Smoky Barbeque Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Wedges

Did anyone watch the Oprah episode where she showed all her “Favorite Things” for summer? Well, if you didn’t, she talked about a turkey burger she had when visiting Donald Trump’s Mar a Lago in Palm Beach. She was raving about this burger, and had the chef come on stage and demonstrate how to cook it. It had some really unique ingredients in it and it sounded delicious to me. I’ve made it a few times already and was planning on making it tonight until I realized I didn’t have one of the key ingredients, Granny Smith apples (yes, apples in turkey burgers!) I was still craving a turkey burger for dinner so I came up with my own version.

Smoky Barbeque Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Wedges

2 TB olive oil
2 large Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
pinch salt and pepper

Basting Sauce:
1/2 cup Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce
4 TB Hot Mango Chutney

Chipotle Mayonnaise:
1 TB Chipotle Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup mayo

Patties:
1 TB olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped celery, about 2 stalks
1/2 cup finely chopped green onion, about 3-4 onions
2.5 lb ground turkey, 7% fat
2 TB Chipotle Tabasco sauce
2 tsp smoked paprika
8 oz block cheddar cheese, shredded
good pinch salt and pepper
olive oil

6 potato sandwich rolls

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or pre-heat a gas grill to medium-high.

Place 2 TB olive oil in a medium fire proof skillet and set on grill rack. When oil is hot, place sliced Vidalia onions in pan. Season with good pinch of salt and pepper and begin to cook. Saute onions until browned and caramelized, about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Place 1 TB olive oil in medium fire proof skillet and set on grill rack. When oil is hot, place celery and onion in pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

While onions are caramelizing, prepare basting sauce and chipotle mayonnaise.

Combine mayonnaise and Chipotle Tabasco in a small bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Combine barbeque sauce and hot mango chutney in small bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make patties, combine ground turkey, Chipotle Tabasco, smoked paprika, cheese and cooked and cooled green onions and celery in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Gently combine and mix using hands or large spoon. Form into 6 even sized patties. Brush patties liberally with olive oil to prevent sticking on grill.

Place patties on grill rack, cover and cook until bottoms are browned, about 5 minutes. Using spatula, flip patties and cook additional 4-5 minutes. Using brush, baste turkey burgers liberally with mango BBQ sauce, turn over patties and baste other side. Cook each side with sauce 1-2 minutes so sauce can caramelize.

To assemble burgers, spread chipotle mayonnaise on both sides of open potato rolls. Place patty in bun and top with caramelized onions. Take a big bite and enjoy!

For those sauce lovers, can be served with additional Mango BBQ sauce on side!

To make Sweet Potato Wedges:
Cut 2 large sweet potatoes into wedges, leave skin on. Place in large baking sheet. Toss wedges with 1 TB of olive oil, salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Place in 425 degree oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until brown and crispy. You may need to toss once during cooking process.

Enjoy!