This recipe is definitely a family favorite, even more so now that it won us $21,000 in the Smucker’s Spreading Family Traditions Recipe and Essay Contest! Don’t let the lean ground chicken throw you off…..it is by no-means a healthy recipe! The lean white ground chicken is found in a tube, like sausage, in the freezer section. Also make sure that you use Smuckers Tart cherry preserves, I’ve tried it with other brands and it is way to sweet- don’t even go there (Smucker’s should probably hire me as a spokesperson don’t you think?) Anyways if your looking for something deliciously different, this tangy-sweet burger fits the bill!

Chicken Bacon Burger with Cherry-Chive Mayo
cook time- 10 min    serves- 5

• Recipe Ingredients:
  Crisco No-Stick Cooking SprayTangy Cherry-Chive Mayo Ingredients2/3 cup Smucker’s Orchard’s Finest Michigan Red Tart Cherry Preserves
  1/2 cup real mayonnaise
  2 tablespoons fresh chopped chivesBurger Patty Ingredients2-3 teaspoons Crisco Pure Olive Oil
  1 cup Jonathan apple, cored and finely chopped
  1/2 cup sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
  Salt and pepper
  2/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs*
  1/2 cup chopped crispy bacon
  16 ounce roll ground chicken
  1 egg (or egg white)
  1 1/4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  1 1/2 teaspoons Montreal steak seasoningBurger assembly ingredients

  5 Slices provolone cheese, for topping
  5 sourdough English muffins, split and toasted
  5-10 thin slices red onion
  5-10 pieces, red-leaf lettuce

• Preparation Instructions:
  1. Heat broiler on high. Spray broiler pan with Crisco No-Stick Cooking Spray. In a small bowl, combine the preserves, mayonnaise and chives, set aside.2. Heat a large skillet with the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the apples and onions; season well with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the panko crumbs, then transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool.3. Add all the remaining burger ingredients into the apple mixture, season with salt and pepper; mix to combine. Form the mixture into 5 patties (thinner at the center and thicker at the edges for even cooking). *Mixture should be pretty sticky for a moist burger, but you may sprinkle in a little extra panko crumbs if needed.4. Place patties on broil pan on the center rack. Broil for 7-10 minutes, or just until centers are no longer pink, flipping once. Place one slice of cheese on top of each patty the last minute of cooking. Assemble burgers on bottoms of split toasted muffins by layering lettuce, patty, Cherry-Chive Mayo, and 1-2 slices of red onion. Top with remaining split muffins and enjoy!!