Turtle burgers are made with ground beef, cheddar cheese, bacon, and sausages arranged in the shape of a turtle and baked in the oven. They are a quirky alternative to regular burgers and are often served at fun holidays or children’s parties. They can be served as-is or in a bun with various accompaniments. Making turtle burgers can be a fun activity for the whole family.
Contrary to what their name suggests, turtle burgers aren’t actually made from real turtles. They are, in fact, made with ground beef or mince, sharp cheddar cheese, bacon and sausages, all arranged in the shape of a turtle and baked in the oven. They provide a quirky alternative to the regular hamburger or cheeseburger and are often served around fun holidays, such as Halloween or at children’s birthday parties.
To make turtle burgers, the patty needs to be relatively thick, to have enough room to push the sausages through. Which sausages to use depends on the cook and who will be eating the burgers, but plain hot dogs work well. They are cut up and pushed into the sides of turtle burgers to make short head, legs and tails. Some cooks also cut off the “toes” by splitting the ends of the sausages and make a mouth in the “head” part of the sausages, but also leave them plain.
On top of the patty, a wedge of cheese is placed, preferably sharp cheddar or American cheese, again this depends on the taste of the cook. Additionally, slices of bacon are intertwined to create the shell of turtle burgers. Once melted, the cheese ensures that the bacon shell stays exactly in place. The texture of the bacon slices will also help keep them all together, once cooked through.
The turtle burgers are then baked in the oven on a greased tray for 20-30 minutes. They should be crunchy on the outside, but not too crunchy. The patties can then be served, as-is, with fries and salad or, like traditional burgers, in a bun with various accompaniments such as avocado, lettuce, onion, tomato, and dressing. To ensure that everyone can see the “turtles” before they are hidden in the bun, they can be served on a plate and each person creates their own burger.
Hamburgers are a popular choice as a barbecue food, whether they are beef burgers, chicken burgers, homemade or commercially purchased. Summer weekends and holidays are often traditionally spent with family and friends, outdoors around the barbecue and, as such, burgers can form a major part of the menu. Making turtle burgers in preparation for such occasions can be something the whole family gets involved in, including the kids.
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