Easy Patty Melt Recipe with Ground Turkey
An easy, low-fat patty melt recipe, featuring a ground turkey patty, with smoked cheese, onions and wheat toast.
Us moms could all use a little help in the kitchen come dinnertime, unfortunately, life doesn't always provide a second set of hands. Easy, quick-fix recipes are a necessity for most families on weeknights, and this crowd-pleasing family dinner option, is exactly that! A quick patty melt recipe, that takes less than 20 minutes to prepare, and about .5 seconds to devour!
WHAT IS A PATTY MELT
Before we get into our quick-fix, low-fat version, let's talk about the patty melt basics. If you've never had a patty melt, think grilled cheese meets cheeseburger. Now, we can cover just about all the patty-melt know-how needed by answering two questions: (1) What does a patty melt have on it? A patty melt typically consists of a thin, ground beef patty, melted cheese, onions and sliced, white bread. And, (2) How do you make a patty melt? The beef patty is seared, then the sandwich is assembled and it goes back on to the stove top. It's cooked just like a grilled cheese, and the bread ends up all toasty, will all of the elements are melded together by the melted cheese.
THE LOW-FAT PATTY MELT
This recipe differs from the norm in three ways: (1) Ground turkey is substituted for ground beef, (2) toasted wheat bread is used instead of white, and (3) the sandwich as a whole does not go back to the skillet once assembled. This route not only cuts back on the calories, but also the amount of time spent in the kitchen. The cheese called for in this recipe, is extremely creamy, and simply placing hot onions atop it will meld the sandwich together just fine. No need to add it back to the stovetop.
While we are making this a low-fat patty melt, we will not be missing out on any of the flavor. Sautéed onions, creamy, smoky Butterkäse cheese and a spicy ketchup sauce is guaranteed to leave you and your family happy, full and satisfied. Enjoy!
For the Spicy Ketchup Sauce:
1/2 cup ketchup
2 teaspoon ground chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes of low-sodium liquid smoke
For the Patty Melt:
1 pound (85/15) ground turkey
1 1/2 teaspoon TAK House Seasoning
2 1/2 tablespoon canola oil, separated
3/4 cup freshly grated smoked Butterkäse cheese (or smoked Gouda)
1 yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
8 (1/2") slices fresh, bakery wheat bread, toasted
Method:
For the Spicy Ketchup sauce, combine ketchup, chili powder, cumin, pepper, Worcestershire and liquid smoke in a small mixing bowl, and whisk to combine. Set aside until ready to use.
For the turkey patties, have ready a pan lined with wax paper, and begin preparing the turkey patties. In a mixing bowl, combine turkey and TAK seasoning, and mix until well combined. With damp hands, take about 3 tablespoons of ground turkey, and roll into a ball in between the palms of your hands. Press the turkey ball flat like a pancake. Transfer to the wax paper, and continue making patties.
Once all of the turkey patties are formed, add 1 1/2 tablespoon of oil to a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, and allow to come to temperature. Transfer patties to the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Do not overcrowd the pan. Flip the patty, add a generous pinch of cheese to the top of the patty and continue to cook for 2 1/2 - 3 minutes more. Set aside.
Add another tablespoon of canola oil to the sauté pan (if necessary) before adding the onions. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and sauté the onion for about 6 minutes, or until softened and cooked through.
Assemble the patty melts by placing turkey patty on a slice of toasted wheat bread, top with a generous heaping of onions and a spoonful of spicy ketchup sauce. Serve and enjoy.
Serves 4.
Pair this patty melt with:
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