Chicken or Turkey Burgers with Caesar Pesto
Serves 4
You’ll find the flavors of a Caesar salad in the garlicky pesto mixture that tops these chicken or turkey burgers served on toasted cheese rolls.
Ingredients
For the pesto:
- 1 cup dark leafy romaine leaves, stemmed and coarsely chopped, packed , plus 4 leaves for topping
- 1 round teaspoon anchovy paste
- A generous handful of grated Romano cheese
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 large clove garlic, grated or pasted
- Coarse black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- 1/4-1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus 2 tablespoons for cooking the burgers
For the burgers:
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken or turkey, white or dark meat, or a blend
- Salt and coarse black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 large cloves garlic, 1 grated or pasted and 1 crushed
- 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander (half a palmful)
- 1/2 tablespoon ground poultry seasoning
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1 stick butter
- 4 ciabatta or other crusty rolls, split and toasted
- 1 cup Romano cheese, shredded
Directions
- Pre-heat the broiler.
- For the pesto, combine all the ingredients except the EVOO in a food processor. Add about 1/4 cup EVOO and pulse into a thick sauce. Stream in a few extra tablespoons of EVOO, if necessary. Transfer the pesto to a serving bowl; reserve at room temperature.
- For the burgers, mix the meat with salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, coriander and poultry seasoning. Form four patties. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons EVOO, two turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Cook the patties for 12 minutes total, turning once.
- In a small saucepot, melt the butter with the garlic. Brush the garlic butter over the toasted buns and top with cheese and pepper. Broil until golden and the cheese is melted, about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve the patties on rolls slathered with pesto and top with a lettuce leaf.