Five Cheese Chicken Parmigiano Burgers

Pairs well with:

Pinot Grigio

You won’t need a bouquet of flowers when you share our Pinot Grigio. This crisp wine with floral aromas is a wonderful way to make an entrance.

one of my all-time favorite Italian meals redesigned as an American classic burger

Ingredients:

Ingredients

Pizza Spread

1 package (8 oz) Ricotta cheese, softened

½ cup tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup finely, chopped pepperoni

½ cup black olives, finely chopped

¼ cup finely chopped green onions

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ cup shredded Mozzarella

Patties

1½ lb lean ground chicken

½ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

½ cup Good Seasons Italian dressing mix, made with Extra virgin olive oil, Red Wine vinegar and Spring water

¼ cup onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon salt

1 large egg

½ cup Parmigiano Regianno

Salad mixture

2 cups Basil Leaves, chiffonade

3 cups spinach, chiffonade

¼ cup Good Seasons Italian Dressing

¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano

Buns

Italian Bread, 12 slices ½ inch thick

6 tablespoons melted butter

1 clove garlic, minced

Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack

6 – ¼ inch thick tomato slices

6 slices Provolone Cheese

Instructions:

Directions

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.

To make the spread, cream the Ricotta cheese and pizza sauce together in a small bowl. Incorporate remaining ingredients into Ricotta/sauce mixture. Cover and set aside.

To make the patties, make the Good Seasons Italian dressing. Whisk the egg and add Italian salad dressing, onion, garlic and salt. Combine mixture with ground chicken, breadcrumbs and cheese, handling as little as possible. Shape into 6 oblong patties to fit the bread slices. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

To make the salad mixture, chiffonade the basil and spinach. Combine with Italian dressing and cheese. Cover and set aside.

To prepare buns, cut Italian bread into ½ inch slices. Combine melted butter and garlic. Brush both sides of bread with the butter mixture. Cover and set aside.

When the grill is ready, brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover and cook, turning once until done to preference, 7 to 10 minutes on each side. During the last 3 minutes of grilling, top patties with Provolone cheese. Place the sliced Italian bread on the outer edges of the grill rack for 1½ minutes on each side to toast lightly.

To assemble the burgers, spread Ricotta/pizza sauce mixture on one side of each slice of bread. On bottom slices, place a grilled patty followed by a tomato slice and then equal portions of the salad mixture. Add the top slice and serve.