Turkey Patty Melts
By Lan LamPublished on December 4, 2023
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Makes 4 sandwiches
Ingredients
Ground Turkey Mix
1 shallot, chopped coarse (⅓ cup)¼ cup panko bread crumbs ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 1 pound 93 percent lean ground turkey ¼ cup milk 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled1 tablespoon Worcestershire saucePatty Melts
1 pound onions, halved and sliced thin½ cup water 1 tablespoon plus 4 teaspoons unsalted butter, divided½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon pepper Pinch baking soda 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon brown sugar 8 slices hearty white sandwich bread 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 12 slices pepper Jack cheese (4 ½ ounces), dividedBefore You Begin
We like the melty texture and subtle heat that pepper Jack brings to this sandwich but you can use any good melting cheese, like Swiss, Muenster, or American.
Instructions
- Process shallot, panko, salt, and pepper in food processor, scraping down sides as necessary, until shallot is finely ground, about 20 seconds. Add turkey, milk, butter, and Worcerstershire and pulse until just combined, 8 to 12 pulses. Transfer to bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use. (Turkey mixture can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month).
- Divide ground turkey mix into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into thin patties that are ¼-inch larger than slices of bread. Place 2 patties in 12-inch nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat until spotty brown on bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook, pressing down on patties frequently, until second side is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer to plate. Wipe out skillet and add remaining two patties. Repeat cooking process and transfer patties to plate, leaving fat in skillet.
- Add onions, water, 1 tablespoon butter, salt, pepper, and baking soda and bring to simmer. Cover and cook for 8 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until onions are well-browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in vinegar and sugar.
- While onions cook, arrange 4 slices of bread on cutting board. Spread 1½ teaspoons mustard on each slice. Top each slice with 1 ½ slices cheese, breaking up cheese as necessary to keep from hanging over edge. Arrange patties on top of cheese. Divide onions evenly over patties and top with remaining 6 slices cheese and remaining 4 slices bread.
- In clean, dry skillet, melt 1 teaspoon butter over medium-low heat. Add 2 sandwiches and cook until bottoms are well-browned, 4 to 5 minutes, moving sandwiches as needed to ensure even browning. Flip, add 1 teaspoon butter, and continue to cook until second side is well-browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove sandwiches and repeat with remaining 2 teaspoons of butter and remaining sandwiches. Serve.
for the turkey mix
for the patty melts
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Makes 4 sandwichesIngredients
Ground Turkey Mix
1 shallot, chopped coarse (⅓ cup)
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 pound 93 percent lean ground turkey
¼ cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Patty Melts
1 pound onions, halved and sliced thin
½ cup water
1 tablespoon plus 4 teaspoons unsalted butter, divided
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Pinch baking soda
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
8 slices hearty white sandwich bread
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
12 slices pepper Jack cheese (4 ½ ounces), divided
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Ground Turkey Mix
1 shallot, chopped coarse (⅓ cup)
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 pound 93 percent lean ground turkey
¼ cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Patty Melts
1 pound onions, halved and sliced thin
½ cup water
1 tablespoon plus 4 teaspoons unsalted butter, divided
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Pinch baking soda
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
8 slices hearty white sandwich bread
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
12 slices pepper Jack cheese (4 ½ ounces), divided
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Ground Turkey Mix
1 shallot, chopped coarse (⅓ cup)
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 pound 93 percent lean ground turkey
¼ cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Patty Melts
1 pound onions, halved and sliced thin
½ cup water
1 tablespoon plus 4 teaspoons unsalted butter, divided
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Pinch baking soda
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
8 slices hearty white sandwich bread
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
12 slices pepper Jack cheese (4 ½ ounces), divided
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Our ground turkey patty melts started with browning a turkey mixture designed to remain juicy and tender even when pressed into very thin patties and seared. We added onions, water, and baking soda to the skillet; covered it; and allowed the water to lift the fond from the pan and steam the juices from the onion. Then, we removed the lid and continued to cook. The baking soda both tenderized the onions and raised the pH in the pan to promote speedy browning. We boosted the sweetness of the onions with brown sugar and added a splash of balsamic vinegar to give them some tang. We built the melts by layering the onions, patties, and pepper Jack between slices of bread and then gently griddled them until the sandwiches were warmed through, the cheese was melty, and the bread was crisply toasted.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
We like the melty texture and subtle heat that pepper Jack brings to this sandwich but you can use any good melting cheese, like Swiss, Muenster, or American.
Instructions
- Process shallot, panko, salt, and pepper in food processor, scraping down sides as necessary, until shallot is finely ground, about 20 seconds. Add turkey, milk, butter, and Worcerstershire and pulse until just combined, 8 to 12 pulses. Transfer to bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use. (Turkey mixture can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month).
- Divide ground turkey mix into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into thin patties that are ¼-inch larger than slices of bread. Place 2 patties in 12-inch nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat until spotty brown on bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook, pressing down on patties frequently, until second side is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer to plate. Wipe out skillet and add remaining two patties. Repeat cooking process and transfer patties to plate, leaving fat in skillet.
- Add onions, water, 1 tablespoon butter, salt, pepper, and baking soda and bring to simmer. Cover and cook for 8 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until onions are well-browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in vinegar and sugar.
- While onions cook, arrange 4 slices of bread on cutting board. Spread 1½ teaspoons mustard on each slice. Top each slice with 1 ½ slices cheese, breaking up cheese as necessary to keep from hanging over edge. Arrange patties on top of cheese. Divide onions evenly over patties and top with remaining 6 slices cheese and remaining 4 slices bread.
- In clean, dry skillet, melt 1 teaspoon butter over medium-low heat. Add 2 sandwiches and cook until bottoms are well-browned, 4 to 5 minutes, moving sandwiches as needed to ensure even browning. Flip, add 1 teaspoon butter, and continue to cook until second side is well-browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove sandwiches and repeat with remaining 2 teaspoons of butter and remaining sandwiches. Serve.
for the turkey mix
for the patty melts
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