Mozzarella-Stuffed Turkey Burgers

These tasty turkey burgers, served on toasted foccacia and dressed with
marinara sauce, are reminiscent of a sausage pizza. Shredded mozzarella
combined with fresh basil melts beautifully inside these gems.

Makes 4 servings

Active time: 50 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy

Marinara Sauce
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped plum tomatoes, with juices
6 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Burgers
1 pound 93%-lean ground turkey
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 4-inch-square slices foccacia bread (about 2 ounces
each), toasted

To prepare marinara: Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a medium saucepan over medium
heat. Add onion and garlic, cover and cook, stirring frequently, until
translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in fresh tomatoes and any juices,
sun-dried tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a
simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken
down, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in basil and remove from the heat. Transfer to
a food processor and pulse to form a coarse-textured sauce. Return to the
pan and set aside.

To prepare burgers: Place turkey, scallions, garlic, Worcestershire sauce,
lemon zest, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large
bowl. Gently combine, without overmixing, until evenly incorporated. Form
into 8 thin patties about 4-inches wide and 3/8 inch thick. Combine 1/4
cup cheese and basil and place an equal amount in the center of 4 patties.
Cover with the remaining patties and crimp the edges closed. Heat 2
teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat (see Grilling
Variation). Add burgers and cook, turning once, until an instant-read
thermometer inserted in the center registers 165 F, 8 to 10 minutes total.
Warm the marinara on the stove. To assemble the burgers, spread 3
tablespoons of marinara on each toasted foccacia, top with a burger, about
3 more tablespoons of marinara and 1 tablespoon of the remaining cheese.

Grilling Variation: To grill the turkey burgers, preheat a grill to
medium-high. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the patties, turning
once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers
165 F, 8 to 10 minutes total.

Nutrition Information: Per serving: 299 calories; 15 g fat (4 g sat, 5 g
mono); 74 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrate; 28 g protein; 2 g fiber; 706
mg sodium; 382 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (35% daily value),
Vitamin A (20% dv), Calcium & Iron (15% dv). 1 Carbohydrate Serving.
Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 1/2 lean meat, 1 fat

TIP: Tip: To oil the grill rack, oil a folded paper towel, hold it with
tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.)
When grilling delicate foods like tofu and fish, it is helpful to spray
the food with cooking spray.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Cover and refrigerate the marinara sauce (Step 1) for
up to 5 days.

--
Rec.food.recipes is moderated by Patricia D. Hill at .
Only recipes and recipe requests are accepted for posting.
Please allow several days for your submission to appear.
Archives: http://www.cdkitchen.com/rfr/ http://recipes.alastra.com/