Ground turkey gets a bad rap for being too dry once cooked, mainly because it has so little fat. I’ll admit that it’s easy to let that happen IF you don’t plan ahead and make sure to add other ingredients to help add some moisture to the mix.
This recipe is a twist on chicken parmesan using ground turkey and making them sliders as opposed to the traditional breaded, browned and baked chicken breast. The marinara sauce mixed in with the meat makes them nice and juicy, and the addition of the chopped fresh basil and crushed red pepper infuse a fresh, spicy flavor into the mild turkey meat.
This dish came together in less than 30 minutes and the serving platter was clean at the end of the meal which means I have another family favorite.
What’s great about these sliders is you can make the slider patties in advance and store them in fridge or freezer. Then when you’re ready, you can prepare them in no time. They would also be perfect as an appetizer for your next football get together!
Ingredients:
1 package wheat dinner rolls, sliced in half
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1teaspoon salt
1teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1teaspoon crushed red pepper
1teaspoon dried oregano
1cup marinara sauce
1cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Directions:
1) Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to an oven-proof saucepan and warm it on the stove over medium heat.
2) Add the onion and garlic and cook for 6-8 minutes until soft.
3) Stir in the basil, oregano, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper and cook for 2 more minutes.
4) Remove the pan from the heat and scrape the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Allow the mixture to cool for about 5 minutes.
5) Add the ground turkey, half of the marinara sauce and half of the parmesan cheese into the mixing bowl and combine the ingredients with your hands until fully incorporated.
6) Shape the mixture into 12 small patties, large enough to fit the size of the dinner rolls. Season the patties with salt and pepper.
7) Preheat your oven to broil.
8) Using the same saucepan, pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan and place the patties into the pan, seasoning side down. Season the patties with salt and pepper and cook them for 8 – 10 minutes or until browned on the bottom. Gently turn the patties over and cook them for an additional 8 – 10 minutes until browned.
9) Arrange the bottom half of the rolls on a foiled lined baking sheet and place a patty on top of each half. Spoon a tablespoon of the marinara sauce on top of each patty, followed by a generous pinch of the parmesan and mozzarella. Place the tops of the rolls face up on the same tray.
10) Slide the pan under the broiler and broil the sliders for about 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the rolls are slightly toasted.
11) To serve, top each slider with fresh chopped basil and the top half of the roll.
