Southwestern Chicken Burgers

I came across this recipe and thought it would be a new way to use up the ground chicken I had in the freezer. I'd never made chicken burgers before and wasn't sure what to expect and after this recipe, I'm still not sure what to expect! The burger was definitely lacking in flavor, and to the husband and I it needed a whole lot more than chili powder. Call me strange, it wouldn't be the first time, but it takes me awhile to get used to a burger that isn't a real burger, as in a beef burger. So in addition to being flavorless, I think a lot of me not being sure if I like the sandwich or not had to do primarily with it being made out of chicken. I'll give the ol' chicken burger another shot, I'm not that easily deterred! At least not yet.

Now, the fries are a whole other story. These were probably hands down the single best baked fries I've ever made! I have tried several different methods and recipes for making baked fries only to have them turn out burnt, yet undercooked. I had pretty much given up on the baked fries until I came across Ina Garten's recipe. I honestly don't know what's different about this recipe and it could be a fluke, but they were incredible while they lasted!

Southwest - Style Chicken Burgers

1 slightly beaten egg
1/4 c. finely crushed nacho-flavored or plain tortilla chips
3 Tbs. finely chopped green pepper
3/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 lb. ground chicken
2 oz. Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese
4 kaiser rolls or hamburger buns, split and toasted
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and sliced
4 lettuce leaves
1/4 c. bottled salsa

1. In a medium bowl combine egg, tortilla chips, green pepper, chili powder, salt and black pepper. Add chicken; mix well. (Mixture will be wet.) Shape chicken mixture into four 3/4" thick round patties.

2. Place patties on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4" from the heat 14 - 18 minutes or until no longer pink and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 F, turning once halfway through the broiling time. Top burgers with cheese and broil for 1 minute or until cheese melts.

3. Serve burgers on toasted rolls; top with avocado, lettuce and salsa.


Yield: 4 servings
Recipe obtained from: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

Nutrition Facts per serving: 522 cal., 26 g. total fat (5 g. sat. fat), 66 mg chol., 698 mg sodium, 39 g. carbo., 4 g. fiber, 32 g. pro.)

What I did: I significantly cut the calories and fat by not including the cheese and avocado and also didn't use the salsa.


Baked "Chips"

4 lg. baking potatoes, unpeeled
4 Tbs. good olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 400.

2. Scrub the potatoes, cut them in half lengthwise, then cut each half in thirds lengthwise. You'll have six long wedges from each potato. Place the potatoes on a sheet pan with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary. With clean hands, toss all the ingredients together, making sure the potatoes are covered with oil. Spread the potatoes in a single layer with one cut side down.

3. Bake the potatoes for 30 -35 minutes, turning to the other cut side after 20 minutes. Bake until they are lightly browned, crisp outside, and tender inside. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.


Yield: six servings
Recipe obtained from: Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten

What I did: I halved the recipe and did not use any rosemary. I was lazy and used powdered garlic instead of fresh and added a few liberal dashes of cumin. I always think recipes for roasted potatoes take longer than printed, mine roasted for probably 50 minutes.