Cheese Stuffed Lamb Burgers with Lemon Mint Tzatziki

Cheese Stuffed Lamb Burgers with Lemon Mint Tzatziki

When I dropped by the St. John’s Farmer’s Market  last Saturday, I had a brief chat with Adam Blanchard, the owner and talented cheese maker at Five Brothers Artisan Cheese. Adam has had great success over the past year since the launch of his local cheese making company. A number of good local restaurants have embraced his products and contributed to their popularity, no doubt. Adam always has several varieties of his cheeses on offer at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings and I purchased some of his goat’s milk cheddar which was quite delicious with some crusty bread and olives as my Saturday lunch. 

The texture of this cheese was akin to a softer, creamier version of feta, so if you are not lucky enough to get your hands on any of Five Brothers wonderful cheese, substitute a good quality feta in this recipe, which is what I have used previously in these burgers. Sometimes softer cheeses can be difficult to use in stuffed burgers, often oozing out of the burger on the grill but I really like the way this cheese stayed intact, warmed and took on a whole new dimension of delicate texture. It was delicious with the mildly flavored lamb which got a flavor boost from fresh garden herbs, minced garlic and chopped sundried tomatoes incorporated into the burgers. I then seasoned the outside of the burgers with smoked paprika before they hit the grill.

With so many flavor components already in play with these burgers, the only condiment that I served with them was some of my favorite Lemon Mint Tzatziki that I normally serve with Chicken Souvlaki. This was one awesome burger. For those of you lucky enough to be in the St. John’s are be sure to check out Five Brothers Artisan Cheese at the St. John’s Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.

Makes 4 burgers

Mix together:

• 2 lbs ground lean fresh lamb
• 1 ½ tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 ½ tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 ½ tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Form into 8 individual burger patties. On four of the patties, place about 

• 2 ounces feta  cheese or goat cheddar

Place the remaining four patties over the cheese and pinch the edges together to seal. Season the outside with a good dusting of

Smoked paprika

Grill over medium high heat  for 4-5 minutes per side or longer if you prefer well-done. Serve on toasted buns with Lemon Mint Tzatziki.

Lemon Mint Tzatziki  

(Half this recipe is enough but it also makes for a great veggie dip and will last a few days in the fridge if you make the whole batch)

• 3 cups Greek yogurt, drained.

Draining the yogurt removes much of the liquid and produces an end product about the consistency of thick sour cream. To drain the yogurt, line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth (or in a pinch, several large coffee filters) Pour the yogurt into the colander and place it in a large bowl or in the sink for an hour or two. this should produce about 2 cups of thick yogurt.

• 6 inch piece of English cucumber

Peel the piece of cucumber and remove the seeds and pulp at the center with a teaspoon, then dice the outside flesh of the cucumber into small cubes of  1/8 inch or less.

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of kosher salt over the diced cucumber and toss together well. Let this rest for about a half hour , stirring occasionally. This process removes some of the liquid from the cucumber so that it will not water down the consistency of your finished tzatziki. Drain all of the liquid off the diced cucumber before adding it to the drained yogurt along with

• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• pinch salt and pepper to season

Mix well, cover and store in the fridge for at least a half hour before serving.

Bacon Wrapped Mediterranean Stuffed Grilled Chicken

Today we have a very tasty grilling idea that would make a great family dinner meal or it would be just as at home  at a summer dinner party featuring courses from the backyard grill. We sometimes make a baked version of this recipe but I was inspired to wrap this great chicken dish in bacon by a recent photo by my blogging buddy David Olsen over at A Bachelor and His Grill, where there is always something tasty and grill-marked to be found.  Mediterranean flavors are quite popular at our house so the result was a terrific success with everyone cleaning their plates.


4 large boneless chicken breasts

Mix together:

½ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup chopped fresh spinach
½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (oil packed)
2 tbsp fresh oregano (or 2 tsp dried oregano)
½ cup chopped, pitted kalamata olives
½ tsp cracked black pepper

Butterfly the chicken breasts by laying them flat on a cutting board and using a sharp knife, cut half way through the meat horizontally, stopping at about ½ inch from the edge and before you cut them completely in half. Fold the breasts open and season with salt and pepper. Share the feta, olives, oregano and sun-dried tomatoes evenly among the 4 breasts and fold the other half of the breasts back over the filling.

16-20 slices of good quality smoked bacon

To bacon wrap the chicken breasts, place 4 or 5 slices of bacon side by side on a cutting board, letting them overlap only slightly.  place one of the stuffed breasts at one end and roll the entire breast in the bacon. Secure with wooden toothpicks if necessary  but be sure to remember to remove them before serving. 

Grill over medium-low to medium heat turning occasionally to brown all sides, until the bacon is evenly browned on all sides and the center of the chicken breasts reaches 180 degrees F. If you are using particularly large chicken breasts and the outside browns too quickly, you may want to finish them by open roasting them on a wire rack in the oven at 350 degrees F. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Mediterranean Chicken Wellington

Today we have a great recipe for dinner entertaining that is particularly good for the holiday season because it can be prepared well in advance and just popped into the oven for about 45 minutes before serving. Serve it with a simple rice or pasta side dish and you've got a very impressive meal to serve your guests that doesn't have you stuck in the kitchen while everyone else is enjoying the merriment.


1 pkg. (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, thawed
4 large boneless chicken breasts
4 ounces feta cheese
¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 tbsp fresh oregano (or 2 tsp dried oregano)
½ cup chopped, pitted kalamata olives
Salt and pepper to season
1 egg
2 tbsp cold water

Butterfly the chicken breasts by laying them flat on a cutting board and using a sharp knife, cut half way through the meat horizontally, stopping at about ½ inch from the edge and before you cut them completely in half. Fold the breasts open and season with salt and pepper. Share the feta, olives, oregano and sun-dried tomatoes evenly among the 4 breasts and fold the other half of the breasts back over the filling.

Cut the puff pastry sheets in half and wrap a stuffed chicken breast in each piece. Brush all the edges of the pastry with an egg wash of 1 egg whisked together with 2 tbsp cold water. Brush the egg wash over the tops of the pastries as well and place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes until the pastries are a medium golden brown and the internal temperature has reached 180 degrees F on a meat thermometer. Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.