Happy (Belated) Birthday America!

I, like many Americans, am celebrating this holiday with a classic. The hamburger is one of the dishes most associated with America, in my humble opinion. Whether it be from McDonald's or a five star restaurant the burger is everywhere.

In my kitchen, the turkey burger is a current favorite. Like I've mentioned before, turkey earns its keep in my household for its leanness and ability to be flavored. That leads me to the secret ingredient in the recipe, the Hidden Valley Ranch packet. 

That's right, this is the simplest recipe you'll run across. All you need is a half-pound ground turkey and a quarter packet of ranch seasoning. If you prefer another brand of ranch or mix, by all means change it up! You could substitute any meat here you like, but I find turkey and chicken are most easily flavored. 

Once you've mixed your turkey and ranch seasoning together, form patties. I find a half pound yields two nice sized patties. This is where decisions have to be made. You can either fire up the grill, or heat up a frying pan on the stove. When its about a 100 degrees out, you can bet I'm going to choose the latter. 

I like to serve my ranch turkey burgers on a lightly toasted wheat bun with a little mayo, sliced avocado and sliced tomatoes. In the essence of ease and heat reduction, this Fourth of July I'll be serving my with a spinach salad and some kettle cooked chips. 

I can't imagine anything better to celebrate America's birthday!