Chicken Parmesan Burgers

I have one (and only one) white shirt I have never spilled anything on. It’s a principle of Murphy’s Law that whenever you wear white, it will end up being a day when you eat spaghetti and meatballs, barbecue pork, or some other food that seems to possess a grim determination to leap from your plate onto your clothing and make it look like you somehow 1.) poo’d yourself in the front and/or 2.) are bleeding internally. But my one lacy-fronted white shirt has somehow evaded all these offenders and managed to retain its purity. I’m especially proud of this feat this week because, when I wore it the other day, I ate not one but two of those foods that inevitably spatter clean whites with kamikaze fury: juicy in-season red cherries and one of these tasty chicken parmesan burgers. I know, putting a chicken parmesan between two buns and eating it with your hands is basically asking for an Oxiclean commercial-level stain, but…… VICTORY!!!

I probably shouldn’t speak of this accomplishment out loud. I’m probably jinxing myself right now.

Still…….worth it! These chicken parmesan burgers were a definite hit at our house. For me, it was one of those moments of “Wait, why have I never thought of this combination before?” (For my kids, it was more of a “Bread and meat and cheese! We approve!” moment.) Regardless, we were all happy. Despite loving a good beef burger, I generally shy away from them, per last year’s World Health Organization research and recommendations on red meat. And while I don’t particularly miss the beef in a burger, I know there are a lot of people who do. So why not make the transition from red to white meat a little easier by adding some piquant marinara and stretchy mozzarella–the perfect marriage of classic Italian and American foods? It’s an easy weeknight meal that comes together fast and pairs well with a green salad and a red wine. The only challenge is….

Can you (safely) eat them all while wearing a white shirt?

Chicken Parmesan Burgers
A Love Letter to Food Original Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. ground chicken (or turkey)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 c. marinara sauce
3/4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 c. arugula or spinach, if desired

6 hamburger buns or 9 slider buns, toasted

Directions:

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat (or plug in your handy-dandy George Foreman grill, like I do). In a large bowl, mix ground chicken and next 7 ingredients (through Parmesan cheese). Form into 3/4 inch-thick patties. Grill 5-6 minutes per side, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
2. Remove patties from grill and preheat oven broiler to high. Spread 1-2 Tbsp. marinara sauce over each burger and top with 1-2 Tbsp. mozzarella. Broil 5 inches away from heat for 1-2 minutes, watching cheese closely to make sure it doesn’t scorch.
3. Serve topped with greens, if desired, on toasted buns.

Serves 6.