Hmm....summer reciep using ground turkey...
Not meatballs.....not spaghetti....not lasagna...
How about turkey burgers?...Or faux filets out of turkey. Seasonmeat with salt and pepper, adding a little dry bread crumbs as the meat will be a bit mushy when it thaws...make fat patties, wrap with a slice of bacon and grill.
How about "turkey herders pie"....cook ground turkey with some chopped onion an d a couple of stalks of chopped celery...add a little chicken broth to keep it a little soupy, consistancy like sloppy joes...maybe thicker.
Place in an oiled casserole and top with a layer of pepperidge farms stuffing mix, prepared according to package directions. Bake at 350 until bubbley and browned on top.
Somewhere I have a recipe for a low fat turkey sausage,made with apple sauce and a little maple syrup...but I don't know where that is.
Linda C

These burgers are delicious!

Feta Cheese Turkey Burgers from AllRecipes.com
Submitted by: Lol
Rated: 4 out of 5 by 211 members Yields: 4 servings
" Move over hamburgers -these turkey burgers studded with feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and oregano are fabulous. Grill and serve on your favorite whole wheat bun or stuff into pita pockets.

1 pound ground turkey
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat the grill for medium high heat.
2. In a large bowl, combine turkey, feta cheese, olives, oregano, and pepper. Mix together, and form into patties.
3. Lightly oil the grate. Place patties on the grill. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, turning halfway through.

I went through a ground turkey phase years ago. The trick for me was cooking it in something that was full of flavor, like chili, spaghetti sauce, sloppy joes, taco meat, etc., because it's rather bland compared to ground beef, which is what I normally use ground turkey as a substitute for.

It's okay to mix it with ground beef so you can maintain the flavor and texture of beef and reduce the cost a bit. I also mix it with expensive ground bison. Don't always assume ground turkey has all that many fewer calories and grams of fat than extra lean ground beef. Check labels.

I also don't like the fact they grind turkey skin in with the turkey meat. The skin is where the highest bacteria count is on poultry, so be sure to cook it thoroughly and handle it safely. Do a good job on clean-up.

-Grainlady

I just had these at a friends house and they were so delish I had to get the recipe - they are "light" enough to happily eat when it is warm out. Instead of making the milk based sauce, she made a lemony - chicken stock type pan sauce and it was excellent!

Alexa

Florentine Meatballs Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
1 box frozen spinach, defrosted in the microwave
1 1/3 pound (1 package) ground turkey breast
1 medium onion, finely chopped, divided
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups milk, divided
3/4 cup bread crumbs, 3 handfuls
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, 2 palm fulls
Coarse salt and black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 (10-ounce) sack shredded provolone or blend of Italian cheeses, available on dairy aisle
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, eyeball it
1/4 cup parsley leaves, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Wring defrosted spinach dry in a clean kitchen towel. Place turkey in a bowl and make a well in the middle of it. Add the spinach, all but 3 tablespoons of the onion, all of the garlic, 1 large egg, about 1/4 cup milk, bread crumbs, grated Parmesan, salt and pepper. Mix well. Form into 12 large balls and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Arrange on a nonstick cookie sheet and roast 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

While balls are in the oven, heat a small sauce pot over medium heat. Add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter. Melt butter, add remaining finely chopped onion and cook 2 minutes then whisk in flour. Cook flour 1 minute, then whisk in 1 1/2 cups milk and 1 cup stock. Bring liquid up to a boil then stir in shredded provolone or blended Italian cheeses. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg, turn heat to lowest setting.

Place 3 balls on dinner plates and top with sauce, garnish with parsley.

This is what I am making tomorrow. I highly recommend it.

Pancetta and Turkey Meatloaf Sandwiches
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 cup grated Romano
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat
10 ounces sliced pancetta, about 10 slices
3 cups arugula, about 3 ounces
1 cup mayonnaise
4 to 6 Italian rolls

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, eggs, milk, cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Add the turkey and gently stir to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat.

On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, lay out the pancetta, overlapping the slices, into a large rectangle shape. In the middle of the rectangle, place the turkey mixture, shaping into a loaf. Using the parchment paper, wrap the pancetta up and around the turkey loaf to cover completely. Squeeze the parchment-covered loaf with your hands to secure the pancetta and solidify the shape of the loaf. While still covered in parchment, bake the loaf until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

In a blender, combine the arugula and the mayonnaise and process until smooth. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

To make the sandwiches, slice the rolls and spread with the arugula mayonnaise. Slice the turkey meatloaf and place on the rolls to make sandwiches.

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
User Rating: 5 Stars

Here is a link that might be useful: from the site

I love to make turkey burgers. But I put a LOT of seasoning in them to make them tasty.

I use ground turkey meat; not the turkey breast. (too dry for me) I add, fresh garlic, salsa, oregano, salt/pepper, parsley. Then grill them. Perfection!

I was thinking turkey burgers. I never buy ground turkey, but I buy ground pork for burgers. I cook my ground pork on the grill and slather on BBQ sauce when done. I don't know why you couldn't do the same with ground turkey.

"I don't know why you couldn't do the same with ground turkey."

You could. But turkey, unfortunately, has no pork fat (unless you add 10 oz. of pancetta to every pound). :-)

Jim

I guess Jim you answered my question!

I don't buy ground turkey so I shouldn't have responded.

I use ground turkey for alot of things. I actually prefer to make a "burger" with the breast meat..mixed gently with s&p, parmesan cheese and chives..grill just until cooked through and still juicy..but you have to be very very careful not to over cook!
1lb of ground breast
1/4 c grated or shredded Parm
handfull of snipped chives
s&p

I like to use ground turkey instead of beef sometimes in my spaghetti and it's really good in lasagna.
I've made Rachel Ray's Sloppy Turkey Joes too, those are good.

Wow lots of ideas and good advice. I think it will be burgers later this week. I have 2 lbs, so I can try a few things!! Thanks, everyone.

Here's a summer favorite of ours. You have to like cilantro, though; it makes the dish. I use much more pasta and a little more turkey. Serve in deep plates with lots of chopped cilantro on top.

Rigatoni with Southwestern-Style
Ground-Turkey Sauce

1/2 cup minced red onion [I use a regular onion]
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small red bell pepper, cut into
1/4 inch dice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin [ridiculous -- use more]
l/8 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 pound ground turkey [I use a pound]
a 14-ounce can plum tomatoes [I use a big can]
including the juice
a pinch of dried hot red pepper
flakes
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh
coriander plus coriander sprigs
for garnish if desired
1/4 pound rigatoni [I use about a half-pound]
coarsely grated Monterey lack
for sprinkling the pasta

In a large skillet cook the onion in the oil
over moderately low heat, stirring occa-
sionally, until it is softened, add the garlic,
the bell pepper, the chili powder, the cum-
in, and the cayenne, and cook the mixture,
stirring, for 1 minute. Add the turkey and
cook the mixture over moderately high
heat, stirring and breaking up the turkey
with a wooden spoon, for 3 to 4 minutes, or
until the turkey is no longer pink. Stir in the
tomatoes with the juice, breaking them up,
the red pepper flakes, the chopped corian-
der, and salt and pepper to taste and simmer
the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 10 min-
utes, or until it is thickened.
While the sauce is simmering, in a kettle
of boiling salted water cook the rigatoni un-
til it is al dente, drain it well, and divide it
between 2 bowls. Divide the sauce between
the bowls, sprinkle it with the Monterey
Jack, and garnish each serving with a cori-
ander sprig.

In addition to above mentioned adds to turkey, chopped up red roasted peppers are a nice addition to turkey burgers.

Winter, summer, spring or fall this is my favorite meat loaf -

MARILYN'S TURKEY MEATLOAF

1 large onion; chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 pound ground turkey
5 crackers (Ritz) crushed
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup BBQ sauce

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a sauté pan, over medium-low heat, cook the onions in olive oil with salt and pepper until translucent, but not browned; add to remaining ingredients except BBQ sauce and mix well.

Press into a loaf pan and spread BBQ sauce evenly over top. Bake for 1 hour until the internal temperature is 160°. Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold in a sandwich Marilyn

2 things I have found that help when using ground turkey. One - its much softer than ground beef and comes out better if you add more breadcrumbs and less liquid of any kind, even egg, than you would with beef. Two - I add a little bit of very strong brewed coffee to the mix. It darkens both the look and the taste, and covers that turkey flavor that you wouldn't want in burgers or a meatloaf.

I agree with other posters who advise strong flavorings when using turkey as a substitute for ground beef.