What's Cookin' - Turkey Burgers with Avocado Sauce

Let me just start by sharing a picture of the lovely lilies blooming in my Minnesota sister's yard ...

Absolutely gorgeous ... love the colors!

Another lovely thing sent to me by this sister was a subscription to Taste of Home magazine for Christmas. If you like to cook, this is one you should check out. It is comprised of recipes submitted by home cooks throughout the United States. There are some amazing recipes as well as fun stories about readers and volunteer field editors. They run contests and feature ingredients. It's a truly amazing foodie magazine for the home cook.

I love to cook with ground turkey. It took me a while, but I finally got Hubby and the kids on board with turkey burgers. In the June/July 2010 issue of Taste of Home, there was a recipe for Open-Faced Chicken Avocado Burgers. It includes so many of my favorite ingredients ... avocados, lemon juice, mozzarella. I changed the chicken to ground turkey and voilà ...

It seems like there are a lot of ingredients, but it is well worth the effort. The creamy avocado sauce is incredible and makes quite a bit. We ended up eating it on regular hamburgers later in the week.

Open-Faced Chicken Avocado Burgers

by Lisa Hundley of Aberdeen, NC

makes 4

1 T. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 medium ripe avocado, peeled

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

4 green onions, coarsely chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

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1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

2 T. prepared pesto

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp. salt

1 pound ground chicken (we substituted turkey)

4 T. olive oil, divided

1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 4 slices

4 slices Italian bread, 3/4" thick (we substituted hamburger rolls)

2 cups fresh arugula or baby spinach

8 slices tomato

1/4 tsp. dried basil

1/4 tsp. pepper

In a blender, combine the first eight ingredients; cover and process until smooth. Chill until serving. For burgers, in a small bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, pesto, garlic and salt. Crumble chicken over mixture and mix well. Shape into four patties.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook burgers in 2 T. oil for 5-7 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees and juices run clear. Top with mozzarella, cover and cook 1 minute longer.

Meanwhile, brush bread with remaining olive oil; place on a baking sheet. Broil 3-4 inches from the heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until toasted.

Spread each slice of toast with 2 T. avocado spread (refrigerate remaining spread for another use). Top with arugula or spinach, a burger and sliced tomato. Sprinkle with basil and pepper.