Red, White and Cordon Bleu Burgers

Many folks look forward to the weekend of Memorial Day as the official start to the grilling season in anticipation of spring weather. The extended weekend provides ample time for get togethers where friends and family can take time out to visit over great food and drinks.

Danvers will host its annual Invitational Soccer Tournament yet again, this Memorial Day weekend, and the games will be in full swing. With games taking place on all the open fields in town and visited by hundreds of teams and their families, there is no better time to plan a great All-American Barbecue.

Whenever we are planning to head out to a cookout, I find myself tearing through my recipe box, or googling frantically to try to come up with that great recipe to please a crowd. Knowing that our busy family will be shuffling between soccer fields all three days, I wanted to be sure I was prepared ahead of time. I decided to stick with a red, white and blue theme in honor of Memorial Day and make my Red, White and Cordon Bleu Burgers.

They are basically panko encrusted chicken patties stuffed with a combination of jack and blue cheeses,  topped with tomato and two huge slabs of thick cut bacon. These are easy to make, cook up right on the grill or on the broiler, and are a great alternative to the all-beef burgers. These are a big hit whenever I make them, and I’m sure your family will love them, too! Enjoy!

Red, White and Cordon Bleu Burgers

1 ½ lbs ground chicken (or turkey)
½ red pepper, diced small
¼ c. blue cheese
¼ c. monteray jack cheese
1 T. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs, beat well
1 c. panko bread crumbs
16 slices of bacon (2 per burger)
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
romaine lettuce

*Combine ground meat with diced pepper and spices and blend well. In a separate bowl, combine the two cheese. Divide meat into equal portions, (I was able to make 8 large burgers) Form meatballs in the palm of your hand and then slightly flatten them. Pinch approximately 1 tsp. of cheese mixture and place in the center of the meatball, and pinch to close. Now form a patty with the cheese now hidden in the center. Now simply dip the patties into the beaten egg, dip into panko to coat, and grill patties 10-15 minutes on one side, 5 minutes on the other side until done. Serve topped with tomato, lettuce and crispy bacon.