Oh my.

A little on the adventurous side for you classic burger + bun people, but there is nothing not to love about this upgraded combo, using portabello mushrooms instead of bread for the burger buns.

Don’t get me wrong, great bread & buns {insert dirty joke here} can be a good thing from time to time, although to be honest,  I don’t eat it personally very much these days. As a staple, finding a better substitute is a great way to go, especially if you want to feel better after you eat it (the perk of all cleaner, healthier food). This style of burger eating may bring it back to the healthy weekday meal it can be- with a few Sarah tweaks, of course.

So, what are the keys to a “healthy” burger? First, make sure your meat is organic or at least natural. I can’t stress how important this is with all meat and dairy products. You pay a little bit more for what you are not getting, to say the least. Instead of bread crumbs to bind the burgers together, organic goat cheese does the job with a bit more moisture and flavor. The tomato sauce and basil gives a extra little punch. And then, there’s the mushrooms. Even for the non-mushroom fans out there, portabello’s are worth a try. Their flavor is much more mild than white or crimini mushrooms. Or, you can stick with some good bun options and still have a great meal (works well for families).

A perfect meal, in other words, no matter your preference.

Ingredients

Recipe adapted from a Multiply Delicious original:

Portabello Mushrooms (8 for 4 full burgers or 8 open faced burgers)

Sarah’s turkey burgers:

1 lb organic ground turkey

1 16 oz can tomato sauce

2 oz organic goat cheese (or 2 eggs if you are dairy free)

fresh basil- I used about 3-4 TB, chopped

sea salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Wash and de-stem the mushrooms. Wipe clean with a  paper towel, rub with olive oil and bake at 375 until done (30 mins). In the meantime, combine the turkey, tomato sauce, basil, goat cheese, sea salt & pepper in a large mixing bowl. Wash hands thouroughly then mix together well with your hands.

2. Spread foil on a few baking sheets. Form into burgers- a few larger ones, or multiple small ones (my fav). Place on the baking sheets and bake at 375 until cooked through (25 min approx).

If you go the mini burger route, you can also use regular sized white or cremini mushrooms to make perfect appetizer size bites with toothpicks through the middle.

Serve with sliced avocado and my roasted red pepper harissa & homemade sweet potato or regular fries.

Throw a basic green salad in there and you’ve got yourself a nice looking {and tasting} dinner!