Summertime, and the living is easy.  Well, I honestly don’t know how easy it is, but at least the weather is nice!  Summer means days at the beach, picnics in the park, cold beer and lots of barbecue!  (That was my life 20 years ago and before giving birth, but I can still dream.)

Burgers are as American as apple pie, and no barbecue is complete without one.  Angus, Kobe and Wagyu beef burgers, turkey burgers, chicken burgers, tuna or salmon burgers and last but not least veggie burgers are fried, grilled, smoked, baked and barbecued.  Lately the oh-so-trendy folks in the food world are all about the mini burger or slider.  I like having a two or three bite burger, which then means I can have more than one without looking like a total pig.  Of course, when you see me shoveling in the baked beans and potato salad, that theory goes right out the window. . .

While shopping at Trader Joe’s I found some mini burger buns, and on impulse picked them up.  I then proceeded to stand in the middle of the aisle coming up with a recipe to go with the buns.  After a few minutes a very nice Trader Joe’s employee asked if there was something she could help me with, as I was still standing in the aisle,  my lips moving as I mentally prepared the burgers.  I smiled and told her I didn’t need help, and casually moved back to my cart before she called the men in the white jackets. But I had come up with my burger; mini turkey burgers stuffed with cheese!  My juicy little burgers would be fabulous with the addition of a nugget of soft, creamy, oozing brie cheese hidden in the middle of each burger.

Mini Brie Stuffed Turkey Burger

Makes 10 mini burgers

1 lb ground turkey, approximately (most packaged ground turkey weighs slightly more than a pound)

1 tsp poultry seasoning

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp granulated garlic

1/4  tsp freshly ground black pepper

brie cheese

1 TB olive oil

bread and butter pickles

olive tapenade

mini burger buns

In a large bowl mix the turkey, poultry seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper.  Using a 1/4 cup measure, portion out the seasoned turkey.

Flatten each portion of turkey, then top with a small piece of brie, about the size of a teaspoon.

Fold the turkey meat around the brie, then roll it in your palm like you are rolling a meatball. Place the meat onto a plate and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

When ready to cook, heat the olive oil in a large skillet.  Flatten the turkey balls into a burger shape, being careful to make sure the cheese is covered by the turkey meat.  This will help prevent the cheese from oozing out of the burgers while they cook.  But don’t be surprised if it does happen.

Cook the burgers for 4 – 5 minutes, then turn them over.  Cover the pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes, until the burgers are cooked through.

Garnish each burger with either a bread and butter pickle slice or a dollop of olive tapenade.  The sweet tartness of the pickle or the tangy saltiness of the tapenade will compliment the rich and buttery cheese.