Grilled Chicken Burgers & Crispy Oven Baked Parmesan Fries

To say that my husband loves chicken is an understatement. Sage could eat it everyday, happily. Since it was pretty much the only meat I ate growing up, I get quite bored of chicken. But since we have it 4 or 5 times a week, I'm always trying to come up with new ways to fix it.

Last night I made chicken burgers. They were very moist, which was something I worried about. Since Beckett and Sage have a lower tolerance for spiciness than me, I went light on the seasoning, but you could definitely go for more- they'd be great with a kick. Beckett doesn't normally like chicken or really any meat (a texture thing) and he loved these!

To go with them, I fixed fries made from red potatoes. I had a little happy accident- I meant to use grated parmesan (the powdery stuff) but wasn't paying attention and grabbed my can of the shredded. It was already on the potatoes, so I went ahead with it, thinking it would just melt and make a mess...Instead it formed a "crust" on them, which made them very crispy on the outside. Like a real french fry! I used a only pinch of cayenne on these, and Beckett couldn't eat them. Sage really liked them but said they'd be better if they weren't so spicy, so make your according to your family's preference.

Grilled Chicken Burgers makes 4 burgers

2 large chicken breasts, cut into 1 in. cubes (or sub. 1 lb. already ground chicken breast)

1/2 of a small onion, chunked (about a 1/3 cup)

1/4 of a green pepper, chunked (about a 1/3 cup)

1/2 of a celery rib, chunked

1 clove garlic, peeled and quartered

1/3 cup quick oats

2 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs

1 egg

kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

1/2 tsp. creole seasoning blend (I used Tony Chachere's)

1. In food processor, pulse 1/2 of the chicken until minced. Transfer to large bowl, and repeat with the rest of chicken. Transfer to large bowl.

2. Add onion, green pepper, celery and garlic to food processor. Pulse to fine mince. Transfer to bowl of ground chicken. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well.

3. Form into 4 large patties. (They will seem very "goopy" and be different than ground turkey or beef.) Chill until ready to grill. (I chilled mine for 45 minutes.)

4. Grill over medium-high direct heat, for 5-6 minutes a side.

We topped our with pepper jack cheese and served on toasted hamburger rolls with lettuce, tomato and lite mayo.

Crispy Oven Baked Parmesan Fries (serves 2)

3-4 red potatoes (about 3/4 lb.)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp shredded parmesan

sea or kosher salt/fresh ground pepper

pinch of cayenne peppper (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425 dgrees.

2.Slice potatoes longwise into 1/2 inch wide strips, leaving skins on. Place in large bowl or ziplock baggie.

3. Add remaining ingredients. Toss to coat well.

4. Spread in a single layer on cookie sheet, and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Flip, and bake for another 15 minutes.

Black Bean Sliders & Sweet Potato Fries with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

I love both veggie and black bean burgers and often order them at casual restaurants. I had some leftover black beans and wanted to try making my own. There were some small bakery rolls in the freezer left over from a party, so I decided to make sliders. And burgers are best with fries, so I paired mine with oven baked sweet potatoes.

The burgers were awesome! They reminded me of the ones I get from Chili's and were so easy to make. I prepared the patties ahead and put them in the refrigerator until we were ready to grill. The fries were tasty but I should have flipped them half way so they'd be evenly toasted. I've included my favorite Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce for the fries. It's also delicious on grilled chicken.

Black Bean Burgers

2 1/2 cups (about 1 1/2 cans) canned organic black beans (rinsed and drained well)

1/3 cup chopped carrot

1/3 cup chopped onion

oil

3 tbsp minced garlic

1 egg

1/2 Quick Cooking Oats

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp hot sauce

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1. Blot beans with paper towels to remove as much moisture from rinsing as possible.

2. Using a food processor, finely chop carrots and onion. Saute chopped vegetables with garlic in a minimal amount of oil over medium heat for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in large bowl, mash black beans using a handheld submersion blender or potato masher, until beans form a paste, leaving some chunks.

4. Blot sauteed vegetables well to remove any liquids and add to mashed beans. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

5. Form into desired sized patties (makes 7-8 sliders, or 4-5 full sized.) Can be refrigerated until ready to use. Uncooked patties can also be frozen for another use. (We froze half.) Can be grilled, baked or panfried. (We grilled ours.)

Baked Sweet Potato Fries (adapted from Country Living)

2 large Sweet Potatoes

olive oil

cumin

ground red pepper

sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cut potatoes in half both directions, then cut wedges into 1/2 inch sticks.

3. In large bowl or zip lock bag, place potatoes, enough oil to lightly coat, and desired amount of seasonings. Toss or shake to coat well.

4. Spread potatoes in a single layer on cookie sheet and bake for 35 minutes or until brown around the edges.

* I would suggest flipping them half way for even browning, and perhaps broiling for last few minutes for toastier fries.

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce (originally a marinade from allrecipes.com)

1 tbsp & 1 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tbsp light mayonnaise

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp steak sauce (such as A-1) or worcestershire sauce

Blend all ingredients well.

This quantity is for two people for dipping. Can easily be double or tripled.