Burgers with Cilantro Mayo, Jack Cheese, and Avocado

We've been firing up the grill a lot lately. Our poor outdoor gas grill is on it's last legs...but it's still cookin'. So I dreamed up these burgers the other day when I had a craving.

I am sorry I've been bad about taking pictures lately...with swim team practice nearly every afternoon, I just can't stop to snap pics these days. The kids are so hungry by the time I get dinner on the table--I just don't have the heart to tell them to wait on me. It is so important that we sit and eat together every night...the day will come when we won't be able to anymore. Even though it's crazy now...at least we can sit down together and eat.

Well, I shouldn't digress any further...'cause once you see the pic I did take of this burger, you'll want on for yourself...trust me. Yes, you can use ground sirloin, ground turkey, or whatever you like that has less fat...but every once in a while, have a REAL burger, okay?

Burgers with Cilantro Mayo, Jack Cheese, and Avocado

2 pounds ground beef chuck

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons hamburger grill seasoning mix (I used McCormick)

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/3 cup mayo or salad dressing

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 avocados

2 teaspoons lemon juice, divided

1 tomato, sliced

8 slices pepper jack cheese

8 hamburger buns, lightly toasted (if desired)

Preheat your outdoor grill over medium heat. You can also make these on an indoor grill pan, or under the broiler in the oven.

In a small bowl, combine the mayo, cilantro, and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

Place the ground chuck in a large bowl, and add the Worcestershire sauce, grill seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix well with your hands, but don't beat it up. Divide the mixture into 8 patties. If you need a refresher on how I make perfect hamburger patties, click here.

Get the burgers on the grill and cook for about 6-8 minutes on the first side...don't mess with 'em once you put them down, and don't press down on them...you'll loose all the juices that way. I wait until they're good and seared on one side before I flip them over. If you want those cool grill marks, turn the patties 90 degrees after 5 minutes on the first side. They'll probably take only 3-4 minutes on the second side.

While the burger are grilling, prep the avocado. Cut it in half, use a spoon to scoop out the pit and flesh, and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Toss the avocado with the lemon juice so it doesn't turn brown. I usually cut once avocado at a time, and only cut the second one if we need it.

When the burgers are nearly done, top with the pepper jack cheese and grill for just another minute or until the cheese is nice and melted.

Remove the burgers from the grill, then go head and kill the heat. At this point, you can toast the buns...there's plenty of residual heat left for them. If I have time, I like to spread my buns with just a little bit of butter.

To assemble, put down the bottom half of the bun on your plate. Add a hamburger patty, then the tomato, avocado, and the cilantro mayo. Cap the burger, and then just adore it for one second before you take that first heavenly bite.

David told me these were so good, he had to restrain himself from having seconds. We had leftover pea salad, so he said he should be good and have his vegetables, ha ha! The kids all devoured theirs...even Christina ate most of her dinner.

Hope you try these out when you get a hankering for a burger!

God Bless your table tonight!