Do you ever start a project with half an idea hoping it will all come together in the end? Well that is exactly how I came up with my recipe for broccoli pesto and Havarti stuffed turkey burgers.
When I started cooking I wanted to make turkey burgers with Havarti cheese but that is all I knew. Never would I have guessed that I would be making to most delicious pesto I have ever tried—let alone made from broccoli stems!
We try to reduce waste in our kitchen as much as possible these days and normally I just end up tossing the broccoli stems into the compost or to the chickens. However, with a fridge full of broccoli it just didn’t feel right to ignore them. Now that I know broccoli stems make the best pesto of my life I wish they sold just the stems in the store!
Ingredients Needed
I started this meal without a recipe, just an idea. So some of the ingredients are missing in the photo above. You can find a complete list of all the needed ingredients below!
Broccoli Pesto
1 cup broccoli stems
1/3-1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup pepitos
1 small garlic clove
2 Tablespoons basil
1 Tablespoon cilantro
2 teaspoons parsley
Havarti Stuffed Turkey Burgers
1 pound ground turkey meat
4 1 inch cubes of Havarti cheese
4 brioche buns
2 roma tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1 Tablespoon olive oil
How to Make it
To create this amazing burger at home start by preheating your cast iron skillet over medium to medium low heat. I always prefer a cast iron pan over others because they are easy to clean up, help you get a great sear and evenly distributes heat. I basically refuse to use anything non cast iron anymore.
The next step is to build your Havarti stuffed burger patties. My family prefers 1/4 pound patties but you certainly could build 1/3 or 1/2 pound burgers if that is your preference.
Divide your meat evenly into your desired portions and mound them into balls. When you form them into balls, slightly squish the me so that it holds together better. Place the ball in the middle of your palm and press your knuckle into the center to create a pocket for the cheese.
Place a cube of Havarti cheese into the pocket and press the meat around the cheese to close the cube inside the patty.
We are making hamburgers not meatballs so you will want to lightly press out the patty to form a burger patty between. Make sure that your cheese is not peeking through or you will miss out on the gooey surprise center.
Salt and pepper each side of the patty and lightly place it into your oiled cast iron skillet.
Many people don’t like turkey burgers because they don’t know how to cook them and they turn out dry and pale. To make sure that your burger is nice and juicy but also has that brown crust we are going to cook them for 15 minutes on each side. This longer cooking time will stop the patty from losing all of it’s juices and create a nice crust on each side.
While the burgers are cooking grab a food processor to make your broccoli pesto. Start by roughly chopping up the broccoli stems and add them to the bowl with all of the other ingredients into the bowl of the food processor. Blend the ingredients together until combine Since you are using broccoli stems the sauce will be thick and a little grainy. You may need to add additional sour cream to make the sauce come together.
When the patties are done add a tab of butter and toast the insides of your buns. Assemble your burger with a healthy slap of broccoli pesto on each side of the bun and add slices of tomato and red onion to finish it off. Make sure to have plenty of napkins at the table because these burgers are messy but so good you might not want to waste it by cleaning up with a napkin!
Broccoli Pesto and Havarti Stuffed Turkey Burgers
Ingredients
Broccoli Pesto
- 1 cup broccoli stems
- 1/3-1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup pepitos
- 1 small garlic clove
- 2 Tablespoons basil
- 1 Tablespoon cilantro
- 2 teaspoons parsley
Turkey Burgers
- 1 pound ground turkey meat
- 4 1 inch cubes Havarti cheese
- 4 brioche buns
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 1/4 cup sliced red onion
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- While your cast iron skillet is heating up over medium to medium-low heat divide your ground turkey into 4 portions.
- Form the turkey meat into a ball and use your knuckle to press the meat into the palm of your hand. Place a cube of Havarti cheese in the center and wrap the meat around the cube. Flatten out the patty as much as you can without letting the cheese peek through. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on each side.
- In your preheated cast iron pan swirl a Tablespoon of oil around and gently press your patties onto the skillet. Cook each side for 15 minutes on medium to medium-low heat.
- While the patties are cooking chop up your broccoli stems and add them along with the other ingredients into the food processor. Blend the ingredients until smooth. You may need to add more sour cream to your sauce depending on the freshness of the broccoli.
- When your patties are fully cooked pull them. Then add a tab of butter into the pan to toast your buns. Build your burger with broccoli pesto on each side, patty and slices of tomato and red onion. Enjoy with a nice light beer and baked french fries!
Notes
