Burgers are a go-to meal I know my kids will eagerly eat. They’re so easy -- I just vary the toppings and bun to suit my mood (no recipe needed!). We especially love "sliders" – itty-bitty versions that make "super sized" sound like a dirty word. Sometimes I even like to slip in a lighter version and use lean ground chicken or turkey. Turkey Apple Sliders have it all – lean protein, fresh fruit, cheese & whole wheat buns combine to make a refreshing, satisfying meal.
I want to be a good role model for my kids. I want them to see me being physically active, reading daily, eating well-balanced meals, being kind to others…the list goes on and on. It pains me when I have to show myself as the flawed human I am. As my kids have grown older it seems to happen more frequently than I care to admit. It’s not just that they notice my wrinkles multiplying or the grey hairs peaking out of my once-brunette locks—I can live with that (literally). It’s when I prove I can’t fix everything that I really see how hard it is to be a parent.
I had to break my son’s heart and tell him we couldn’t have any more pets in our home. We just buried "Scraps", the tiny tadpole/future water frog he’d won in a school raffle. We read the ten page treatise on caring for "Scraps" and dutifully provided an appropriate abode and special food to complete our adoption. Three days in, I found it floating at the bottom of it’s bowl. Oh noooo! How do I break it to him? We had a series of fish that kept dying on us a few years back. The kids eventually stopped naming them because they barely lasted long enough to keep track of them. I honestly don’t know why I can’t seem to keep even the simplest pet from meeting that giant toilet bowl in the sky, but I…just…can’t. And so, I decided to admit my limitations and tell Max that we simply aren’t meant to be "pet people" and he’d have to enjoy the animals our worthier friends and family have managed to keep.
It stinks that I can’t appear heroic and magically solve every problem we encounter, but it doesn’t stop me from trying to make good choices for my family. Celebrate the positive, right?
To get started, heat up your grill and gather your ingredients.
Place the ground turkey, bread crumbs, chopped onion, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix well.
Shape mixture into 12 patties. I like to form the middle of the patty thinner than the edges, that way when the burgers cook and shrink they retain a consistent thickness.
Place burgers on grill and cook (turning once) until no longer pink (around 8 minutes).
Meanwhile, prepare the buns by spreading honey mustard on bottom half.
Core and cut apple into thin rings.
Add lettuce and apple to bottom half of bun. I like to use baby spinach, but any lettuce will do.
Cut cheese slices into quarters. Sometimes I’ll even use the reduced fat 2% American Deli cheese for extra leanness.
Add two triangles of cheese to each burger and continue grilling until cheese melts.
Place turkey burger on prepped buns, cover with top half and enjoy!
I’d love to hear what you thought of these – make sure to come back and rate and review the recipe if you decide to make your own Turkey Apple Sliders.
Check back in a few days when Alex will share her go-to dinner.
Emily is paid to write for the Recipe Buzz®Blog.