Pinto Bean Breakfast Patty Melts {The New Southwest #Cookbook Spotlight}

I am a big fan of bean burgers.  I've made chickpea burgers, black bean burgers, fava bean burgers, and now pinto bean burgers and I've loved them all. The good news is that everyone else in my house loves bean burgers almost as much as me so it's a total win-win situation.  

As soon as I spotted this recipe for Pinto Bean Breakfast Patty Melts in The New Southwest Cookbook I knew it would be my choice for Week Two Blogger's Choice.  These pinto bean burgers are seasoned with a heavy dose of cumin, black pepper, coriander, and garlic so they are mighty flavorful.  Crunchy on the exterior and creamy on the inside this is one powerhouse of a breakfast that will keep you full way into the afternoon. They were a big hit at my house!

Check back on Monday, October 28th for a cookbook review and a chance to win your very own copy of The New Southwest. You don't want to miss it!

Pinto Bean Breakfast Patty Melts

Adapted from The New Southwest by

Meagan Micozzi of Scarletta Bakes

Serves 7

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for frying

3/4 cup diced yellow onion

1 cup grated zucchini 

2 jalapenos, stemmed and minced

2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic

3-1/2 cups cooked pinto beans

(about 2-1/2 cans if using canned)

3/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs*

2 large eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons black pepper

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon salt

7 slices Monterey Jack cheese

7 English muffins, sliced, toasted

Note: I had to use a little over a cup of breadcrumbs to get the mixture to come together.  Also, I think the 2 tablespoons of black pepper in the recipe might be a typo.  We love black pepper but I only used 1 tablespoon just in case.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute until golden, translucent, and fragrant, approximately 5 minutes.  Add the zucchini, jalapenos, and garlic and saute for just 2 more minutes.  Remove pan from heat.

Meanwhile, place the beans in a large bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher.  (Use a fork for chunky, uneven consistency.)  Stir in the breadcrumbs, eggs, cumin, black pepper, coriander, and salt.  Fold in the cooked onion mixture.  Using a half cup measure, portion off and form seven patties.  Freeze them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet to firm them up.  They can be kept frozen at this point and you can cook them as needed or you can store them in the refrigerator if not using right away.

Once ready to cook and assemble your melts, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large heavy-bottomed lidded skillet over medium heat (I prefer cast iron). Add the patties and cook for 3 to 4 minute on each side, applying pressure to the top of the patties to flatten once you have a cooked side facing up.  Note that you may need to work in batches so as not to overcrowd your pan, so you may need to refresh your oil between batches and wipe the pan clean.

Once patties are crisp on the outside and cooked through, top each with a slice of cheese, replace the lid on the pan and steam just 30 to 60 seconds to melt the cheese.  Remove each patty melt to a toasted English muffin bun and serve immediately.

Every Sunday @ Kahakai Kitchen

 

This post is part of The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef.

If you'd like to keep tabs on who's making what from the The New Southwest, then head on over to The New Southwest event page over at girlichef.

If you missed last week's "host choice" recipe, Mushroom and Leek Migas, please drop by The New Southwest event page.  You will find links to each person's post, see their results, their spin, and their thoughts on that recipe.  Also, check it all week long for updates on what people are making this week!

This post is part of The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef.
- See more at: http://www.girlichef.com/2013/10/ChiaCupcakes.html#more

If you missed last week's "host choice" recipe, Mushroom and Leek Migas, please drop by The New Southwest event page.  You will find links to each person's post, see their results, their spin, and their thoughts on that recipe.  Also, check it all week long for updates on what people are making this week!

This post is part of The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef. - See more at: http://www.girlichef.com/2013/10/ChiaCupcakes.html#more

If you missed last week's "host choice" recipe, Mushroom and Leek Migas, please drop by The New Southwest event page.  You will find links to each person's post, see their results, their spin, and their thoughts on that recipe.  Also, check it all week long for updates on what people are making this week!

This post is part of The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef. - See more at: http://www.girlichef.com/2013/10/ChiaCupcakes.html#more

My Top Five Rick Bayless Recipes

Over the last six months I've been cooking up the recipes of Rick Bayless with my friends at the I Heart Cooking Clubs group.  After spending six months with a chef I always end up with a few favorites.  These are the dishes that my family loved the most.  In fact, all of the dishes below have been repeated in my kitchen at least once, if not more, since I first made and shared them here on my site.  

 

First up, and quite possibly the most popular of all the Rick Bayless dishes I tried, are these Cafe Tacuba-Style Creamy Chicken Enchiladas.  These enchiladas are a perfect and comforting family meal.  Roasted poblanos and spinach are combined to make a very flavorful and creamy sauce that is poured over casserole-style enchiladas.  These enchiladas are awesome!

 Next up are these Quick Fried Shrimp with Sweet Toasty Garlic.  If you love garlic, these are an absolute MUST MAKE.  Total heaven on a plate.  I should know.  I pretty much ate the whole batch myself.  

These Crusty Black Bean-Chorizo Subs were our first introduction to the Mexican torta and they were a huge hit.  It is worth seeking out traditional Mexican bolillo rolls at your supermarket because the bread really does make a difference.  We loved these layered sammies with smashed black beans, spicy chorizo, creamy avocado, and salty feta cheese all served up on some good crusty bread.  I crave these sandwiches.

To prove that we love a good Mexican torta, here is another hit recipe.  My Mom, and my husband, went crazy for these Crispy Chicken Tortas.  Here again, you have a layer of seasoned and smashed black beans, a crispy breaded chicken cutlet, monterey jack cheese, and creamy avocado on a crusty bolillo roll.  My Mom declared this one of her favorite meals I've ever made and even asked that I make these for her birthday.  The ultimate compliment.

This Quick and Easy Arroz con Pollo is another great family meal.  Rick calls for whole pieces of chicken in this recipe, which would probably be equally delicious, but I decided to make a quicker version with some leftover sliced rotisserie chicken.  You know how sometimes a dish turns out perfectly seasoned?  This is how I feel about this dish.  Everything about this dish was perfectly seasoned and balanced and the rice was incredibly fluffy.  This is a great staple dish and the leftovers, if there are any, definitely improve with time.

 

 This wraps up my time with Rick.  I'm so happy I had the chance to explore his cookbooks and try so many of his recipes.  Starting next week we're going to be cooking the recipes of Madhur Jaffrey.

Theme: Adios y Gracias, Rick!

Crispy Chicken Torta

I made this crispy chicken torta because I had all the ingredients on hand.  I expected the torta to be good, but I didn't know it would be such a hit.  Don't y'all love it when that happens?

My Mom declared this one her favorite things to eat ever.  She even asked if I would make her this torta for her birthday, which really tickled me because her birthday isn't for another 10 months.  Of course, my Mom might be a little biased.  The woman loves a good sandwich.

Any way you slice it, we all loved this torta.  There are so many wonderful things going on here. The top of the bread is all soft and fluffy while the bottoms are all toasted and golden.  The torta begins with a slathering of smooth, creamy, and delicious smashed black beans, then comes the perfectly- golden-fried-to-perfection chicken cutlet in all it's panko coated glory, next up is a layer of melty Monterey Jack cheese, followed by a few slices of pickled jalapeno peppers and cool, creamy, buttery, slices of avocado.  Finish it off with a really good sprinkling of hot sauce and it's one delicious mouthful!  (Be prepared to make a big mess and do a lot of dishes though.  Don't say I didn't warn you.)

Crispy Chicken Torta

Adapted from Rickbayless.com

Makes 4 tortas

4 thin boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets 

1/2 cup all purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
2 cups panko bread crumbs
4 1/2  tablespoons vegetable or olive oil, plus 1/2  cup for frying (divided use)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 telera or bolillo rolls
6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded 
Pickled jalapeno slices
1 ripe avocado, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Optional:  hot sauce (we like Cholula chili garlic hot sauce)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Set up a 3 part breading station.  In the first dish, combine the flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.  In the second dish, beat 2 eggs with 1 tablespoon oil,  1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.  In the third dish, pour in 2 cups of panko crumbs and mix with 1 1/2  teaspoons salt. 

Sprinkle salt over both sides of chicken and dredge each breast in the flour, shaking off the excess.  Then, dip into the egg mixture, making sure that they are totally coated.  Finally, place the chicken in the panko crumbs, pressing the crumbs into both the top and bottom surfaces.  Move the coated breast to a wire rack to allow the crumbs to dry. 

Set a large (10-inch) skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon oil.  When the oil is hot, stir in the garlic.  Once the garlic is golden brown, add the beans with their liquid.  As the beans come to a simmer, mash them to a smooth paste.  Cook, stirring nearly constantly, until you’ve reached the consistency of very soft mashed potatoes, about 8 minutes. Taste and season with salt.  Keep warm over the lowest heat, covered, so that the beans stay soft and moist.

Place a very large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat. Slice the rolls open lengthwise.  Scrape out some of the soft bread in the center of each piece, making a small hollow (I didn't follow this step.  I like having the whole roll and I also think it toasts much better if you don't hollow out the bread).  Using the remaining 2 1/2  tablespoons oil, brush the insides of the rolls, then lay them cut-side down on a griddle or skillet to crisp to a rich golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove and set aside. 

Add 1/2 the frying oil to the skillet and raise the heat to medium-high. Once the oil is hot, place two of the breasts into the pan and cook until both sides are golden brown about 5 to 6 minutes total.  Remove to a warm plate lined with paper towels.  Add the remaining frying oil and saute the last two breasts.

Smear a layer of warm beans over the bottom half each roll.  Lay the warm chicken breast on top of the beans.  Top with shredded cheese, pickled jalapenos and the avocado.  Set the top of each roll in place.  Place the finished tortas on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Theme: Potluck!

Crusty Black Bean-Chorizo Subs

My love of beans started back in my late teenage years. I spent seven years of my young life (from 17 to 24) as a vegetarian.  During this time period I pretty much lived on beans and pasta for two reasons.  The first reason being out of necessity.  Beans and pasta were cheap and I was broke.  The second reason, and really the more important reason, beans and pasta are damn fine eatin'. I made some dumb moves back in those days, but at the very least I can take a certain amount of comfort in the fact that I was smart about what I ate.

Now it's years later and even though I now eat meat I still have a special place in my heart for all things veggie, namely beans.  This black bean chorizo sub has been calling my name ever since I spied it in my copy of Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday.  There is no denying the deliciousness of chorizo and when mixed with black beans, avocado, tangy feta and placed between two layers of crusty bread....well, you really should find out for yourself.

My husband and I really enjoyed these subs.  You get a little crunch and crispness from the bread, but the filling is nice and soft and really flavorful, especially when you load up on the hot sauce. 

Crusty Black Bean-Chorizo Subs

Adapted from Mexican Everyday 

by Rick Bayless

Serves 4

 8 ounces fresh Mexican chorizo sausage, casing removed (about 1 cup)

3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans

(or 3-1/2 cups home-cooked black beans with just enough liquid to cover them)

Salt

4 telera or bolillo rolls, or crusty French rolls or submarine sandwich rolls (6-8 inches long)

About 6 ounces Mexican queso fresco, feta, or goat cheese sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 ripe avocado, pitted flesh scooped from the skin and cut into 1/4-inch slices

Salsa or hot sauce, for serving

Set a very large skillet over medium heat and add the chorizo.  Cook, breaking up the clumps, until browned and thoroughly cooked, about 8 to 9 minutes.  Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the oil (depending on how much fat the chorizo has rendered) and the beans.  As the beans come to a simmer, mash them to a smooth paste with the back of a spoon or a potato masher.  Cook, stirring nearly constantly, until the consistency of very soft mashed potatoes- expect about 10 minutes after adding the beans.  Taste and season with salt if you think necessary.  Keep warm over the lowest heat, covered to keep the beans soft and moist.

Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium.  Slice the rolls open.  Use fingers or a spoon to scrape out some of the soft bread in the center of each half, making a small hollow.  Brush insides with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, then lay them cut side down on the griddle or skillet to crisp to a rich golden brown, about 2 minutes.  (You may have to toast your bread in batches)

Smear about 1/2 cup of the chorizo-bean mixture over the bottom half of each roll.  Top with the slices of the cheese of the cheese and avocado.  Spoon on the salsa or dash on the hot sauce.  Set the top of each roll in place and you're ready to serve.

Every Sunday @ Kahakai Kitchen

Theme:  Holy Frijoles!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ham and Cheese Sliders, Bacon and Cheddar Deviled Eggs, and a Quick Idea for Fruit Salad

 

I'm not quite adept yet when it comes to entertaining.  Serving my family dinner is one thing.  Serving a large number of people is quite intimidating.  For one, I'm incredibly shy which doesn't help matters.  Secondly, I worry way too much.  What if my guests don't like what I'm serving?  What if there's not enough?  What if it's cold by the time it gets to the table?  Believe me, if there is something to fret over I'll do it.  So, when planning my Eggland's Best Pink Party & Brunch, I concentrated on making things easy.

First and foremost, I wanted all the food to be able to be served room temperature.  I didn't want to worry about keeping food hot.  Once I determined that I wanted everything to be served at room temperature I started planning the other details.  I wanted the food to be as pink as possible.  I also wanted to keep things as light and easy as possible.  I'm always a fan of finger foods so I decided to try and chose recipes that can, for the most part, be eaten out of hand. 

These delicious ham and cheese sliders met all my criteria and I after seeing them all over pinterest, I was so happy to get the chance to make them.  The recipe couldn't be any simpler.  Either make or buy some fluffy white rolls, layer them with honey ham, swiss cheese, and a quick smear of mayo and place into a baking dish.  Whip up a batch of poppyseed sauce (consisting of butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and a bit of onion) and pour over the rolls.  Bake the sandwiches until the cheese starts to melt and the sauce oozes down the sides of the rolls. The recipe (and a truly mouth watering photo can be found HERE).

Deviled eggs are always such a hit at any party and I knew I wanted to serve them.  My struggle was trying to add a bit of pink to them.  Using smoked salmon crossed my mind, but I didn't know how my guests felt about fish so I kept looking up different recipes.  I finally stumbled across this recipe for Bacon and Cheddar Deviled Eggs on Allrecipes.com.  These are your standard deviled eggs with just a tad of chopped bacon and shredded cheddar cheese added in.  These eggs were a hit, but my family and I agreed that we still like the good old standard deviled egg a little better.

Lastly, I knew I wanted to have something really colorful, fresh, and vibrant to put on the table so I went with a fruit salad.  I struck it rich in the produce department and was able to find beautiful ripe kiwi, starfruit, and passion fruit (all of them pretty rare finds in my neck of the woods).  I decided to do an exotic twist on traditional fruit salad using the passion fruit pulp as a dressing of sorts.  I added strawberries, pineapple, cantaloupe, grapes, blueberries, plums, kiwi, and starfruit to my platter and garnished it with halved passion fruit to use as a topping. If you want to eat the rainbow, this is for you.

I had so much fun hosting the party and was honored to help raise awareness for the fight against breast cancer.  A huge thanks to Eggland's Best for making it all possible! 

Be on the lookout for more Eggland's Best Pink Parties coming this month.

Stuffed Hot Sausage Meatball Subs

Have you ever made the mistake of trying to do too many things in the kitchen at once?  For example, maybe you're silly enough to attempt making two or more blog-worthy recipes at one time?  Have you done this before?  It's insanity.  Hell, it's double-insanity, right?  You're standing in the kitchen with two different cookbooks laid out, following two different recipes, prepping two separate recipes, pots and pans and ingredients everywhere (including the floor), everyone is screaming that they are starving, it's hot as hell, and the pressure of trying to take multiple pictures of both recipes is enough to make you want to run and cry.  Oh, and just to add to the chaos, you remember that your son can't eat what you're making for dinner because he's allergic to it....you'll have to make him something else entirely.  Any of that sound familiar?

So, don't let the pictures of this ordinary-looking meatball sub fool you.  In my highly panicked state of frenzy I forgot to take pictures of the money shot, which would be the gooey mozzarella cheese oozing out of the meatballs. Yes, not only are these meatballs ginormous, but they are made with hot italian sausage, and they are stuffed with cubes of mozzarella.  This sub is like the King of Meatball Subs!

Stuffed Hot Sausage Meatball Subs

Adapted from Rachel Ray's Look + Cook

Serves 4, or 8 (depends on who's eating)

2 pounds bulk Italian hot sausage

1 pound smoked mozzarella, cut into 12 cubes 

Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling, plus 1 tablespoon

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup pitted kalamata black olives, chopped

1/4 cup softened sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

1 (28-ounce) can Italian crushed tomatoes

salt and black pepper

4 crusty sub rolls, ciabatta bread, or individual ciabatta rolls, 7-8 inches long

a handful of fresh basil leaves, torn or shredded

freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 425F.  Arrange a cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet.  Dip your hands in warm water to prevent sticking.  Separate the 2pounds of sausage into 4 equal portions.  Each portion should form 3 meatballs.  Nest a cube of smoked mozzarella into the center of each meatball.  Coat the meatballs with EVOO and roast on the rack above the baking sheet until firm and cooked through, about 18 minutes.  While the meatballs cook, heat the tablespoon of EVOO in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Add the onions and garlic, ad cook until tender, 5-6 minutes.  Then stir in the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and canned crushed tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer.  Take out the meatballs, turn off the oven, and crisp the rolls for a minute.  Split the rolls and fill each with 3 meatballs.  Top with some sauce, basil, and cheese and serve.

Notes/Results:  This is definitely a manly sub sandwich.  When my husband came into the kitchen and saw the nearly palm-sized meatballs sitting on the counter with the melting cheese oozing out he became rather excited.  What we both liked about this recipe is that the meatballs are made with hot italian sausage, which is quite a change from the normal beef meatball.  We are a family of cheese lovers, so we really loved that the meatballs were stuffed with cheese and then topped with even more cheese.  If you decide to make this, don't forget the fresh basil.  The fresh slivers of basil really helped add lots of fresh flavor to the sandwich.  A spicy, cheesy, gooey sandwich with lots of flavor!

Every Sunday @ Kahakai Kitchen

Thanks to Brenda of Brenda's Canadian Kitchen for another great recipe from Rachel Ray's Look + Cook!  My pick for August is going to be Rachel's Chinese Orange-Barbecue Cashew Chicken.

Mozzarella, Strawberry, and Brown Sugar Panini

Curiosity.   It's a funny thing.  It raises burning questions.  Burning questions like do jam and mozzarella really go together?  Rosemary and jam?  Brown sugar and cheese.......hmm.  Before we know it, we are knee deep in wonder and it's too late to turn back.  That curiosity, it gets the best of us. Keeps us doing things we might not otherwise do....

Mozzarella, Strawberry, and Brown Sugar Panini

Adapted from Giada at Home

4 servings

8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices bakery-style white bread

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup raspberry jam (I used strawberry)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves (I used basil)

8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, drained and patted dry

salt (optional)

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

Preheat the panini press or indoor grill.  

Using a pastry brush, brush the bread on both sides with the oil.  Spread one side of each slice of bread with the raspberry (strawberry) jam.  Sprinkle the rosemary (basil) over the jam.  Cut the mozzarella cheese into 8 slices.  Place 2 slices of cheese on each of 4 of the bread slices.  Season the cheese with a pinch of salt, if using.  Place the remaining slices of bread on top, jam side down.  Sprinkle the tops with the brown sugar.

Grill the panini for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden and crispy.  Cut the panini in half and serve.

Cook's Note: If you do not have a panini press or indoor grill, use a ridged grill pan:  Preheat the pan, add the sandwiches (in batches; if necessary), and put a weight (such as a brick wrapped in aluminum foil or heavy cast iron skillet) on top to press them down.  Grill for 2-3 minutes to brown the first side, flip the sandwich, replace the weight, and grill for 2-3 minutes to brown the other side and finish melting the cheese. 

Notes/Results:  All of the components actually come together really nicely in this sandwich.  The mozzarella was buttery and creamy, the strawberry jam is nice and sweet, and the brown sugar crusted bread.....whoa mama!  That crispy, crunchy, sugary, caramelized bread was some good stuff, the hit of the sandwich if you ask me.  This is one of those recipes that stays on your mind and keeps you thinking, which is good for the mind, if you ask me!

Making it Simple with IHCC

For Deb @ Kahakai Kitchen

For Brenda @ Brenda's Canadian Kitchen

Thanksgiving Dinner Burger

Ever since I announced the Thanksgiving Dinner Burger Challenge I've been dreaming up all kinds of burger combinations. Ideas were running through my head constantly and then I saw them.....Baked Creamed Pearl Onions, and I knew I had to incorporate them.

My obsession with the creamed pearl onions wouldn't go away so I decided to model my burger after a recipe for sausage stuffing. Using the creamed pearl onions as a topping, I wanted to incorporate all the other elements of the stuffing into the burger. To the ground turkey I added sausage, grated apple, celery and fresh sage. Now for the fun part... the bread. I opted for King Arthur's Stuffing Buns, a sage-scented yeast bun reminiscent of stuffing. To add color and freshness to the burger I decided to top them with a little fresh spinach.

My Thanksgiving Dinner (Sausage Stuffing Inspired) Burgers
Makes 12 mini burgers or 4 regular burgers
1 recipe King Arthur Stuffing Buns, recipe found HERE (Note: Stuffing bun recipe makes 16 mini buns or 8 regular sized hamburger buns)
1 recipe Baked Creamed Pearl Onions, recipe found directly below
About 2 handfuls of spinach

For the burgers:
1 pound ground turkey
1/4 pound sausage
1/2 stalk celery, grated
1/2 red gala apple, grated
4 sage leaves, chopped
1 egg
About 1/2 - 3/4 cup panko or breadcrumbs (enough to bind the mixture)

Prepare stuffing buns, set aside. Prepare baked creamed pearl onions, set aside.

Mix burger ingredients together. Form mixture into 12 mini patties or 4 normal sized burgers. For mini burgers, cook about 3-4 minutes each side.

Place burgers on stuffing bun. Top with spinach and a spoonful (or two) of baked creamed pearl onions.

Baked Creamed Pearl Onions
Original Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup pearl onions, peeled (mine were from the produce dept/could use frozen)
sprinkle with dash of salt and pepper
1 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup crushed buttery round crackers
1/2 cup heavy cream, or enough to cover just the tops of the crackers
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place onions in small ramekin or small casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper. Pour melted butter over onions and sprinkle crushed crackers on top. Pour cream over crackers. Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until bubbly and crackers are golden.

Notes/Results: The turkey burgers themselves were amazing. They were extremely juicy and flavorful from the addition of sausage, grated apple, and grated celery. A very good blend of flavors. The baked creamed pearl onions oozed with cream and looked beautiful pouring down over the burgers. The only issue with these burgers were the stuffing buns. No one liked them. I was a little surprised to find that they were dry (maybe my fault), but also that they lacked flavor and weren't really reminiscent of stuffing in anyway. We ended up eating them on different buns altogether. All in all, the burgers and toppings were a hit, just not the bun.

I had so much fun putting the different elements of this Thanksgiving Dinner Burger together. I'm still toying around with ideas for another Thanksgiving Dinner Burger coming up.

If you'd like to participate in the Thanksgiving Dinner Burger Challenge, please see my original post HERE.

A big thanks to Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies and also to Teresa of A Blog About Food for their contributions, please see each of their links below for further inspiration:
Natashya's Thanksgiving Dinner Burger
Teresa's Favorite Turkey Burger

Out of Italy with Giada's Chicken Burgers

Burgers, burgers, burgers.....I seem to be craving them lately. Mini burgers, turkey burgers, and now the chicken burger. I've tried chicken burgers in the past and haven't cared for them at all, until now. Giada's Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Rosemary Mayonnaise are actually really good.

Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Basil Mayonnaise
Adapted from Giada at Home
Makes 4 burgers
Garlic-Basil Mayo:
1 cup mayo
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced (I always add more garlic and used at least 3, maybe 4)
Burgers:
Vegetable or canola oil, for the grill
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 sandwich rolls or burger buns
1/4 cup olive oil (I didn't use this)
1 cup arugula

For the mayo: Mix together the mayo, basil, and garlic.

For the burgers: Preheat a gas or charcoal grill or place a grill pan over medium-high heat. Lightly oil the grilling rack or grill pan with vegetable oil.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, salt, pepper, and half of the mayo mixture. Using clean hands, gently mix the ingredients and form into 4 patties, each about 1 inch thick. Grill for about 7 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Transfer to paper towels and let rest for a few minutes.

Brush the cut side of each roll with the olive oil (I skipped this step) and 1 teaspoon of the mayo mixture. Grill for 1 - 2 minutes, until slightly golden.

Spread a dollop of the mayo mixture onto the bun tops and bottoms. Top each bottom with a burger, 1/4 cup of arugula, and the top half of the bun.

Notes/Results: Giada's original recipe calls for rosemary flavored mayo. I didn't have rosemary, but I did have lots of basil. I didn't find it necessary to use 1/4 cup olive oil to grill the burger buns, so I skipped that part. I also added quite a bit more garlic to the mayo mixture. We found these burgers to be juicy, flavorful, and satisfying.
**It seems that my market frequently puts ground chicken on sale, sometimes as low as $1.99/lb. I'm not sure if this is the case in all markets, but I suspect that it might be. I'm thinking that a lot of people just don't know how to use it? In the end, it works out well for me because my husband is a big meat eater and I'm always looking for ways to cut down on the meat portion of our grocery bill. If you're like me, then this recipe, as well as Giada's Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs, are both great recipes that use ground chicken. (I've made the Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs three times in the past three weeks).

Now cooking the recipes of Giada De Laurentiis.

A weekly roundup of soups, sandwiches, and salads at Deb's site Kahakai Kitchen.

Trick-or-Treat Turnovers

These Trick-or-Treat Turnovers are lots of fun for the kids (and adults too)! Canned biscuit dough is flattened to a four inch circle and filled with a beef filling. A second biscuit is flattened into another 4 inch circle and carved just like a pumpkin. The carved biscuit is placed over the biscuit with the meat mixture and pinched to seal the edges. Each Trick-or-Treat Turnover is brushed with a lightly beaten egg and baked until golden, about 15 minutes.

The filling for the Trick-or-Treat Turnovers can easily be switched to anything your heart desires. The possibilities are endless. You could even build a little "build your own station" with lots of chopped up little fillings and different cheese so that each person could customized theirs to their own liking. Either way, it really is a very fun way to spend time together in the kitchen.

Trick-or-Treat Turnovers
Adapted from Taste of Home Ultimate Halloween Magazine, also found online HERE
Makes 8 very large turnovers
1/2 pound of ground beef (I used 95% lean)
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
4 ounces cubed part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup prepared mustard (I subbed tomato paste)
2 tubes (16.3 ounces each) large refrigerated flaky biscuits (I used Grands Golden Wheat,Reduced Fat)
1 egg, lightly beaten

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add cheese and mustard; cook and stir until cheese is melted. Cool slightly.

Flatten each biscuit into a 4-in circle; place four biscuits in each of two greased 15-in x 10-in x 1-in baking pans. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of meat mixture onto each.

Using a sharp knife or cookie cutters, cut out jack-o'-lantern faces from remaining biscuit circles; place over meat mixture and pinch edges to seal tightly. Reroll scraps if desired and cut out stems for pumpkins.

Brush with egg. Bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes (mine took about 20 minutes) or until golden brown.

Notes/Results: These turnovers are probably our favorite Halloween-inspired recipe so far. Everyone really had a great time and enjoyed customizing their own pumpkin. I'm thinking of making these for our neighborhood Halloween party and creating a build your own station for the kids. There are a couple of notes worth sharing. The turnovers themselves are quite big. I think it would be possible to cut one biscuit in half and use one one biscuit to make each turnover. Also, depending on the filling they can be a little on the dry side. I think they would be great served with a dipping sauce on the side. Depending on your filling you could use honey mustard, marinara, cheese sauce, or barbecue sauce.

I am submitting these little handheld Halloween treats to my friend Deb at Kahakai Kitchen for her Souper Sundays event. Happy 2nd birthday Souper Sundays!


I am submitting this to my friend Brenda at Brenda's Canadian Kitchen for her weekly celebration of cookbooks, Cookbook Sundays.

I am also submitting these turnovers to my friend Roz over at La Bella Vita for her Seasonal Saturdays event.

World Bread Day: Italian Pub Burgers on Mini Ciabatta Rolls

The two-step bread making process has been intimidating me for a long time, but I finally decided to give it a whirl. I owe it all to World Bread Day. It was the final push I needed to get in the kitchen and just do it. No more procrastination. It was time to face my fears.



My inspiration for World Bread Day was Giada's Italian Pub Burgers, which are served on beautiful Ciabatta Rolls. Enamored with those little Ciabatta Rolls in Giada's book, I decided to make my own for World Bread Day. Having just received Nick Malgieri's new book, Bake!, I decided to use his recipe for Ciabatta dough and adapt it to make 16 Mini Ciabatta Rolls.



It all began with a simple yeast-based sponge dough. A simple combination of bread flour, water, and yeast. It took all of 5 minutes to prepare and couldn't have been simpler.



The next day, I mixed all of the sponge dough with more bread flour, yeast, salt and water to make the Ciabatta dough. From this point on, this dough was a huge labor of love.



I mixed the dough with my Kitchenaid for 3 minutes and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Then I did it again. Mix the dough for 3 minutes, let it rest for 10. I oiled a large bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. When the dough was removed from the oiled bowl, I formed a rectangle and folded the dough in to make three layers. I turned the dough 90 degrees and folded it, yet again, into 3 layers. After the first folding, the dough had to rest another 15 minutes. When I read the words "repeat this process" I wanted to scream. After resting for 15 minutes, I removed the folded dough and folded it into three layers two more times. Big surprise - yep! Another 15 minutes of resting. After lots of folding and resting, I turned the dough over so that the fold was underneath and formed it into a 10-inch square. I bet you can guess what happened next. Yep, the dough had to rest for another 30 minutes. Ugh! After the dough rested for 30 minutes, I cut the 10-inch square of dough into 16 mini rolls. I placed the rolls onto a baking sheet lined with cornmeal and covered them with a kitchen towel for yet another 30 minute rest.



In the end, we loved the rolls. They were amazingly light and delicate with a wonderful taste and texture. I did notice that my rolls were rather pale. I was terrified of overcooking them, but maybe I should have left them in the oven to develop more color? Not sure.


The Mini Italian Pub Burgers were unbelievably delicious. My favorite Giada recipe to date. The burger itself is a combination of beef, lots of Parmesan cheese, garlic, parsley, and tomato paste. It's topped with Taleggio cheese(I used Fontina) and a basil leaf. Not only is it pretty to look at, but it is cheesy wonderful deliciousness, especially when served on a homemade Ciabatta roll.

Italian Pub Burgers

Adapted from Giada at Home

Serves 8

Vegetable or canola oil, for the grill

2-1/4 pounds ground chuck

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1-1/2 tsps. salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 small ciabatta rolls, sliced in half

1/4 cup olive oil

8 slices (4-1/2 ounces) Taleggio cheese (I used fontina)

8 large basil leaves



Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Lightly oil the grill pan or grilling rack with vegetable oil.



In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Using clean hands, gently mix the ingredients and form into 8 patties, each about 1 inch thick and 4 inches in diameter.



Grill the burgers for 3 minutes on each side, until coked to medium.



Brush the cut side of each roll with the olive oil and toast on the grill for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly golden.



To serve, put 1 mini burger on the bottom half of each of the rolls. Divide the Taleggio cheese on top of the burgers. Place a basil leaf over the cheese and put the other half of each roll on top.



Note: I reduced the burger portion of this recipe in half to make 14 mini burgers.



Happy World Bread Day!