Whine and Cheese All the Thyme Burger

Ingredients

Burger

• 1 1/4 lbs ground turkey breast (Mrs G 'cause she's got great ones) or 1 1/2 lbs lean ground turkey (Mrs G 'cause she's got great ones)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2-3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 3 tablespoons white wine, mine was pinot grigio (NCMysteryshopper 'cause she as cool as a tall glass of)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (Laury 'cause she's up to snuff)
• 1/4 cup grated vidalia onion (Saturn 'cause she hails from Canada's onion capital and adds a little kick)
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced (PanNan 'cause she is well seasoned and works with everything)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons thyme (Susie D 'cause she could use lots more)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage (Nimz 'cause she is wise and has a gentle soft side)
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs (me 'cause I keep things together)
• 3 ounces goat cheese or monterey jack cheese or fresh mozzarella cheese (if using jack or mozzarella, grate or chop)
• 2 tablespoons white wine (like NCMS it's everywhere)

Onion and Mushroom Sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil (Leslie 'cause she's smooth and keeps all the pieces working)
• 1 large vidalia onion, halved and cut into thin half rings
• 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms (kzbhansen 'cause she tops off our team so nicely)
• 1/3-1/2 cup white wine
• 2 teaspoons butter

Fixings

• 4 roasted sweet red peppers, halves jarred (mama's kitchen 'cause she is sweet and fiery)
• 8 slices sourdough bread, cut in to thickish slices about 3/8 inch (Elmotoo 'cause she is buntabulous and it just wouldn't be the same without her)

Directions

1. 1

   Place the ground turkey meat in a large bowl. Add salt, pepper, white wine, Dijon mustard, garlic, grated onions, thyme, and sage and mix together well. Gently add breadcrumbs and mix until combined. (Overworking the meat at this stage will toughen the burger.).

2. 2

   Divide the burger mixture into 8 equal sized amounts. Pat each portion into a 5" round patty that is a little thicker in the center. Place a mound with 1/4 of the cheese at the center of 4 of the patties. Carefully, place the other 4 patties on top and seal the edges well and pat smooth. If your burgers have become quite soft from handling place back in the fridge for 10 minutes.

3. 3

   To prepare the sauce, heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once it become hot, add the vidalia onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes until the onions are soft and have begun to take on a little color. Season with a small amount of salt and pepper to taste.

4. 4

   Add the mushrooms and wine and stir well. Cook for 3 minutes continuing to stir. To enrich the sauce, add the butter and cook until just melted and incorporated into the wine. Cover and turn off the heat until ready to serve.

5. 5

   While the onions are cooking, heat a large skillet until piping hot but not smoking. Add the burgers to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes to create a good seer. Turn burgers and continue cooking another 2 minutes. Add the final 2 tablespoons of white wine to the pan and cook an additional minute or two.

6. 6

   Toast 8 slices of sourdough bread (or 4 split sourdough rolls) in the toaster or broiler. Top each with sweet roasted pepper half. Place burger on top of the red pepper. Top the burger with 1/4 of the onion-mushroom wine sauce and a second piece of sourdough (or roll tops).

7. 7

   Serve with a glass of wine and extra napkins.