Turkey Burger Surprise Packages with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

I recently developed some recipes for Daily Candy Kids. This meal idea offers a way to get the kids involved in dinner preparation while allowing them to take ownership of their creation. I have found that my kids are more likely to eat something they’ve created themselves. I also love this recipe because it’s very adaptable – feel free to throw in whichever summer veggies suit your tastes!

For the turkey burgers:
1 pound ground turkey
¼ cup finely chopped shallot
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 teaspoon lemon zest
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
1 large egg
¼ cup panko
4 whole wheat pita pockets, for serving

For the sauce:
1 cup plain 2% Greek yogurt
¼ cup cucumber, finely grated
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice (about ½ lemon)

For the packets:
1 yellow onion, sliced into thick rounds
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
4 carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 potato, thinly sliced

Heat the grill to medium high.
In a medium bowl, combine turkey, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, shallot, garlic, lemon zest, feta, egg and panko. Stir until blended. Form into 4 patties.
Cut 4 sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil to 16 x 12 inches.
Start with one onion round, then top with the turkey patty and slices of potato, zucchini and carrot. Drizzle vegetables with 1 teaspoon olive oil per packet, then sprinkle vegetables to taste with kosher salt and black pepper. Don’t be shy with the seasonings for the vegetables. Close the packet starting with the short ends, taking care to seal the top and then the edges. You may want to mark the packets to help you remember which is which. If there are leftover veggies, place them into a separate foil packet and season with oil, salt and pepper.
Cut pitas across the diameter into half circles. Stack them up and wrap in foil.
Place the packets on the grill along with pita halves.
While packets are cooking, make the sauce by combining the yogurt, cucumber, salt and lemon juice.
Check packets after 15 minutes. Vegetables should be tender and turkey cooked though. Remove packets and pita.
To assemble dinner, carefully peel back the foil using oven mitts to open the packets. Do not burn yourself with the hot steam and do not let kids do this part! Cut turkey burgers in half and place each half in a cut pita, then top with the yogurt sauce. Serve the vegetables on the side or in the pita.
Quick Tips
1. Planning to make the baked potatoes for tomorrow evening’s dinner? Just throw them on the grill wrapped in foil at the same time as the packets. Potatoes will come off the grill after a total of 45 minutes. Put potatoes in the fridge until the next day. Two birds, one stone!
2. I tested this recipe with both ground turkey breast and ground turkey (including dark meat). I thought the breast might make a dry burger, but it actually turned out nicely. Of course, the ground turkey breast had better overall flavor given the higher fat content. You can go either way.
3. I let my kids build their own packets, but I did all the handling of the raw meat. I set up the burgers on the foil then let them take it from there.

Preparation time: 30 minute(s)

Cooking time: 15 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4

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