Extreme Cheese Chicken Burgers with Ham & Bacon and Lemon-Avocado Mayonnaise

Ingredients

Ingredients
5 strips of bacon
¼ cup of dried cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup of Chenin Blanc wine
2 pounds of ground chicken
2 ounces of fresh mozzarella, diced
2 ounces of provolone cheese, diced
1 carrot (medium) shredded
1 onion (medium) halves, minced
1 lemon (zested and juiced)
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh oregano, chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh basil, chopped
4 tablespoons of butter, (cold, diced)
¼ cup of maple roasted pecans, chopped
salt
pepper
6 slices of quality Virginia Ham Deli meat
6 slices of quality Swiss Cheese
6 Hamburger Rolls, (Potato Variety)

Lemon-Avocado Mayonnaise
2 cups of mayonnaise, good store bought quality
1 lemon (juiced and zested)
1 avocado, very ripe (mashed)
1 clove garlic, minced
salt (pinch)

Toppings
5 oz baby arugula, washed
2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
1 red onion, sliced

Instructions

Begin by cooking your five strips of bacon in a grill safe pan. Cook your bacon until it is slightly crispy, this usually takes about ten minutes over medium high heat. When the bacon has finishing cooking set aside and let cool. After five minutes, the bacon should be cool enough to crumble.

In a small bowl add your dried cranberries. To your dried cranberries add your chenin blanc to rehydrate your cranberries. After 15 minutes, remove cranberries and chop and set aside.

Prepare to assemble chicken burgers.

To assemble the chicken burgers, in a large bowl add 2 pounds of ground chicken meat. To this mixture add your fresh mozzarella, provolone, shredded carrots, minced red onions, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, thyme, oregano, basil, butter, chopped marinated cranberries, chopped pecans and crumbled bacon. Mix the mixture thoroughly and form into six patties, salt and pepper on each side and begin to cook on the grill. Cook each burger for 5 minutes on each side, flipping once. After the chicken burgers have cooked for 10 minutes- 5 minutes on each side top each burger with a slice of deli ham and Swiss cheese. The slice of deli ham should go directly on the burger with the slice of cheese going on top of the ham. Let burgers cook on a covered grill for three additional minutes. After burgers have cooked remove from grill.

Dip the outside of your buns in the melted butter. Place on the grill toasting lightly for about 1 minute on each side. When the buns have been toasted it is time to assemble the burgers.

To make your lemon avocado mayonnaise mixture, take some really good store bought mayonnaise and add it to a mixing bowl, add ½ lemon juice, ½ lemon zest, mashed avocado, garlic and salt. Mix until mixture has the same consistency.

Place your bottom bun on a plate and add some of your lemon avocado mayonnaise, baby arugula, chicken burger, sliced tomatoes, sliced red onions, and on top of that add some more of your lemon avocado mayonnaise and then top with the other half of your bun.