Banh Mi Turkey Burgers

Do you need to shake up your dinner routine a bit? Are you in a menu rotation rut? Do you love trying new flavors and experimenting with "fusion"? Then this recipe is for you!! This got two thumbs up from everyone at our dinner table, and the leftovers were great, too.

This recipe does require a little planning ahead, because the vegetables need time to pickle. You can get those ready the night before, the morning of, or even a day before. After that, this comes together really quickly - whip up the burgers, mix up a spicy sauce (only 2 ingredients!) and quickly toast the buns, and you are ready to go.

My family loves traditional banh mi (made with pork) but we really enjoyed this turkey burger version. It's a great way to get lots of veggies ON your burger, and a wonderful combination of flavors. Fusion away, baby!

Banh Mi Turkey Burgers

• 1 

  carrot, sliced into matchsticks

• 1 

  cucumber, sliced into matchsticks

• 1 

  jalapeño, thinly sliced

• 1/4 cup 

  rice vinegar

• 1/4 cup 

  water

• 1 Tbsp. salt

• 1 Tbsp. 

  plus 1 tsp. sugar (divided)

• 1/4 c. 

  mayonnaise

• 2 Tbsp. 

  sriracha, divided

• 2 lb. 

  ground turkey

• 1 Tbsp. 

  fish sauce

• 2 

  cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2 

  green onions, thinly sliced

• 1 1/2 tsp. 

  cornstarch

• 2 Tbsp. 

  toasted sesame oil or vegetable oil

• 6 

  brioche hamburger buns

• Fresh cilantro leaves 

• 
  
• In a medium bowl, combine cucumber, carrot, jalapeño slices and salt. Add vinegar, water, and 1 Tbsp. sugar. Mix until combined and chill for at least 6 hours to meld the flavors and perfectly pickle the vegetables. (You can also do this a day or two ahead of time.) 
• 
  
• For the spicy mayo, mix together mayonnaise and 1 Tbsp. Sriracha, adding more hot sauce if desired. 
• 
  
• For the burgers, in a medium bowl combine the turkey, remaining 1 tablespoon of Sriracha, cornstarch, fish sauce, remaining 1 tsp. sugar, garlic and green onions. Mix with your hands just until all combined, and be careful not to overmix. Season meat with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into six equal patties. Heat sesame oil (or vegetable oil) in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the burgers, flipping once, until cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. As the burgers begin to brown, add about 1/2 cup water to the pan and cover. Cook for a few minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees F. 
• 
  
• To serve, top each brioche bun with a burger patty, a generous slathering of spicy mayo and a scoopful of pickled vegetables. Garnish with cilantro leaves. (I like to lightly toast the buns first - just on a dry skillet over medium low heat - do watch them carefully so they don't burn.)

Korean Beef Sloppy Joes

 

At our house, we love Asian flavors and I'm always game for a fusion - combining two different styles into one food. These Korean Beef Sloppy Joes are just the ticket! Similar to a regular sloppy joe in substance, but with a much tangier, kickier flavor.(Kickier is not technically a word, however it is a great descriptor here, so I'm going to go with it.) 

I also liked that these sloppy joes were not as, well, sloppy, as the traditional recipe that I make. And let's be clear, I love sloppy joes. They are often my request at our family birthday dinner! But this year, these Korean Beef Sloppy Joes won the day. And everyone at the party agreed that they are fantastic.

We enjoyed these at home with sweet potato fries and roasted broccoli, and at the birthday party the Asian Coleslaw (or try this one with mangoes!) was the perfect accompaniment. Followed by cake, of course!

So whether you're having a party, or it's just a regular day, these Korean Beef Sloppy Joes are sure to be a hit. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Korean Beef Sloppy Joes

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. sesame oil

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

1/4 cup water

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. rice vinegar

1 tsp. chili garlic sauce

2 green onions, thinly sliced

6 hamburger buns, lightly toasted

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, breaking it up slightly with a spoon or spatula. Be sure to leave some larger chunks of meat, so don't break it up entirely. Drain any fat.

Add the garlic, sesame oil, ketchup, hoisin sauce, water, soy sauce, vinegar and chili garlic sauce. Stir well to combine, then bring to a light simmer and let simmer for 5 minutes to combine the flavors. If it's not sloppy enough, add up to 1/4 cup more water. 

Spoon the meat mixture onto the bottom half of the buns, and then garnish with green onions. Top with the other half of the buns.  Serves 6. 

Chicken Sausage Gyros

We love to get gyros at fairs and Lebanese restaurants, and I've long had this recipe in my "binder of things to try." When I recently picked up a package of chicken sausages, I knew I would use them to finally try these. (I'm a little late to the chicken sausage party, I know, but I'm about to catch up - I loved them so much I bought a HUGE package at Costco today!) These have the great flavor of traditional gyros without the need to have a huge piece of meat on a turning skewer in your kitchen. (Ha! could you imagine?)

We enjoyed these on Naan (Indian flatbread, great options at both Aldi and Costco) but pitas would be great too. I added a few ingredients to the sauce from the original recipe, and also threw in some spring mix to increase the veggie content. We ate these twice in three days, and they will now become a regular in our rotation. They're a fun change of pace and I hope you'll try them, too!

Find more great recipes at Inspiration Monday, Inspire Me, Mix it Up, Foodie Friday, What's Cooking, Showcase Your Talent, Full Plate, Foodie Friday, Friday Flash.


Chicken Sausage Gyros

1 package (12 ounces) fully cooked chicken sausage links (Mild Italian or flavor or your choice)
1 cup sour cream (I use low fat)
1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber
1-1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1-1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dill
4 pita breads or Naan
1 plum tomato, sliced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 cups spring mix or baby lettuce

In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until heated through.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the sour cream, cucumber, vinegar, oil, garlic powder and dill. Serve chicken sausage on pita breads with lettuce, tomato, onion and cucumber sauce. Yield: 4 servings.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Taste of Home

Pot Roast Sliders

I love little sandwiches. They are so cute, and you don't need to feel bad about eating more than one. I am a huge fan of the ham and swiss sliders on those delicious Hawaiian rolls, and so I was so excited to see a beef version. I didn't use Hawaiian rolls for this one, just regular dinner rolls, which I think helped hold up to the saucy beef.

If you don't like sandwiches, then you should still make this pot roast! It is delicious! This beef would also be great in enchiladas, taquitos, or about anything else that you need shredded beef for - I love when a recipe can do double duty.

For the roast, combine the salsa, water, au jus mix,

Italian dressing and Onion soup mix in a large measuring cup and whisk well to incorporate all the ingredients. Place the roast in the bottom of your crock pot and pour the salsa mixture over the top.

Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours. Meanwhile, make the chipotle sauce by combining the sour cream, horseradish sauce and sriracha (or chili sauce) in a small bowl. Stir well.

When you're ready to serve the sandwiches, cut each dinner roll in half and place the bottoms on a large cookie sheet. Place a piece of swiss cheese on the bottom halves of each roll, and bake for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the rolls are golden.

Heap a spoonful of roast beef on top of the swiss cheese, then replace the tops of the rolls.

Serve with the chipotle sauce. Note: the roast recipe will make enough beef for 24 sandwiches. If you only make 12 sandwiches, you can use the leftover beef in another recipe as mentioned above. (Or eat it plain with a fork!)

One year ago: Creme Egg Brownies
Two years ago: Monkey Bread Muffins
Three years ago: Triple Treat Torte
Four years ago: Brussels Sprouts with Garlic Butter and Almonds

Find more inspiration at Inspiration Monday, Mix it Up Monday, Melt in Your Mouth, Recipe Sharing, Totally Talented Tuesday, Create, Link, Inspire, Tuesday Talent Show, Clever Chicks, Try a New Recipe, Share Your Stuff.

Pot Roast Sliders

1 3 to 4 pound beef chuck roast
1 cup water
1 cup salsa
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 envelope Italian dressing mix
1 envelope Au Jus mix

12 dinner rolls
12 slices swiss cheese

Creamy chipotle sauce:
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. chili sauce
2 tsp. creamy horseradish sauce

Whisk together water, salsa, onion soup mix, Italian dressing mix and Au Jus mix in a large measuring cup. Place roast in slow cooker. Pour seasoning mixture over roast. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 4-5 hours. Shred the roast with two forks.

For the chipotle sauce, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir well.

Cut each roll in half and place the bottom halves on a baking sheet. Place a slice of Swiss cheese on each roll. Bake at 400 for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and rolls are golden.

Place a spoonful of shredded beef over the swiss cheese. Replace the top of the roll; serve sandwiches with the chipotle sauce.


Recipe Source: Six Sisters' Stuff

Black Bean and Veggie Quesadillas

I started making these a few years ago after having them at a local restaurant. They're incredibly versatile, because you can use whatever veggies you like or have on hand! I especially love the combination of zucchini and mushrooms with black beans, but red pepper, onion, or your favorite grilled veggies are great additions. These quesadillas also freeze well - if you can't use all 4, freeze them for a quick lunch later.

I start by chopping the zucchini and then seasoning them with a garlic blend. If you don't have a favorite garlic blend, just use some garlic salt, or salt and pepper, or whatever seasoning you like and have on hand.



Heat your grill pan over medium high heat, then toss in the zucchini and cook them, stirring once in a while, until they're tender and have those delicious grill marks.



Now add in the sliced mushrooms



and cook and stir until the mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the vegetables to a bowl. Now you can wipe out the skillet you just used, and return the pan to the heat - reduce the heat to medium. Place a tortilla in the skillet and top with a handful of cheese on one half.



Add the zucchini and mushrooms,



then spoon on some black beans.



Top with another handful of cheese.



Now flip the "blank" side over on top of the cheese



and press down lightly to help seal it. Then carefully turn it over



and cook on this side for 2 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted. Repeat with remaining tortillas and serve with salsa and your favorite fixings.

One year ago: Crispy Orange Beef
Two years ago: Banana Sherbet
Three years ago: Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie

Get more great ideas at Mangia Monday, Menu Monday, My Meatless Mondays, Mop it up Monday, Seasonal Inspiration, Mix it up Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesday at the Table, Tasty Tuesday (#2), Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday (#3), A Little Birdie Told Me, Tuesday Talent Show, Hearth and Soul, Cast Party Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Whole Food Wednesday, Whatcha Whipped Up Wednesday.

Black Bean and Veggie Quesadillas

1 medium zucchini, cut into quarters lengthwise then sliced crosswise
1 tsp. garlic - herb seasoning blend
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup black beans (if from a can, rinsed and drained)
4 whole wheat tortillas
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Season the zucchini with the garlic-herb seasoning. Heat a grill pan to medium high heat, and add the zucchini. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is almost tender. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove the vegetables to a bowl.

Wipe out the grill pan and return it to the heat; reduce heat to medium. Place a tortilla in the pan and place a few tablespoons of cheese on one half. Add about 1/4 cup of black beans and about 1/2 cup of vegetables on top of the cheese, and cover with another few tablespoons of cheese.

Fold the blank half of the tortilla over the filling and press it down lightly with a spatula to help it seal. Carefully turn over the quesadilla and cook on this side for about 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Leftover quesadillas can be wrapped in foil and frozen, then reheated in a toaster oven or microwave. Serves 4.

Oven Baked Ham and Swiss Sandwiches

These sandwiches have made the rounds on the internet for some time now, and I have always wanted to try them. Ham and swiss is my favorite sandwich filling combo and these looked too delicious not to try. They'd be a great addition to a Superbowl buffet line up, or just a yummy, quick weeknight supper. I pared down the quantity of meat and cheese (and butter!) compared to other recipes, and I promise you won't miss it.

Start by making the yummy sauce. I like to melt the butter in the microwave in a measuring cup. Then add the mustard,



onion flakes, poppy seeds



and Worcestershire sauce and whisk together.

Line a baking sheet with foil, then slice the Hawaiian rolls all together so you have a top and bottom. (Do not separate the individual rolls.) Place the bottom layer on the foil-lined pan, then top with the sliced ham.



Add the swiss cheese on top of the ham.



Whisk the dressing again, and now pour about 1/3 of it over the cheese.



Place the top part of the buns over the cheese, and then pour the rest of the sauce over the bread.



Look at all that buttery poppy seed goodness!



Bake the rolls for about 15 minutes or until golden brown



and the cheese is melted.



One year ago: Pasta with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon
Two years ago: M&M Cookies

Find more great ideas at Mouthwatering Monday, Mangia Mondays, Menu Mondays, Your Recipe, My Kitchen, Mop it Up Mondays, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesday at the Table, Tasty Tuesday (#2), Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Made from Scratch Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesday (#3), A Little Birdie Told Me, What's on the Menu Wednesdays, Cast Party Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, These Chicks Cooked.

Oven Baked Ham and Swiss Sandwiches

1 pkg. (12 count) Hawaiian Rolls
1/2 pound of ham, thinly sliced
1/2 pound swiss cheese
6 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 Tbsp. dry mustard
1/2 Tbsp. onion flakes
1/2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Slice the entire package of rolls at once to make a top and bottom layer. Place the bottom layer on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Cover the rolls with the ham, and then the swiss. In a glass measuring cup, combine the butter, mustard, onion flakes, poppy seeds and Worcestershire sauce. Drizzle a little of the mixture over the ham and cheese layer before replacing top layer of roll. Drizzle remaining mixture over the rolls.

Bake at 350 until cheese is melted, about 10-15 minutes. Serves 4-6.

Sweet and Salty Breakfast Monte Cristos

In May, I was the winner of the Iron Chef Challenge hosted by Amy at a Latte with Ott, A. The contest was for the best ham recipe, and my wild rice quiche was the winner! Winning a blog contest is good enough, but I also won a delicious ham from Dakin Farm.

So you can imagine my excitement when Amy told us that in December, all the previous winners from the past 11 months would be "baking off" against one another! The contest is sponsored by Taste of Home, and each of us baked the cinnamon raisin quick bread featured in yesterday's post. The winner of today's contest will be chosen based on who was the most creative in using the prepared bread. So here's my entry: Sweet and Salty Breakfast Monte Cristos.

Have you ever had a monte cristo? It's a variation of the French croque-monsieur and usually consists of turkey, ham, and gruyere between two slices of bread that are then battered and fried. I thought the cinnamon raisin quick bread would make a wonderful "foundation" for a variation on the traditional monte cristo. And I was right. My version is a breakfast sandwich (although I would eat it any time of the day!) featuring ham, swiss and a fried egg between two slices of the cinnamon bread, dipped in egg (like french toast) and then grilled and served with syrup or strawberry cream cheese. Let's get cooking!

Start by frying the eggs. Break each egg carefully into a skillet coated with nonstick spray. Break the yolk with a fork, and cook over medium heat for about two minutes or until set on the bottom. Flip the egg and cook for an additional two minutes until it's completely set.



To assemble the sandwiches, layer the ham and swiss on the bread



then add the egg.



Whisk the two remaining eggs with the milk for your "french toast" batter.



Carefully place each sandwich into the egg batter and press down lightly so that it absorbs some egg mixture into the bread.



Now even more carefully, since the bread is slightly soggy, flip the sandwich to coat the other side with egg.



Gingerly place the sandwich in a large skillet coated with nonstick spray. (You can even use the same one you fried the eggs in!)



Let the sandwiches cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes or until golden brown (like french toast). Now, super carefully, flip each sandwich over and let it cook on this side for 3-4 minutes. Remove to plates and serve with syrup,



strawberry cream cheese, your favorite preserves, or just eat it plain. In any case, it will be delicious! Here's how happy this made my sister in law, who loves egg sandwiches, and loved the added dimension of the sweet bread in contrast to the salty meat and cheese.



Thanks, Amy, for this fun challenge. And thanks to Taste of Home for a great bread recipe!

One year ago: Macaroon Kisses
Two years ago: Caramel Pecan Apple Pie

There are more great ideas at Turning the Table Thursday, It's a Keeper, Full Plate Thursday, Sweet Treats Thursday, Sweet Tooth Friday, Foodie Friday, Friday Potluck, Fusion Fridays, Food on Fridays, Friday Food.

Sweet and Salty Breakfast Monte Cristos

8 slices cinnamon raisin quick bread
8 thin slices smoked ham (about 1/4 pound)
4 slices swiss cheese
6 eggs
1/3 cup milk

In a large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray, fry 4 eggs (separately) until hard, flipping halfway through (about two minutes per side). Remove the eggs to a plate and re-coat the skillet with cooking spray.

On 4 slices of bread, layer two slices ham, one slice swiss, and one cooked egg. Top with second slice of bread. Whisk remaining two eggs and milk in a shallow dish. Carefully place sandwiches, one at a time, in the egg batter to coat, and flip to coat both sides.

Place sandwiches in skillet and cook over medium heat until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Gingerly flip sandwiches over and cook an additional 3-4 minutes until golden. Remove and cut in half. Serve with maple syrup, strawberry cream cheese, or your favorite preserves. Makes 4 sandwiches.

Curried Chicken Salad with Blackberries

I cannot tell you how excited I was to find this recipe. The cafe at my office makes a curried chicken salad that is sometimes served on raisin bread (SO yummy) and othertimes on top of fresh greens (also delicious). While normally not a huge curry fan, I cannot get enough of that chicken salad. And now, I can make my own. And (shhh!) I think it's even BETTER than the cafe's at work...

Start by making the dressing. In a measuring cup, combine the mayonnaise, chutney,



oil, lemon juice,



ginger and curry powder.



In a large bowl, combine the chicken, celery, green onion and raisins.



Pour the dressing over



and stir well to coat. Toss in the blackberries,



and stir gently.



Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow flavors to blend. Sprinkle with cashews right before serving.

This is delicious served over greens or stuffed into pita, or as the cafe does, you can leave the raisins out of the salad and serve the chicken salad on raisin bread.

One year ago: Peach and Blackberry Tart (one of my favorites!)
Two years ago: Strawberry Banana Trifle

Find more great stuff at Make a Food "E" Friend Monday (where I'm the featured blogger!), Mouthwatering Monday, Mangia Monday, Menu Monday, Your Recipe, My Kitchen, Let's do brunch.

Curried Chicken Salad with Blackberries

2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 Tbsp. oil
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. mango chutney
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 cup raisins
1 celery rib, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups blackberries, halved if large
1/2 cup roasted salted cashews

In a measuring cup, whisk together oil, mayonnaise, chutney, lemon juice, curry powder and ginger. In large bowl, combine chicken, raisins, celery and green onion. Pour dressing over and stir to coat. Gently stir in berries.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Just before serving, sprinkle with cashews. Serves 4.