A modern version of a patty melt, Turkey Patty Melt Panini is made with lean ground turkey, creamy brie and zesty hot red pepper jelly. Pressing the sandwich in a panini press or between 2 hot pans gives the exterior a golden crust.
The concept of the Turkey Patty Melt Panini all started with a little jar of peony jelly I got from a local farm and was wondering how to enjoy it, other than on a charcuterie board. Then, Mr. H had mentioned about how his mom used to make Patty Melts with beef and cheese on rye bread. So I had a look in my freezer, fridge and pantry, and just like on Chopped, I came up with this creation. You’ll notice that the recipe calls for Hot Pepper Jelly, but if you happen to see an interesting jelly that might work, try it! Also, cranberry sauce is excellent on this sandwich for a more tart than sweet element.
Jump to Recipe
My beef about burgers is they’re usually too thick to bite. (Did you get that pun? Beef? Burgers?) Especially if you have a serious bun and lots of toppings. Enter the Panini Grill. Not only will it squash your sandwich to a biteable size, it will also give it a crusty exterior and help melt the Brie. I love my panini press. But you can still accomplish the same thing if you don’t have one, just heat a second heavy pan and press it on top. The grill marks are nice but you’ll forget about them when you take your first juicy cheesy bite of a Turkey Patty Melt Panini.
Ground turkey has less fat than beef so it’s a bit healthier. But that also means it needs some help in the juicy and tasty department. No need to go crazy with ingredients, I find it’s best to keep it simple. A pound of ground turkey makes 4 perfect sized patties. Mayo and Dijon add fat and flavour as well as Worcestershire, thyme (dried or fresh, depending on the season) salt and pepper and a small amount of bread crumbs. Just enough to hold everything together and to keep the juice inside the patty.
Ground turkey is quite soft and delicate so be gentle when you mix it together. Divide the meat into 4 equal amounts and shape into patties. The patties will be soft so it helps if you use plastic wrap to shape them. Just put a ball in the centre, wrap the plastic loosely around the meat and press into shape. Make them larger in diameter than your bun and not too thick. They will shrink as they cook and thicken, so you might get lucky and end up with a patty that fits the bun perfectly.
Once you’ve caramelized the onions, remove them from the pan, then you can cook the turkey patties in the same pan. This saves you from extra dirty dishes, and some of that flavour will be absorbed into the meat. Depending on the size of the pan, you’ll probably have to cook your patties in batches. Since the meat mixture is more delicate than a beef patty, don’t mess with them too much. Carefully open the plastic wrap and flip them onto the pan. Don’t move them around much other than giving them a pivot to ensure they get an even amount of heat all around.
When you can see from the edges that they’re cooked about half way through, carefully flip them over and grill the other side. Keep them warm on a plate, loosely covered while you cook the remaining patties.
The best kind of buns for Turkey Patty Melt Paninis are a denser type. Ciabatta are great. So are Portuguese buns which are the perfect size and density. Slice them in half and butter the inside. Spread the jelly on the bottom bun and brush the bottom crust with a bit of olive oil. Lay the turkey patties on top of the bun, then top with the onion mixture and slices of Brie. Don’t be shy with the cheese! Brush the crust of the top bun with a bit of olive oil and place on top.
Place onto the preheated panini press. Heat the press to about medium, you don’t want it smoking hot for these. Close the grill slightly and apply a bit of pressure. You’ll need to hold the sandwich in place at first or it will slide out! Especially if you press too hard. A wooden spoon works great to hold them in place.
Then you can slowly press the top down a bit more but don’t compress it too much or you’ll lose most of the Brie. It’s ready when the cheese starts to ooze out and you have nice grill marks. If your Panini press is large enough you can grill two buns at the same time. Keep them warm while you make the others. They’ll be pretty hot at first anyway so a few minutes rest will ensure you don’t burn your fingers.
If you make Turkey Patty Melt Paninis, consider leaving a comment or rating below. Here’s the recipe:
Turkey Patty Melt Panini
Equipment
- Panini Grill
Ingredients
Turkey Patties
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 Tbsp breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp mayonnaise real mayo, not Miracle whip
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp dried thyme leaves or 2 tsp fresh
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Caramelized Onions
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Panini
- 4 dense buns such as Ciabatta or Portuguese buns
- 4 tsp butter
- 1 wheel or wedge of good quality Brie 2-3 slices per sandwich
- 4 tsp hot pepper jelly
- 2 Tbsp olive oil for cooking patties and brushing buns
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients for turkey patties. Mix well. Divide meat into 4 equal portions and shape into patties using plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
- Slice onion into thin half circles. Sauté on medium-low heat in olive oil until softened and starting to caramelize. Add balsamic vinegar and cook a few more minutes. Remove from pan.
- Add a small spoonful of olive oil to pan and increase heat to medium-high. Cook turkey patties, one or two at a time until well browned, being careful not to move around much, otherwise they may break apart. Rest in a preheated oven until all patties are cooked.
- Preheat panini grill to medium. Butter inside of all buns. Brush olive oil on bottom bun crusts and spread pepper jelly evenly. Place on preheated grill. Top with turkey patties, onion mixture and brie. Top with buns that have been brushed with remaining olive oil.
- Grill until buns are golden and cheese is melted. Press gently but not too much, to ensure sandwich fillings don't press out.
Nutrition
more recipes like this
Please do Cuban sandwiches
Yum, I like a Cuban sandwich.