Lettuce-Wrapped Turkey Burgers with Goat Cheese

I just finished making the drive up to Hillsboro, Oregon from Los Angeles yesterday, and boy am I tired! I knew the trip would be draining, so I tried to stock up on protein the night before. I wanted to make something with ground turkey meat because it was on sale at the supermarket, and I also had some goat cheese in the fridge, so I decided to make turkey burgers! I made them bunless partially because I wanted to cut out excess carbs, and partially because I didn't want to go back out to the grocery store and buy some. So I threw this together, and was really pleased with how it turned out! It had all the flavors I like, and I honestly didn't even miss the bun. Plus, I felt pretty good about eating it. It was easy to make, too, which was particularly convenient at the end of a long day of packing. Right now it feels good to be back in the house I grew up in, and the scenery here could not be more beautiful. The apple, pear, and plum trees in my parents' backyard are in full bloom, with lovely little spring blossoms poking out of their greyish branches. I will have to make something fruity soon to celebrate the loveliness of the season!

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Ingredients:

1 lb. Ground Turkey

8 Ounces Goat Cheese, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

1 Egg

1 Onion, sliced

1 Tomato, Sliced

1 Head of Lettuce, leafs separated

2 Garlic Cloves, Minced

2 Tablespoons Butter

5 Tablespoons Olive Oil

4 to 6 Teaspoons Ketchup

4 to 6 Teaspoons Thousand Island Dressing

1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder 

1/2 Teaspoon Cumin

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon Chipotle Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon Paprika

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Ginger

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, reduce heat to medium-low, and allow the onions to cook and caramelize while you create the patties, stirring every five minutes, and removing from heat after 20-30 minutes or until they turn golden brown.

Place the ground turkey, egg, butter, remaining olive oil, minced garlic, and all of the dried spices in a large bowl. Mix them together all with your hands until they are evenly blended. Then create 4 to 6 patties, about 5 inches in diameter and one inch thick. You can make them larger or smaller depending on your burger size preference.

Refrigerate the patties until the onions are done cooking.

Remove the onions from the pan with a slotted spoon and place them in a small bowl. Then cook the burgers in the same pan, flipping every few minutes so that both sides of the patty are cooked, until the internal temperature of the patties reaches at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the patty on one end of the leaf of lettuce. Place a slice of the goat cheese on top of the turkey, then the caramelized onions on top of the cheese, then a teaspoon of thousand island, then a tomato slice, and then a teaspoon of ketchup. Grab the other end of the lettuce, and wrap it over the top of the burger so that it meets the other end of the lettuce leaf underneath the burger. Secure with a toothpick, and serve immediately.