Chicken Parmesan Burgers

I can't remember exactly when we had these burgers, but I can tell you that we loved them. I know I am posting and cooking a lot of Cooking Light recipes lately, but they have so many great, healthy recipes I just can't help myself. In fact, I am trying to decide what to make for dinner tonight, and guess what???? I am going to go to the Cooking Light website as soon as I finish this post and see what I can find with the ingredients I have on hand. (Maybe I should solicit Cooking Light for blog sponsorship????...)

Anyway, I digress. These burgers were capital Y-yummy. Although, we are suckers for anything with marinara sauce on it. I think my kids would drink marinara as a beverage, if I allowed it. Come to think of it, I probably would too if it wasn't considered unseemly.

Chicken Parmesan Burgers
From: Lauren Zembron, Boston, Cooking Light
APRIL 2011

Ingredients:
2(3-ounce) square ciabatta rolls
1 garlic clove, halved
1/2 pound ground chicken
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons lower-sodium marinara sauce, divided
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
8 basil leaves

Directions:

Preheat broiler.

Cut rolls in half. Place bread, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Broil for 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove bread from pan. Rub each slice with cut side of garlic. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine chicken, 1/3 cup marinara, rosemary, thyme, red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Divide into 2 portions, shaping each into a 1/4-inch-thick patty. Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties to pan; cook for 3 minutes. Turn patties, and place pan in oven. Bake at 375° for 8 minutes. Top each patty with 2 tablespoons cheese; bake 1 minute.

Layer bottom half of each roll with 2 basil leaves, 1 patty, 1 tablespoon marinara, 2 basil leaves, and roll top.



The Result:
Easy and delicious. We love a good burger, and this one certainly satisfied us. My kids gobbled it up like crazy, and there were no leftovers to speak of. I used whole wheat English muffins instead of buns, and we served some roasted asparagus on the side. Yum!

NOTE: The quantities in the ingredients list yield 2 burgers. If you are cooking for more than 2 people, you will have to adjust the recipe quantity accordingly.

Nutritional Information:
Yield: 2 burgers
Serving size: 1 burger
Amount per serving:
Calories: 427
Fat: 14.4g
Saturated fat: 4.5g
Monounsaturated fat: 5.3g
Polyunsaturated fat: 2.3g
Protein: 28.9g
Carbohydrate: 55.4g
Fiber: 1.2g
Cholesterol: 83mg
Iron: 2.9mg
Sodium: 742mg
Calcium: 112mg