In their younger and (even) more vulnerable days, a burger is simply a burger to a toddler—pretty much anything between two buns can count and satisfy. But as they grow and their tastes harden, a burger is specifically a burger—sometimes only the taste and texture of beef will do. You may not easily convince them otherwise.
But, you know, you also may not want to eat ground red meat as often as your child does; we sure didn’t. So we innovated this toddler turkey burger, and not just for a change of pace; we wanted no change in taste–that is, we wanted a non-burger burger our son would devour, even crave. It’s a touch sweet and very savory; it has a lot more flavor and juiciness than you might expect from boring ol’ turkey. We can’t promise it will fool your seemingly cosmopolitan child about its provenance; it can’t, and wasn’t designed to. What we can promise is something better: a dinner winner that, if not the same or even as good as a beef burger, is also something new and exciting, another option that can easily convince the whole family that turkey burgers are exciting.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus--well, at least, if you mean there is a way to make turkey burgers taste great, even to and for a child. Our secret? We infuse the meat with barbecue sauce and mayo to create a tangy and rich meat treat, one your toddler will know is not beef--and won't care.
We like these on a bun with a bit of mayo (see step #8); our child likes adding his usual mustard and ketchup to the mix but usually downs about 3/4th of an adult size burger. You can also serve mashed up in/on rice or pasta; if you’re feeling virtuous, they taste just fine nestled in a large leaf of romaine, bibb, or boston lettuces.
For more heft and/or nutrition, add chopped up spinach and cheese to the grind before cooking. Want to use chicken instead? Go for it–just stick to about two minutes per side to ensure the patty is not overcooked.
Brad (the Dad) is the founder and Chief Recipe Officer of New Dad's Kitchen. His own cooking/feeding journey started humbly during his son's infancy, preparing and managing his son's bottle intake in order to support his wife; it has since blossomed into a full-on passion to feed his child and family delicious and healthy meals that can satisfy both a toddler and his very tired parents.
