Rosemary Chicken Burgers

I’ve been looking for some ‘healthier’ recipes for the summer season so when I saw Giada on the Food Network make these chicken rosemary burgers I was all over it like jam on toast.

I will say I ran into a bit of a problem-these are meant to be sticky—really sticky. But, when I halved the recipe, I failed to half the olive oil. Oops! So these were a sloppy mess and they didn’t quite stay together on the grill pan. Regardless, they were absolutely phenomenal and I will make these again. So if you are trying to cut out beef (did I really just say that??) these are the perfect alternative. I also used Smart Balance mayonnaise to cut back on some of the fat.

I paired these up with homemade buns (recipe from King Arthur). I make the dough in my breadmaker, then I pulled it out to shape the rolls, let I them rise, and then in the oven they go. From start to finish about 2 ½ -3 hours with about 10 minutes hands on time. Who knew making homemade rolls would be so amazing? Seriously…try these. You will never buy rolls again from the store!I added sliced peaches to the tops of the burgers for some added taste—amazing!!!

For the buns recipe, click here!

For the burger recipe, click here!

Saturday night "IN" with Lamb Burgers

I love a ‘good’ burger.

Good, juicy, need two napkins kind of burgers.

Yes, I am a total burger snob which means you will not see me pulling out of a McDonalds drive through anytime soon. I’m sorry, but I just can’t do it.

There are so many great burger joints by my house so I rarely make my own burgers at home. But when I saw Giada make these great lamb burgers on her show, I decided it was the perfect meal for my Saturday night ‘in’. I served them with homemade sweet potato fries and fresh buns from the market.

Lamb Burgers
Recipe derived from Giada Di Laurentiis

Ingredients:
1 pound ground lamb
¼ cup plain bread crumbs
1 egg beaten lightly
¼ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano
2 tablespoons whole milk
Top with: fontina cheese and basil leaf.

Optional: Wrap the burgers in prosciutto.

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Form burger patties (this will probably make between 3-4, depending on the size). Brush buns with olive oil.

Heat heavy bottomed skillet, add olive oil. On the stove top, cook on each side for about 4 minutes a side. Meanwhile, toast buns in the oven. Top with cheese, then let the burgers sit for 5-10 minutes. Top with basil and buns and serve!