Turkey and Chickpea Sliders with Dill Havarti. Game day burgers take a “Healthyish” turn with these tender protein-packed sliders. The chickpeas are undetectable, but melted Dill Havarti shines as a flavorful topping.
Disclosure: This post was written in partnership with OXO. I was sent products for use in this post. As always, all opinions here are my own.
If I were to describe my personal dietary lifestyle, I’d say that it’s “healthyish.”
That’s the most suitable term for my eating habits — a life filled with vegetables, lean proteins, superfoods and such… supplemented with whatever other treats my little heart desires. {Within reason, of course.}
Needless to say, you can imagine my excitement when my friends at OXO reached out to see if I’d be interested in checking out a new cookbook touting the very name of my food philosophy: Healthyish.
Lindsay Maitland Hunt, the author of this incredibly real, relatable cookbook, wrote this book for people like you and me who want to eat well but, you know, are actual regular humans with taste buds and budgets and busy lives. The book is packed with recipes you will want to {and CAN} make, and you won’t find yourself asking, “Where the heck do I buy that??” All regular grocery store items, made for the average Joe who just wants to put on some comfy pants and watch an episode or two of their favorite show.
That being said, I have good news: The recipes aren’t limited to “healthyish” things you’ll only want to make during the week. Nope. Take for instance, Lindsay’s Turkey and Chickpea Burgers with Dill Havarti.
It just so happens that these babies are super easy to alter into a perfectly crowd-pleasing Super Bowl sliders. Good timing for this weekend, huh?
For my twist on Lindsay’s version, I followed the burger recipe almost exactly, but instead of forming regular-sized patties, I rolled them into bite-sized sliders that make a great game day bite. Instead of using bready rolls, I whittled down the amount of carbs by using tiny pitas that I cut in half as the “bun.” That melty Havarti Dill cheese takes these sliders to the next level, and the rest of the fixins? Well, they’re up to you.
OXO’s kitchen tools {at this point I think almost my entire kitchen consists of OXO items} aid in making these a breeze. Drain the chickpeas with their 2 Quart Silicone Collapsible Strainer that flattens for easy storage, then use their Smooth Potato Masher to mash down the chickpeas so that they’re not even detectable.
As you make the patties, plop them on a Non-Stick Pro Half Sheet Jelly Roll Pan {they happen to be one of my favorite products OXO makes} for easy transferring once you’re ready to cook them up. Their Large Stainless Steel Flexible Turner works well to flip foods that would otherwise fall apart while handling.
With recipes like this one, you can feel good about what you’re eating and enjoy those extra game day goodies even more knowing that you’re eating “healthyish.”
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for some Super Bowl grubbin’. Serve up these sliders and the game won’t be the only thing the crowd is cheering over!
Turkey and Chickpea Sliders with Dill Havarti
Ingredients
- 1 can {15.5 oz.}chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 1 clove garlic minced or grated
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs {I used gluten free}
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Sprinkle of cracked black pepper
- Sliced dill Havarti cut into 12 2x2 inch squares
- 12 mini pitas sliced in half
- Toppings of your choice: mayo mustard, lettuce, tomato, etc.
Instructions
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mash the chickpeas with a potato masher until they're all crushed. Add the turkey, egg, garlic, Worchestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon olive oil, panko breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.
- With your hands or a wooden spoon, mix the ingredients until everything is uniformly combined.
- Using a standard ice cream scoop, scoop out a ball and form into a mini patty. Place on the prepared baking sheet as you go until all the meat is used up. {You should get about 12-14 patties.}
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place patties in skillet and cook until golden brown and cooked through, flipping after about 3 minutes.
- Add the squares of dill Havarti to each patty and allow to melt slightly.
- Serve on mini pitas or small slider buns with desired toppings.