Bacon Cheeseburgers

Its an American classic- bacon cheeseburgers. a survey in 2013 revealed that Americans eat nearly 50 billion burgers per year! So we all love burgers, but not all burgers love us or our waistlines.

Fortunately, there is a way to consume this culinary delight without the calories and fat.

Here is my recipe for your classic bacon cheeseburger, with a healthy twist!

Yield: 2 burgers

Fix Portions: 1½ red, 1/2 blue, 1 yellow (if served open-faced; 2 yellow if using both sides of the bun, 0 if you go bunless), 2 green

Ingredients

• ½ pound 93% lean ground turkey
• 4 slices turkey bacon
• 2 whole wheat or 100% whole grain hamburger buns (optional)
• 2 slices swiss or sharp cheddar cheese (reduced fat if available)
• 1 green container each onions and mushrooms (about 1 cup each when chopped)
• ¼ onion grated
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 2 large pieces of green leaf or romaine lettuce
• 2 tbsp Djion mustard
• 1 tbsp montreal steak seasoning (or to eliminate salt, combine 1 tsp each black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder)
• 1 tsp dried thyme

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine ground turkey and seasoning. Grate ¼ onion into the ground meat (I use a cheese grater). Mix to combine.
2. Form 2 burger patties, pressing a thumb print in the center of each patty (it will rise when cooked, so this way you have a perfectly even patty. Set aside (burgers cook best when meat is at room temperature, so make you patties first and let them sit while you prep everything else)
3. In a cast iron skillet, cook turkey bacon. Remove once cooked through
4. In the same skillet, saute onions and mushrooms (you may need to add a little olive oil. Do not add salt- salt prevents the mushrooms from browning). Season with thyme, garlic powder, and black pepper. Once mushrooms are browned and onions are tender, remove from skillet and set aside
5. Add a swirl of EVOO around the skillet, then add burger patties. Cook on both sides until cooked through (internal temp of 175)
6. While still in skillet, top burger patties: Layer turkey bacon, then mushrooms/onions, then cheese. Cover with foil until cheese melts
7. Remove from pan and add patties to bun. Top with lettuce, tomato, and mustard

Bonus Suggestions/Modifications

• Serve alongside roasted butternut squash or homemade sweet potato fries
• You can also cook these on the grill, but in my experience, the turkey burgers hold their form better and stay juicier when cooked on a skillet
• You can also make this exact same recipe with a chicken breast to mix it up a bit!