Hamburgers.... I mean chicken burgers

January 6, 2015

In my childhood household, occasionally, the whole family would be put on a diet.  One favorite low fat meal that my parents would make was the hamburger patty meal. They would grill or broil a frozen patty bought in bulk at the grocery store and then steam some vegetables.  Being too young to understand the point, hamburger night was always a little frustating.  As I became older, I appreciated the dish, rather, I didn't hate it, but would find myself looking desperately for a bun and some ketchup.

I think my parents had the right idea, and apparently so does GTLF.  Here is a recipe for a very tasty "hamburger" patty.  Only it's chicken not beef.  As it turns out, GTLF has several patties to try.  This is one of my favorites.  And with the delicious sweet potato chips you won't be looking for buns.

Chicken Burgers with Sweet Potato Chips
GTLF Chicken p. 81

(This recipe will require some work with a food processor)

serves 4, working time 20 minutes, total time 1 hour 10 minutes

3/4 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8 in. thick slices

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into small pieces

1/3  C finely chopped scallions

1/4 C plain nonfat yogurt

1/4 C dried bread crumbs

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vegetable oil

1 C cranberry sauce (not jellied)

3 Tablespoons apricot jam

1. In a medium bowl, combine the sweet potatoes with cold water to cover and let stand for 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.  Drain the sweet potatoes and pat dry.  Arrange the sweet potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until the potato chips are crisp.

2. Meanwhile, in a food proccessor, process the chicken until a coarse paste forms.  In a medium bowl, combine the ground chicken, scallions, yogurt, bread crumbs, 2 tsp. of the mustard, rosemary, oregano, and salt and mix gently to just blend.  Shape the mixture into 4 patties.

3. In a large nonstick ovenproof skillet, heat the oil until hot but not smoking over medium heat.  Add the patties and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side.  Remove the sweet potato chips from the oven and set aside.  Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until the burgers are cooked through.

4. In a small bowl, combine the cranberry sauce, jam and remaining 1 tsp. mustard and stir to blend.  Place the burgers, sweet potato chips and sauce on 4 plates and serve.

Nutritional Information: 8 g fat, 409 calories, 1.6 g saturated fat, 59 g carbohydrate, 26 g protein, 94 mg cholesterol, 525 mg sodium

Tips:

Don't let the time scare you.  1 hour is required to prepare the sweet potato which can all be done early with a little planning.  The patties require the least amount of time.  If you're pressed for time omit the sweet potato chips.

Your life will be much easier with this recipe if you invest in some sort of kitchen gadget that has the ability to cut 1/8 in. pieces and grind meat.  They can be expensive, but if you enjoy these chips as much as I do you'll be making them all the time. I have a food processor.

GTLF explains that overhandling the meat will cause it to be too compact which will toughen them.  Handle gently and cook in a skillet so the patty is sure to hold together.

I wasn't able to try the cranberry sauce because I couldn't find cranberries in September when I made this recipe.  If you all have ideas of where to get cranberries outside of Christmas time let me know.