Mmmmmm!arch 16

Check out this mmmmmmm-yummy dinner Chris and I made last night. That's a BLT Turkey Burger Club and Giuseppe's Cheesy Tots, recipes on pp. 37-39 of Rachel Ray's 2, 4, 6, 8 - Great Meals for Couples or Crowds (thanks again Dave and Shauna for that cookbook!). Although I did decide that Rachel Ray must have a huge kitchen to be able to assemble everything, and she probably has two chef's knives, which is where she has a definite advantage over me.

Burger Club recipe if you're interested:

2 T extra virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
5 slices smoky bacon
1 small leek
3/4 lb. ground turkey breast
1 T grill seasoning like McCormick's (but we used Cavendar's Greek Seasoning, in honor of Liz G.)
6 - 8 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (didn't use)
1 vine-ripe tomato, thinly sliced
white sandwich bread (we used kaiser rolls)
1/2 C herbed cheese such as Alouette or Boursin
1/4 C cream or half-n-half
Black pepper
4 leaves green leaf or Bibb lettuce

Heat a medium nonstick skillet with a drizzle of olive oil over medium to med-hi heat. Chop one slice of teh bacon and add it to the pan. While the bacon cooks, trim the tough green topsw from teh leek, halve the leek lengthwise, and thinly slice it into half-moons. Place the slices in a colander and rinse vigorously with running water, separating the layers to release the grit. Dry the leeks on a clean kitchen towel and addthm to the browned chopped bacon. Wilt the leeks for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer them and the bacon pieces to a plate to cool. Return the skillet to the stove over low heat and add the 2 T of olive oil (this is if you want to cook the burgers on it, but I got out my trusty ol' George Forman instead and saved this pan for the rest of the bacon).

Place the turkey in a bowl and add the grill seasoning, sun-dried tomatoes, and cooled leeks and bacon. Mix the meat and other ingredients, then form 2 very large patties no thicker than 1 inch. The patties will hang just off the sides of the bread once cooked.

Raise the heat under the olive oil and add the burgers (or don't! Thanks again, George F.!). Cook them for 6 minutes on each side.

Heat a second skillet over medium high heat and add the reamining 4 slices of bacon (I used the same pan from before). Cook bacon until crisp and transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

Season the sliced tomatoes with salt (I didn't).

Place the sliced bread under the broiler and toast for 1 minute on each side (didn't do that either).

In a blender or food processor, combine the herbed cheese, cream or half n half, and pepper.

Assemble the clubs (or burgers, which is how I choose to think of them).

Serve with tater tots with melted Asiago cheese.

Mmmmmmm.