Chicken Burgers with Caramelized Onions

Sorry I’ve been M.I.A. for over a week now.  This is what happens when I get uber-busy at work and then take off for Tampa for 4 days and come home only to spend the next couple of days in bed due to the flu/cold.  Please, forgive.  I haven’t had much of an appetite but luckily I made these Chicken Burgers with Caramelized Onions before my trip so I can now share them with you.

Ground chicken is mixed with dijon mustard and ricotta cheese, giving the blah meet some zing and moisture.  Vidalia onions are cooked low and slow until caramelized and golden brown which adds a sweet textural topping to these burgers.  The simplicity of these burgers are appealing but feel free to add any of your favorite flavors, like soy sauce, horseradish or Sriracha, to the mixture before cooking.  The real star are the onions which, as I’ve mentioned before, were not only one of my least favorite foods as a kid but a food in general which I don’t think ever went down my throat until I was in my 30s.  I swear.  Who knew that one day I’d be eating a burger, not with ketchup or mustard or pickles, but with a pile of onions.  I would have called you a liar if you accused me.

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The ingredients:

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Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and cook 15 minutes or until well browned; set aside.

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In a large bowl, combine chicken, ricotta, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Form into 4 equal-size patties and flatten.

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Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat (I used my Cuisinart Griddler). Cook burgers about 5 minutes per side. Partially cover, reduce heat to medium and cook another 5 minutes or until instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees  F.

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Place burgers on buns and top each with some of the onions.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:

  • lettuce

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Family Circle Magazine

Smoky Chicken and Potatoes

I put up my Christmas tree this weekend and it seemed a little strange to be doing it when the temperature was in the 50s.  Tomorrow we are having our work holiday party and it’s supposed to be almost 65 degrees.  Strange.  I feel like when it’s December and I’m decorating for Christmas that I should be making food like soup, chili, cookies or some other cold weather comfort food.  But when it’s not very cold out, what is there to make?  I’ve been trying to stock up on chicken when it’s on sale lately so that’s pretty much all I had in my freezer.  I’ve been eyeballing this recipe for Smoky Chicken and Potatoes so I decided this was as good a time as any to make it.

Chicken breasts, potato, sweet potato, green pepper, onion and lemon are tossed with garlic and smoked paprika and roasted in the oven until the chicken and potatoes are perfectly cooked.  You can use all white potatoes or all sweet potatoes for this recipe but I loved the combination of both here.  The chicken is juicy, the potatoes are tender and the addition of lemon and parsley adds a fresh touch.  The smoked paprika gives a ton of flavor to the whole dish.  This dish was simple to make and didn’t stand a chance before it was all gone.  Next time I’m craving sweet potatoes, I’ll remember to make this again.

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The ingredients:

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In a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray, combine chicken potatoes, onion, green pepper and garlic.  Toss with olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper.

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Squeeze lemon wedges over the mixture and add wedges to the baking dish.

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Bake in a 450°F oven for 30 minutes or until chicken reaches 165 degrees, stirring once after 20 minutes.  Top with parsley before serving.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Family Circle Magazine

Scalloped Corn

When I was a kid, one of the only vegetables I let near my mouth without a grimace and scowl was corn.  I could eat corn with every meal and especially loved mixing corn with my applesauce (don’t ask).  This dish of Scalloped Corn was a dish my mom would sometimes make at holidays and takes me back each and every time I have it.  It’s one of those dishes that will forever remind me of childhood, cozy fires, cookies in the oven and Christmas music playing subtly in the background.  Which to me, is the best possible compliment for a dish.

Simple canned corn and canned creamed corn is mixed together with onion, pepper, milk, an egg and crushed saltine crackers (bread crumbs or any kind of cracker will also work).  The concoction resembles something close to slop but once cooked and thickened, it’s a true celebration of corn’s sweet freshness and comfort.  I don’t include the pepper when I make this dish but only because I didn’t eat peppers as a kid so my mom left them out.  Just because I eat peppers now doesn’t mean I’m changing a good thing.  My only recommendation is that you double this recipe because as it is, it doesn’t make much.  I double it even when I’m the only person eating it.  Also, I have to leave this in the oven for double the amount of time recommended (60-70 minutes total) because it needs to be baked until no longer runny in the center.  An hour may seem long but trust me, the long cooking time will make it worth it.  I didn’t take pictures of my cooking process for this but I do have a few of the finished product.

Scalloped Corn (makes 4 small servings)

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped green or red pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup crushed saltine crackers
  • 1 8 3/4-ounce can cream-style corn
  • 1 7-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained

Cook onion and pepper in 1 tablespoon of butter until soft and tender.  Combine egg, milk, 1/3 cup crackers, and dash of black pepper.  Stir in onion mixture and corn.  Pour into a 1-quart dish.  Melt remaining butter and toss with remaining cracker crumbs.  Sprinkle crumb mixture over corn mixture.  Bake in a 350°F oven about 35 minutes (or 70 minutes if doubling the recipe) or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Additions:  None

Omissions:

  • Green pepper

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

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