Trader Joe's Pesto Parmesan Turkey Burgers

I plan on trying these tonight on a whole wheat bun, but I'm at a loss of what sort of toppings I should add. I was planning on just going with a bit of lettuce, but would that be too plain? Typically I only put ketchup on hamburgers, but I've never tried a turkey burger before - let alone one with pesto & parmesan in it - so I'm not sure what would go well. Any suggestions welcome, especially if you've tried these before... but keep in mind I'm trying to keep the calories down, of course!

Sounds like there is already a lot of flavor, plus cheese. Maybe just tomatoes, lettuce, and onion to up the veggie content?

What about some tomato sauce instead of ketchup?  It would go with the parmesan and pesto pretty well.

I would forego the ketchup (lots of sugar there) and slap on a big thick slice of tomato!  Lettuce would probably be a fine addition too.  Keep it simple.  Sounds like the burger was made to be flavorful as is.

I don't know what particular reason made you choose these turkey burgers, but depending on the seasoning and what parts of the turkey were used, these could be pretty high in sodium and fat.  It's possible they even have more fat than some red meats!  Unless you specifically use only white turkey meat to make burgers lean red meats can be better, think sirloin burgers or even buffalo burgers (Yum!).  Or, of course, you could always buy your own LEAN ground turkey (it will say so on the package) but I find that since it has less flavor I end up adding more salty stuff to make it more palatable whereas I can cook a bison burger with nothing added and still enjoy it.

Also, as another alternative, sometimes I make burger salads.  I make the salad the main thing with lettuce, tomato, maybe some avocado, and probably a little bit of cheese, and cut the burger up after it's rested and throw it right in.  This way you get the good flavors of the burger and the toppings, but you get proportionally more veggies and your not consuming all that stuff in the bun which more often than not (even whole wheat ones) are filled with preservatives and HFCS.  You could even have your whole grains too if you wanted to throw some bulgur or something into your salad.

Ok, sorry for the rambling, I just know that some people think you need to cut out tasty tasty burgers in order to diet and it's not true if you just tweak it a little.

I chose these because I am a pesto JUNKIE (which is unfortunate because it's insanely caloric). I actually don't often eat burgers at all, but the pesto really caught my eye. If I'm going to eat anything in a bun, it's almost always going to be chicken breast, and even then I prefer to cut it into strips and stuff it in a wrap with a ton of lettuce. Still, these sounded yummy, so I decided to give them a try. And you're right, they are loaded with sodium and fat, so it certainly won't be the healthiest meal... but at least they have tons of protein! The buns that I got to go along aren't too bad. In any case, I don't expect to make this a habit, but I do allow myself to indulge from time to time. Thanks for the salad tip, though -- that's a great idea.

Amy -- thanks for the tomato sauce idea! I might try it, sounds yummy.

I've tried adding fresh baby spinach and sliced up red peppers to boost nutrient, fiber content, and I like the flavor.  It might make a good addition if you like them, and keep the calories down too.  They would pair nicely with the burgers.

I eat my turkey burgers with roasted red pepper, lettuce, and tomato. :)

i make greek turkey burgers and top em with tzatziki sauce or light ceasar dressing.. i think either of those would taste great on one of your burgers. at least for me there's gotta be some kinda sauce on a burger.

I love avocado (or home made guac) on turkey burgers... however this isn't really a low-fat option, so you might want to skip it given that your turkey burgers are already quite high in fat. But try it sometime, with a lean turkey burger - and add some caramelized onions.... yum!

I would second the carmelized onion - I keep some in the freezer just for toppings.  I have had these before and I like them in a salad like another poster suggested.  Now is the season to be making your own pestos and stocking up the freezer!  Try toasting whatever nut you use, then you don't need as much because the flavor is stonger; you can also reduce the amount of olive oil and substitute some chicken broth.  I prefer my pesto without much cheese, and if you are freezing, don't any any cheese until seving time.  How about trying a plain (turkey) burger topped with fresh basil and fesh parmesan?  Hmm, I think I'm getting hungry!