ingredients:
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 lb ground turkey
1 egg
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 handfuls shredded mozzarella
1 tspn garlic salt
black pepper to taste
1-2 tbspn olive oil

1. heat oven to 350. squeeze water out of spinach. mix spinach, turkey, egg, bread crumbs, parmesan, mozzarella, garlic salt, and pepper in a bowl. shape into meatballs (about 30)

2. heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. brown meatballs, about 2 to 3 minutes. once browned, move pan directly to oven to finish cooking meatballs, about 20 minutes. (if you don't have an oven-proof pan, use a baking sheet)

[lawyerlee]

This is just my opinion, but I like using ground turkey in place of ground beef better with the addition of some extra spices or other flavors. It's just a bit too bland for me otherwise. :)

Anyway, this is one of our favorite recipes that uses ground turkey.

Garlic Turkey Burgers

1 lb lean ground turkey
1/2 cup refrigerated (or frozen - thawed) shredded hash brown potatoes
1/4 cup sliced green onions
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients & mix well. Shape into 4 patties. Place patties on broiler plan. Broil burgers 4 to 6 inches from heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until no longer pink in center, turning once.

[indie_girl01]

I stopped buying red meat coz of it's not good for cholestrol. So now I substiture turkey for ground beef all the time...

Here's my fav recipe - it's Indian, easy and D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S!!!

Ingredients:

- Half a pack of ground turkey
- Two small onions diced finely
- Two green Chillies - chopped
- About 5-6 twigs of cilantro leaves chopped
- 1 tablesp garam masala (subsitute with black pepper, paparika, oregano or any other spice of your choice)
- 1 teasp of chopped garlic (or ginger garlic paste)

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients well in a bowl using a masher or your hand. Mix well until it
2. Make patties out of the mixture.
3. Heat oil in a pan (2 rounds of olive oil in the pan).
4. Place patties in the pan when hot and fry them on either side until golden brown.

Takes less than 15 mins to make...and they are yummy!

Enjoy!

[vwinkel]

Saw this in my Martha Stewart email today:

Favorite Turkey Burger

Serves 4; Prep time: 10 minutes; Total time: 35 minutes
Burgers are an American classic—and they don’t have to be made from just beef anymore.


1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (preferably 92 to 93 percent lean)

1/2 cup finely grated Gruyère cheese

4 thinly sliced scallions

1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1 minced garlic clove

Salt and pepper

Oil

1. Heat grill to high. In a medium bowl, use a fork to gently combine ground turkey with Gruyère, scallions, breadcrumbs, mustard, and garlic; season generously with salt and pepper. Gently form mixture into four 1-inch-thick patties.

2. Lightly oil grill. Place patties on hottest part of grill; sear until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Move patties to cooler part of grill; continue grilling until cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes per side.

Per serving: (without buns) 290 calories; 9.7 grams fat; 37.6 grams protein; 7.1 grams carbohydrates

Note: Cheese and mustard are incorporated rather than used as toppings. For juicier burgers, don’t use the leanest ground turkey.

http://a444.g.akamai.net/7/444/703/20060522190617/www.marthastewart.com/images/content/feature/04edf29_e.jpg

[vwinkel]

I tried the ground turkey burgers from MS last night. I did not have Gruyère cheese but used my "mexican" shredded cheese leftovers. I've never had a turkey burger so this was my first experience. I topped it with honey mustard only and the flavor of these was unique but quite good. DH is a HUGE fan and can't wait to have them again.

However, mine did not hold together as nice as that picture above. They fell between the grates and was very messy to make. Fair warning. . .

[charliezangel]

DH tught me how to make this great cuban/latin dish called Picadillo. It's supposed to be made with ground beef, but i use ground turkey because my stomach can't handle red meat. I love it and make it often. It fantastic on Yellow spanish rice.

Picadillo

1 LB ground Turkey
4 OZ Hunts tomato sauce
1.5 oz Hunts Tomato Paste
2 t Olive Oil
8-12 Green Olives (more if you really like them)
2 T capers
3-4 Bay Leaves
1 whole onion (I use vadalia) chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper Chopped (you can also use red and yellow bell peppers)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown turkey in 10 in pan (the pan should be deep enough to hold all contents listed above and have a tight cover) and drain, return to pan. Add tomatoe sauce, paste olive oil and bay leaves. Turn heat to simmer. Simmer uncovered about 10 minutes, add olives, capers and chopped veggies. Simmer covered on low for about 20 minutes or until veggies are soft. Serve on top of yellow spanish rice. (Sometimes I'll use Jasmine rice cooked in chicken or veggie broth).

I also love to use ground turkey for tacos. Ground turkey down here is under $2 a LB and the taco dinner kits are about the same. Usually last 2 nights if we have salad and rice.

[Rosebud]

I make this turkey chili frequently and it is delicious.

Turkey & Black Bean Chili

1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey
3 (15 ounce) cans black beans, undrained
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

In a large heavy pot over medium heat, cook onion and garlic until onions are translucent. Introduce turkey and cook, stirring, until meat is brown. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, basil and vinegar. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 60 minutes or more, until flavors are well blended.


And this is an easy dish for a weeknight:

Turkey Zucchini Bake

1 pound ground turkey
2 large zucchini, halved lengthwise
3 cups spaghetti sauce
1 (8.75 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Brown turkey in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain fat. Place halved zucchini slices in a baking dish. Pour the ground turkey, spaghetti sauce, and corn on top. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake in preheated oven until zucchini are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover, and sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, about 5 minutes.


A friend of mine served this at a dinner party and it was so delicious that I had to snag the recipe:

Basmati Rice with Turkey & Chickpeas

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup uncooked basmati rice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 quart chicken stock
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
2 (15 ounce) cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1 bunch chopped fresh parsley (optional)
1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, and cook 1 minute. Stir in rice, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, then pour in chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.

Place the turkey in a skillet over medium heat, and cook until evenly brown.
Gently mix cooked turkey, garbanzo beans, black beans, cilantro, parsley, and pine nuts into the cooked rice. Season with salt and pepper.

[KK812]

I make this turkey chili frequently and it is delicious.

Turkey & Black Bean Chili

1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey
3 (15 ounce) cans black beans, undrained
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar



Is this from All Recipes? If so, I've made it a couple times and it is good-actually I submitted the picture they use. :p Have you tried It's Chili by George! (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/its-chili-by-george/detail.aspx)? I sub ground turkey breast for the ground beef and it's so good.

[Rosebud]

Is this from All Recipes? If so, I've made it a couple times and it is good-actually I submitted the picture they use. :p Have you tried It's Chili by George! (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/its-chili-by-george/detail.aspx)? I sub ground turkey breast for the ground beef and it's so good.

Yes, it is from All Recipes-- I don't remember exactly what they call it there, though. Fabulous Black Bean Chili, maybe? Isn't it great? How funny that you submitted the photo. :) I'll be sure to try the other chili as well. I think our friends are doing another chili cookoff for the Super Bowl this year... so maybe I'll bring Chili By George this time. Thanks!

[Rosebud]

Smoky Turkey Shepherd's Pie

3 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and cubed
Coarse salt
2 tablespoons EVOO - extra-virgin olive oil - 2 turns of the pan
1/4 pound smoky bacon or turkey bacon, chopped
1 1/3 pound ground turkey breast
1 tablespoon smoked paprika, available in small cans on spice aisle of market
(You may substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons each sweet paprika and cumin combined)
Coarse black pepper
2 tablespoons, 5 or 6 sprigs, fresh thyme leaves
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
3 ribs celery from the heart, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cups frozen peas
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream, divided
3 tablespoons butter
1 large egg, beaten
10 to 12 blades fresh chives, chopped or snipped

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, salt it, and cook the potatoes until tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

Heat a deep, large skillet over medium-high heat. Add EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, to the skillet. Add bacon and brown it up, then add ground turkey to the pan and break it up. Season the turkey with smoked paprika, salt and peppe,r and thyme. When turkey browns up, add: onions, carrots, celery. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, then add red pepper and peas cook another 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook flour 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and combine. Add 1/2 cup of sour cream and combine. Simmer mixture over low heat.

Preheat your broiler to high. When potatoes are tender, add a ladle of cooking water to the egg. Drain potatoes and return to the warm pot to dry them out a little. Add remaining 1/2 cup sour cream, butter, half of the chives, and salt and pepper. Smash and mash the potatoes, mashing in the beaten, tempered egg. If the potatoes are too tight, mix in a splash of milk.

Pour turkey mixture into a medium casserole dish. Top turkey with an even layer of smashed potatoes and place casserole 5 inches from hot broiler. Broil the potatoes until golden at edges and remove the casserole from the oven. Garnish the casserole with the remaining chives and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.

Rachael Ray

[Rosebud]

This one's really easy and very tasty:

Turkey Burgers with Brie and Grilled Apples

2 pounds freshly ground turkey
Four 1-inch cubes of Brie cheese, 1/2-inch thick
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large granny smith apple, cored and sliced 1/2-inch thick crosswise
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Four rolls

To prepare the burgers: Shape the meat firmly into 4 round uniform patties about 1 1/2inches thick. Make a small indentation in the center of each patty and place 1 cube of the cheese in each. Knead the meat slightly to cover the hole. Brush both sides of the burgers lightly with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Cook the burgers to your liking. Brush the apples on both sides with the vegetable oil. Grill (in a grill pan) until golden on both sides. Place a burger on the bottom of each roll, top with 1 or 2 apple slices and a dollop of ketchup

[sarahh]

I make some yummy turkey burgers with a packet of dry ranch dressing and a cup of cheddar cheese mixed in with 1 lb. of ground turkey. SOOOO good!

[MichelleRenee]

I try to use ground turkey whenever I can. I usually just substitute it for ground beef in my favorite recipes:

tacos
lasagna
chili

I did sort of "make up" a recipe that I will share.

Turkey Asparagus Casserole

egg noodles
1 lb ground turkey
2 cans of condensed cream of _____ soup (I have used cream of chicken and cream of asparagus)
1 emptied soup can filled with milk
1 can of asparagus tips
Stuffing mix

I cook the noodles to "casserole" specifications. Then I brown the turkey with salt and pepper. Once it is browned I add the soup, milk and drained asparagus tips to the meat and let it simmer for just a second so everything can combine. Then I pour the soup mixture over the noodles in a casserole dish and sprinkle the stuffing mix on top. Sometimes I sprinkle parmesan cheese as well. Cover and bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

[snowzilla]

I just made this one today, and it was really, really good:

SLOW COOKER TURKEY CHILI

* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 1 pound ground turkey
* 2 (10.75 ounce) cans low sodium tomato soup
* 2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
* 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
* 1/2 medium onion, chopped
* 2 tablespoons chili powder
* 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
* 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
* 1 pinch ground black pepper
* 1 pinch ground allspice
* salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place turkey in the skillet, and cook until evenly brown; drain.
2. Coat the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray, and mix in turkey, tomato soup, kidney beans, black beans and onion. Season with chili powder, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper, allspice and salt.
3. Cover, and cook 8 hours on Low or 4 hours on High.

[Geranium]

The MS Turkey Burgers are in regular rotation here at our house. To keep them from getting crumbly, I add 1 egg to the mix before forming the burgers. Also, I skip the breadcrumbs to keep the burgers from getting dry. Fresh Parmesan/Asiago is a good cheese to use in place of the Guyere.

[Rosebud]

I just tried this Turkey Meat Loaf (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Healthy-Turkey-Loaf/Detail.aspx) recipe from allrecipes.com and thought it was pretty good-- and I'm not even a big meat loaf fan. My DH really liked it.

Be sure to read the reviews over at allrecipes because they have some good tips on how to make the best of this dish. You'll definitely want to double the ingredients so it will fit in a loaf pan, and also it needs to cook for about an hour. I made some other changes, like adding garlic instead of lemon pepper and extra bread crumbs for consistency.

Healthy Turkey Loaf

1/2 pound ground turkey
1 egg
1/4 cup salsa
1/8 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/8 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
lemon pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large bowl combine the turkey, egg, salsa, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, onion, bread crumbs and lemon pepper. Mix well with hands until blended. Press mixture into a loaf pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. (It will need longer than this-- see comments).