Cranberry Chipotle Turkey Sliders

Everyone loves Thanksgiving, right?  It's the one holiday a year where gluttony is encouraged, your plate couldn't be large enough, and there are at least four courses of dessert.  And you know what else everyone loves?  Tacos.  (You wanna have fun?  Wanna go to Taco Bell?) Therefore, Mexi-Pilgrim fusion is a spectacular idea.  While I did have the ingredients on hand to make turkey cranberry tacos, that didn't sound like the greatest idea, so instead cranberry chipotle turkey burgers.  The sweet tang of traditional cranberry sauce mingles with spicy, smoky chipotle to contribute to the Mexi-Pilgrim dynamic, more subtly than say... cranberry tacos. 

Sauce

• 1/2 cup cranberry sauce (I used Trader Joe's from a jar because cranberries are out of season)
• 1 chipotle in adobe, minced

Burgers

• 19 oz ground turkey
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/8 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1 Tbs butter or olive oil
• salt & pepper, to taste

• 8 buns
• lettuce

1. In a skillet, heat butter over medium heat.  Add onion and cranberry, and saute until onion is soft.  Add garlic, and continue to cook until onions have taken on a pink hue, about 15 minutes total.  Remove the onion, cranberry mixture and cool in the fridge for a few minutes.  
2. Mix the onion, cranberry, turkey, chipotle chili powder, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Form into 8 patties.  In a greased skillet, cook over medium high heat until golden brown.  Flip and cook until the juices run clear, about 3-5 minutes a side.  
3. Mix your cranberry sauce and minced chipotle pepper.  Schmear some sauce on your bun, and build the rest of your sandwich.

Notes:

• Chipotles in adobo are in the Mexican section of your grocery in a can.  They are potent little beasts, and I have never encountered a recipe that uses a whole can.  No fear though, you can store them in the freezer-- I recommend bagging each pepper individually and freezing them.  Alternatively, you can zap the contents of the can in a blender, and freeze in an ice cube tray.  This method is great for sauces and soups!
• I usually make double the quantity of sauce, because clearly I load my sliders full.  Leftovers are great on other sandwiches (I highly recommend building yourself a cranberry chipotle club sandwich--they're awesome)

 Yields 8 small burgers.

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