Cobb Club-Stuffed Turkey Burgers with Green Ranch Dressing

Ingredients

8 slices good quality bacon
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, 2 finely chopped and 1 grated, divided
EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
3/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
1 avocado
Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
Tender lettuce leaves such as butter, leaf or Boston Bibb
4 slices ripe tomato, about 1/2-inch thick
Club rolls or brioche rolls, split

Yields: Serves 4

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange bacon slices on a slotted broiler pan and bake to crisp, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium-high, sauté onions and finely chopped garlic in a drizzle of EVOO until softened, 5 minutes. Place in a mixing bowl and cool. Once cool, add meat, season with salt, pepper and thyme, and mix well. Divide meat into 4 pieces and shape each piece into 2 thin patties.

Top each patty with a mound of cheese crumbles then sandwich together with another thin patty, pressing together at edges and mold into burgers. Drizzle with EVOO, turn heat back on under skillet to medium-high. When hot, add patties and cook 6 minutes on each side.

For the green Ranch dressing, place avocado in a blender with lemon juice, a pinch of salt and pepper, grated garlic, sour cream, buttermilk, Tabasco and chives. Process into a smooth dressing.

Serve burgers on bun bottoms topped with lettuce, tomato and bacon slices, slather roll tops with green Ranch dressing and set into place.

Serve these stuffed burgers with my twice-baked oven fries alongside. (Bake the bacon while the fries are in the oven for the first time at the lower oven temp, remove the bacon once crisp along with fries and then bring heat up to 425°F and allow oven to fully reheat to higher temp.)