BBQ Chicken Burgers

I know we have been making allot of burgers but really it's that time of year and they are so easy and quick.  This one is a chicken burger recommended my our friend Stephanie and it is so yummy!  We used BBQ sauce from City BBQ and that made it even better.  Served with simple balsamic glazed asparagus and smashed sweet potatoes.  My only regret is we went up to the lake and I left two burgers behind, hate to waste food especially when it's so good.

Recipe Modifications

• Cooked the onions until they turned a nice brown color
• Added some fresh pepper

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Oil, divided
1 Small Onion, diced
1 lb. Ground Chicken Breast
2 Tbsp BBQ Sauce (your favorite), plus additional for serving
1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
4 Jack or Mozzarella Cheese Slices
Burger Buns

Easy Side Recipes
Asparagus

1. Cook Asparagus over Medium heat in olive oil
2. Add tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, dash of sea salt and dash of fresh ground pepper
3. Cook until desired softness, 5- 10 minutes.  Turn often

Smashed Sweet Potatoes

1. Microwave or bake sweet potatoes until soft
2. Cut lengthwise and scoop potatoes out
3. Add 1/4 to 1/2 tablespoon of butter, depends on number of potatoes
4. Add dash of nutmeg.  Mash and serve 

Burger Recipe

This recipe comes from Weelicious.  Healthy creative recipes that once you try you'll be hooked!

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Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwich and Veggie Stocked Pasta Salad

We have been making this meal since June of 2006 when the pulled chicken recipe came out in Cooking Light.  This is one of Michael's favorite spring/summer time meals and the girls love it too!  This time I tripled the sauce and rub so I could freeze the extra sauce and store the extra rub.  Now next time the mood strikes I'll cut my prep time way down.  And if you really want to cut the time down you can use a rotisserie chicken and just mix in some of the rub for flavor.  You won't get the same smokey BBQs taste but the result is still so good and the meat will be ultra moist.

Recipe Modifications

• We always double the pasta salad recipe because we love it and eat it for days!
• I never use thighs for the chicken.  I will either use a rotisserie chicken and shred it adding just a bit of the rub or use chicken breast (bone in or boneless).  And we just grill outside uncovered
• Tripled the rub and sauce.  Saved the extra rub and froze the extra sauce.
• Added extra red pepper to sauce, we like it a bit more spicey
• We serve with Aged Canadian Cheddar, pairs perfect with the BBQ chicken

Ingredients for Pasta Salad

Tricolor Curly Pasta (12 or 16 oz box)

4 small salad cucumbers chopped

4 medium carrots chopped

3/4 cup halved or quartered grape tomatoes

6 celery stalks chopped

1 large can of black olives sliced

1 small container of feta or more to taste

Robust Italian Dressing

Recipe for Pasta Salad

1. Cook noodles according to manufactures instructions.  Do not overcook you want these more firm than mushy.  Drain when done and rinse with cold water to stop cooking proces
2. Chop or slice all veggies and olives and add to noodles in large bowl.  Add feta.  
3. Add just a bit like 3 tablespoons of dressing and mix.  Don't add all your dressing, serve it on the side.  The noodles will soak it up and you'll have to add more and won't get that nice flavor for all the calories your eating.  Your pasta salad will also keep better if you don't soak it in dressing

Ingredients Sandwich

Chicken:

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs

Cooking spray

Sauce:

2 teaspoons canola oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon molasses

Remaining ingredients:

8 (2-ounce) sandwich rolls, toasted

16 hamburger dill chips

Sandwich Recipe

This recipe comes from my favorite source Cooking Light. Not diet food, but food that is conscious of health without losing any flavor. Food for life! 

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Crockpot BBQ Chicken and Roasted Red Potatoes

It took me years to appreciate many of my wonderful kitchen helpers that I received as wedding gifts.  We were lucky to have great aunts working at Macy's ensuring we registered for the products that last and were good quality.  And when I finally did begin using my crockpot I was not immediately in love.  If you cook something too long it can get dry even immersed in liquid.  If you add a normal amount of liquid like a stovetop recipe it becomes too soupy because none of the liquid escapes.  My natural curiousity makes me want to lift the lid and peek and sniff, a big no no.  But once I figured out these rules of the crockpot I realized you can make amazing delish meals with little effort.  Too hot to BBQ outside or too cold or too lazy, no problem just add chicken and BBQ sauce to the crockpot and you will have the most tender moist BBQ chicken.   Veggies and roasted red potatoes make great sides for this dish.  

And if you're like us you will have plenty of meat left over.  I usually shred it and store it with some of the crockpot liquid over it.  We use the meat to make quick easy lunches or dinners.  Some typical uses - BBQ chicken sandwiches topped with cheese; chicken quesadillas (cheese, tortillas, chicken, salsa all melted together on stovetop);  tacos;  salad with chicken, spinach, mandarin oranges, walnuts and dried cherries; pasta salad with veggies and chicken... and the list goes on.

Ingredients 

Chicken - 

• Bone in Chicken.  We prefer split breast.  Four large split breast fit in our slowcooker smushed in without having to stacking.  Best results for this recipe do not stack your meat.
• 1/2 - 1 cup BBQ sauce

Potatoes - 

• 1.5 lbs of red potatoes, or like I measure half a 3 pound bag
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup white onion or shallots
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Recipe for Roasted Red Potatoes

1. Preheat oven to 450.  Line 9x13 baking pan with aluminum foil.
2. Cut potatoes into small bite-size pieces.  And put in pan.
3. Chop onion and mince garlic.  Put in pan.
4. Add olive oil, salt and pepper.  Mix all ingredients together until potatoes are coated with oil and seasonings.  You may need more oil if you have more potatoes.
5. Cook for 30 minutes stirring potatoes at 15 minutes.  Depending on heat of your oven you may need to bake a bit longer to get a nice golden color on the potatoes.  You can also achieve these my broiling for about 2 minutes, but be careful they don't burn.

Recipe for Chicken

1. Cut the skin and extra fat off your chicken.  There's no need it when slowcooked and it will save you calories and fat by removing it.
2. Pour your favorite BBQ sauce over the chicken covering the top of the meat.
3. Cook for around two and half hours for 4 large breasts.  For legs and thighs check at 2 hours.
4. Add extra BBQ sauce if you'd like and enjoy!