Intolerances: Fructose, Gluten, Soy
A perfectly cooked burger with a hot, ooey-gooey, crunchy surprise in the middle. 

In Minneapolis, there is a battle of restaurants on who created the first…the best juicy lucy. In my opinion, they are all delicious. You know you have to be patient for this burger, there is piping hot cheese in the middle, so the last thing you want to do is bite into it and burn your mouth. I know it is tempting, but you have to hold back. There are all sorts of varieties that you can come up with for these beautiful burgers, the sky is your limit. 

Serve it with:

• French Fries
• Orzo Pasta Salad
• Smoked Potato Salad
• Coleslaw
• Creamy Potato Salad
• Mustard Aioli

What you need:

• Grill or Grill Surface
• Bowl
• Ground Turkey
• Smoked Gouda
• Bacon 
• Avocados
• Kosher Salt & Pepper
• Cumin
• Coconut Aminos or Worcester (if tolerant) 
• Iceberg Lettuce
• Hamburger Bun (Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free B urger Buns)

The Meat

The key to a good burger is ensuring that you do not overwork the meat. In order to do this, add 1lb ground turkey to a bowl. I am adding a lot of flavor into this burger, so I am good with going with a little less fat content using turkey; however you could certainly swap this out with 90/10 beef. To the bowl, add your seasoning: kosher salt, black pepper, cumin and coconut aminos (Worcester if tolerant). Lightly mix the meat, use one hand and simply mix until the seasoning is combined. Divide the meat into 12 parts and roll into balls. Flatten into 12 patties.

The Filling

In a cast iron skillet, add 3 pieces of thick cut bacon and fry on medium heat until crispy (do not discard bacon grease if you are pan frying the burgers). Remove from the pan and drain on a paper towel. Chop the bacon and reserve. Next, you will need 1/4 of a cup of shredded gouda. I like to buy a block of cheese from the cheese counter and shred it on my own (I like the brand Smoky Park). 

The Burger

Take a patty, place 1/4 of the bacon crumble on a burger patty, along with 2-3 Tbsp of cheese. Make sure that there is a small beef rim around the cheese and bacon to ensure that the juicy lucy doesn’t “leak”. Add a secondary patty on top and pinch the edges to close the patty and form one. Repeat with the remaining burgers.

Turn the grill to med-high heat (approx. 400 degrees). Spray or brush the grill with oil and place the burgers on the grill. Grill for 5 minutes, flip the burgers and grill for an additional 3-5 minutes. If you are not grilling or it isn’t grilling season, in the same cast iron skillet that you used for the bacon, keep the bacon grease in the pan and place over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes, flip and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.

The Toppings

Rinse your head of iceberg lettuce, peeling the loose exterior pieces. Chop the head in half and place half in the freezer. I typically have the iceberg in a ziploc bag, as my freezer isn’t large, but you can certainly place it on a plate in the freezer on a plate. Allow the iceberg to sit for about 20 minutes. Remove the iceberg, place it flesh side down on the cutting board, and chop into thin strips. Place in a bowl for serving. 

Take two avocados and slice them in half. Remove the flesh from the skin and place down on the cutting board. Slice into thin pieces and set aside on a plate for serving.

For the mustard aioli, In a small bowl, whisk mayo, ground mustard, rice vinegar, salt and pepper. 

Assemble

It is time to assemble the burger. If you are using a bun (totally optional) Lightly toast each of the buns on the warm grill, toaster oven, air fryer, etc., this should only take 1-2 minutes. Place a burger on the bottom bun, top with avocado and a heaping pile of lettuce. Add a good amount of the mustard aioli to the top of the bun and top the burger. Make sure you have reseted the burger (I like to tent it with tinfoil) at least 5 minutes before biting into it…it will be hot, ooey-gooey and delicious.