Chicken Bruschetta Burgers

As usual, it's been a while since I've posted anything but now that I have morning hours, I'm going to try my best to at least post once a week. Almost every weekend for the past month, I have gotten most of my meals from restaurants and lost most of my motivation to make new things. Eating out all the time obviously isn't good for my health or my wallet so it's time to make a change and what better way to do that then with an American favorite turned clean eating.

I found this recipe a while ago on Skinny Taste and was dying to try it but of course it ended up in the back of my mind and I forgot all about it. Today however, I finally remembered and luckily for me, I had a pound of ground chicken in my fridge waiting to get used up. This recipe is also great for those who are trying to sneak some extra veggies into their meals.

Now, I am the kind of person who likes to make a lot of extra toppings and sides so that I can use them throughout the week for different recipes. In this case, I made a ton of bruschetta so that Adam could toss some on his omelettes and I could put it on chicken and in wraps. If you do not want a lot of leftover bruschetta, feel free to cut that portion of the recipe in half.

Yield: 4 burgers, 3 cups bruschetta

Bruschetta

• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp white Balsamic vinegar
• 5 medium vine ripe tomatoes, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, roughly chopped
• 4 sticks reduced fat mozzarella string cheese, cut into small cubes
• salt and pepper to taste

Burgers

• 1 lb 90% lean ground chicken (I like Gold'n Plump)
• 1/2 large zucchini, grated (about 1 cup)
• 1/3 cup plain whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 4 cups organic spring mix salad (for serving)

In a medium bowl, combine the red onion, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, tomatoes, garlic, and basil. Stir and season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use. When ready to serve, stir in the mozzarella cheese. 

While bruschetta is chilling in the refrigerator, begin the burgers. Grate the zucchini then squeeze the excess moisture from it using a paper towel. It is important to get as much moisture out of the zucchini as possible so it does not cause the burgers to be too wet. In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, ground chicken, bread crumbs, garlic, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Form into 4 equal sized patties.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat and lightly spray with cooking spray. Add patties and cook for 3 minutes on each side. To serve, place 1 cup spring mix on plate, add burger then top with bruschetta (make sure to add the cheese to the bruschetta before topping).

Recipe adapted from: Skinny Taste