The nice weather is back, so thought it was the perfect time to invite some friends over and start up the ol’ BBQ. I’m not really a fan of burgers, however have been wanting to try out some stuffed burgers for awhile now. I decided to sneak some veggies into the patties to add some fibre and bought grainy whole wheat buns. You can use the healthy ground meat of your choice – I chose chicken, but my husband insisted I also make some with EXTRA lean ground beef. Assembling these takes a bit of patience and your hands get really gross (got some meat stuck under my fingernails), but the result makes it worthwhile. 
This recipe makes about 5 burger patties
Turkey Bacon & Cheese Stuffed Burgers with Guacamole
Ingredients
1 package (325 grams or so) extra lean ground meat – chicken, turkey, tofu or if you must extra lean ground beef
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup red pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup portobello mushroom, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cups of crumbs (I used a mix of crushed pretzels and all bran cereal)
1 extra large egg
4-6 slices of low-fat jalapeno havarti cheese or your favorite low-fat cheese
8-12 slices of back bacon style turkey bacon (the kind I found had only 0.5 grams of fat per 2 slices and was super yummy)
4 portabello mushrooms, thinly sliced
Guacamole topping
1 ripe avocado
3 tablespoons medium salsa
3 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mango, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
On the grill
1 package of grainy whole wheat buns
Alfalfa sprouts or lettuce
Tomato
Directions
1) In a large bowl combine ground meat, onion, red pepper, mushroom, garlic, cayenne, crumbs and egg and mix until well blended. I got in there and mixed with my hands, as there was no avoiding getting the hands dirty.
2) To assemble burgers, start by taking a golf ball sized ball of meat and forming into a flat circular patty. Top with 1 slice of turkey bacon, cheese, a couple slices of portabello mushrooms and another slice of turkey bacon – or however you want to fill it.
3) Take another golf ball sized ball of meat and form into another flat circular circle and cover filling with it. Pinch edges, so that the filling does not stick out. You may need to use a bit more meat fix to seal the edges. Form the rest of the patties the same way.
4) To prepare guacamole, place peeled avocado in and small bowl. Slightly mash avocado with a fork and add salsa, onion, cilantro, mango and lime & lemon juices. Mix together until blended, but do not over mix, as you want the avocado to still be a bit chunky.
My husband’s burger – 1 chicken patty and 1 beef – Ugh! 0_0
5) To cook patties, fire up the BBQ by heating the grill to medium high heat. Place the patties on the grill and cook about 8 minutes on each side or until thoroughly cooked. NOTE, the time will be different depending on your grill and the size of your burgers. Make sure you cook until there is absolutely NO pink.
6) Assemble burgers by spreading guacamole on one side of the bun and adding a patty. I also served with alfalfa sprouts, tomato, lettuce and additional cheese.
ENJOY!!
