Lakeland Health Recipes

(four servings)
Source: American Heart Association

Maintaining a healthy diet is one of the best weapons for fighting cardiovascular disease and other heart conditions. A major reason heart disease remains the number one killer among adults is that most Americans eat too many high-fat, high-calorie foods. Start your new year off on the right foot with a heart-healthy appetizer that is sure to be a crowd pleaser. These mini turkey burgers are great for snacking at holiday gatherings, while still providing a source of protein.

Ingredients:

• 8 whole-grain slider buns (lowest sodium available)
• 2 slices low-fat Swiss cheese
• 1 1/4 lbs ground, skinless turkey breast
• 2 small avocados (mashed with a fork)
• 1/4 tsp salt • 1 medium tomato, cut into 8 slices
• 1 cup sliced brown mushrooms (about 1/4-inch thick)

Directions:

•  Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• Arrange the buns with the cut side up in a single layer on a baking sheet. Set aside.
• Using your hands or a spoon, shape the turkey into 8 patties, each about 3 inches in diameter. (The uncooked patties will be larger than the bun and will shrink as they cook). Sprinkle salt over each patty.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle pan over medium-high heat.
• Cook the patties for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn over the patties. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the patties are no longer pink in the center and register 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
• Transfer the patties to the bottoms of the buns.
• In the same skillet, cook the mushrooms over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until soft, stirring frequently.
• Spoon the mushrooms onto each patty. Top with the Swiss cheese
• Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven. Bake the sliders for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the Swiss cheese is melted and the buns are heated through. Remove from the oven.
• Spread the avocado over the Swiss cheese. Top with the tomato slices. Put the tops of the buns on the sliders.
• Using short skewers, pierce each slider. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information (two sliders):
470 calories; 15.2 g fat; 101 mg cholesterol; 503 mg sodium; 38 g carbohydrate; 8 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 45 g protein