Florentine Turkey Burgers

Our family generally enjoys the flavor of ground turkey over beef. The problem is that turkey is so lean that it can dry out very easily, especially when its made into hamburgers. I was trying to figure out a way add moisture without adding a ton of fat. I had sun dried tomatoes and spinach in my fridge and I thought a Florentine-style turkey burger stuffed with mozzarella cheese would be nice. I was right, and not only was the burgers were moist, loaded with flavor, they were pretty and festive, with little flecks of red tomato and green spinach inside each burger. Served with sweet potato oven fries and my Gluten-Free Multigrain Hamburger Buns, the meal was a huge success!



Ingredients:
20 ounces ground turkey
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 cups fresh spinach, chopped.
2-10 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped fine
salt and pepper to taste (lemon pepper is really great in this)
2 Tbsp minced fresh basil
8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese (you can use the brick or pre-shredded kind too)
6 slices provolone or fontina cheese (optional)
6 Gluten-Free Multigrain Hamburger Buns





Directions:
Slice 6 thin slices of mozzarella and set aside. If you are using the rectangular brick, shred about half of it and set it aside. Saute spinach, sun dried tomatoes and garlic in olive oil until spinach is just beginning to wilt. Note: We usually eat a whole bulb of garlic in every meal (we are stinky folks) but if you are not that into garlic, just use less. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Put ground turkey into a large mixing bowl. Add minced basil and cooled spinach mixture. Mix with your hands until the ingredients are distributed, but try not to overwork the meat so it doesn't get tough. Divide into 6 portions and then divide each portion in half. Two of these will form one burger but you have to stuff them with mozzarella first. Flatten one portion of meat into about a 4 to 5 inch patty. Place a slice of mozzarella or a bit of the shredded mozzarella on top. Cover with another half-patty and make sure you seal the edges all the way around so the cheese doesn't leak out while its cooking. Repeat with remaining ground turkey mixture and cheese. After they are cooked, top with one slice of provolone if you desire. You can grill them, pan fry them, broil them, its entirely up to you. Just make sure the turkey is cooked through so you don't get salmonella. Serve on a Gluten-Free Multigrain Bun and whatever fixins you like! We had caramelized onions and mushrooms, fresh basil leaves, tomato and avocado. Enjoy!

More to come with Love!