Chicken Parmesan Burgers

Well, WOW.  These were pretty incredible and we will definitely be added them to the repeating rotation of recipes.  Even better, these totally satisfied my craving for a burger.  They are so quick and easy to make and delicious!  I saw them make the rounds on the food blogs a few months ago.  Then, a fancy version appeared in a recent edition of Bon Appetit.  However, I decided to settle on a recipe that I saw on Annie's Eats which basically just used store-bought bread crumbs (as opposed to making your own).  


This was actually my 2nd attempt at making them.  My 1st attempt was me trying to be cute.  I added my own ingredients and tried to pan-fry them on what apparently was too high of a heat source.  Clearly... CLEARLY, I am not at that level yet of just doing my own thing with a recipe.  My "burgers" were more like blackened rock patties that would be inedible by a dog's standards.  Fortunately, attempt #2 turned out just perfectly.  I used our oven's broiler for the first time and it worked superbly.


I used ground chicken breast (Smart Chicken brand) for our chicken to keep them fairly healthy.  My 1st attempt used ground chicken thighs.  Take it as you will, but I'll likely use chicken breast from here on out.  These can be served on buns or individual ciabatta rolls.  I'd suggest toasting the bread and making some garlic toast to serve the burgers on.  YUM!

Chicken Parmesan Burgers
adapted from Annie's Eats who adapted from Ella Says Opa
Yield:  4 servings 
Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 c bread crumbs
• 2 tsp italian seasoning
• 3 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 shallot, finely diced (I did not use)
• salt and papper
• pasta sauce
• mozzarella or provolone cheese (sliced or shredded)
• sauteed mushrooms (optional)
• hamburger buns
• garlic powder (optional)

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the burgers.
2. Mix well until thoroughly combined.
3. Form the mixture into 4 patties.
4. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
5. Preheat the broiler.
6. Cook patties through according to your broiler.
1. Our broiler is inside the oven.  I placed our patties on a cooking sheet lined with aluminum foil and cooked for 9 minutes, then flipped and cooked for an additional 5 before moving to the next step.  They were cooked well and the oven temp was about 450 degrees.
7. Remove from the oven, top each burger with pasta sauce and cheese.
8. Place back under the broiler for 30-60 seconds until the cheese is melted.
9. Optional step:  Spray buns/bread with cooking spray and sprinkle garlic powder on top.  Put in broiler to toast for 1-2 minutes.
10. Take burgers out and top with sauteed mushrooms if desired, and serve on hamburger buns.