Grill-Roasted Tomato Turkey Burgers with Pesto Ranch

One of the things I love about food is the strong memories we often attach to it. Even something as a simple as a turkey burger takes me back to a very specific point in time: just two years ago this summer, when my husband and I were moving from our first home to our second/current/forever home.

Our new house had a pretty terrible kitchen before my dream kitchen renovation began, and most of my kitchen equipment was packed away in boxes somewhere between House #1 and House #2, anyway.

Not wanting to go out to eat every night (moving is already expensive enough), I headed to the grocery store to stock our new kitchen with three boxes of turkey burgers, three bags of hamburger buns, ketchup and mustard.

The grill had already been moved to the new house, so for weeks on end, in between loading and unloading our cars and unpacking boxes after work, we sat down at our card table on the patio (our only furniture at the new house at the time) and ate turkey burgers (or turkey burger salad) on paper plates for dinner.

Those turkey burgers weren’t fancy, but they sure got the job done. Healthy, filling and delicious. I mean, really, what more do you want out of a meal? Perhaps the *only* thing I could have wished for at the time were some upgraded condiments and toppings.

I’m making that wish a reality today with these Grill-Roasted Tomato Turkey Burgers with Pesto Ranch. Starting with JENNIE-O® 1/3 lb. Seasoned Turkey Burgers is always a smart choice (you can also use my homemade turkey burgers recipe).

These “weeknight fancy” burgers are topped with grape tomatoes that have been “roasted” on the grill (right alongside the burgers) in a foil packet, and a delicious homemade pesto ranch. Turkey burgers, upgraded!

Psst – you’ll have leftover buttermilk after making the pesto ranch. Use it for my buttermilk chicken marinade for another meal later in the week or whip up a batch of my blueberry buttermilk muffin recipe or Black Forest cupcakes! You’ll also have leftover pesto, perfect for salmon pesto pasta!

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Grill-Roasted Tomato Turkey Burgers with Pesto Ranch

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Spruce up burger night with homemade pesto ranch dressing, and tomatoes that are "roasted" on the grill in a foil packet.

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Ingredients

For the Pesto Ranch Dressing:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons prepared basil pesto
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1-1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

For the Grill-Roasted Tomato Turkey Burgers:

• 1 pint red and/or yellow grape tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 1 package (32 ounces) JENNIE-O® 1/3 lb. Seasoned Turkey Burgers (6 burgers)
• 6 sesame seed buns
• Basil leaves, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Make the Pesto Ranch Dressing: In small bowl, whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, buttermilk, pesto, parsley, dill, garlic, paprika and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, or up to 3 days.
2. Make the Grill-Roasted Tomato Turkey Burgers: Preheat outdoor grill for direct grilling over medium heat.
3. Place tomatoes in medium bowl. Add oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss until well combined. Transfer mixture to large sheet of foil, forming packet with foil.
4.  Transfer foil packet and burgers to grill. Cook burgers 18 to 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, turning once. Rotate tomato packet a quarter turn every 5 minutes. Tomatoes should take about the same amount of time to cook as burgers, but open foil packet to check every 5 minutes or so. When the tomatoes are lightly browned and softened, they are done.
5. Serve burgers on buns topped with tomatoes and Pesto Ranch Dressing. Serve garnished with basil leaves, if desired.

Notes

To make an even easier Pesto Ranch Dressing, simply stir together 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons prepared ranch dressing and 2 tablespoons prepared basil pesto.

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Disclosure: As a member of the Jennie-O Switch Circle, this was a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Jennie-O. Sponsored posts help me pay for the costs associated with this blog (groceries…lots of groceries), and help support me as I pursue a career in recipe development and food photography. All opinions are 100% my own.