These Burgers Ooze Deliciousness... Literally!

     Mom and Dad were having a dish I couldn't eat tonight, with pasta and ground chicken, so I used similar ingredients to make my own dinner.
   
     I settled on a Mozzarella filled Italian Chicken Burger with GF macaroni and cheese. A bit of a twist on a simple feel good meal.

     The cheese inside the burger kept the meat moist all the way through, giving it more of a meatball texture. The  firm but tender texture combined with the Italian herbs and the gooey cheese melting from the center came together beautifully. I added some marinara, but if I was serving it to other others I think I would use a few slices of Roma tomato. (I'm not really a fan of raw tomatoes). I recently saw a GF focaccia bread recipe, and I'm thinking this burger would be awesome nestled into a freshly bakes focaccia roll.

     For those of you interested, the mac 'n' cheese is Annie's Homegrown GF Rice Pasta & Cheddar.

Besides my area health food stores, the local Super Target sells these at a reasonable price. I've tried other GF Mac 'n' cheese options, but this one is the best in terms of texture and flavor.

Mangia!

It's been too long my friends! I've been lost in the world of job hunting, sitting in the driveway for our garage sale, mailing off book donations and dropping off stuffed animals for a charity. Last night, however, I spent over an hour in the kitchen making something magnifico!

I used Ener-G gluten free bread crumbs mixed with grated Parmesan cheese and Italian seasonings to create a coating for a deliciously tender Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan. I served it over Tinkyada Spaghetti style rice pasta. We also had fresh steamed green beans that I picked up at a local farm stand and mom shucked while I made the chicken. A truly delicious home made meal, even more satisfying than knowing my family ate well was the fact that my brother and father BOTH went back for seconds on the chicken, praising the flavor, and not bothered by the gluten free aspect. It has taken them a while, but they are both much more willing to try gluten free versions of recipes now, having experienced that gluten free doesn't mean flavor free.

I kind of eyeballed the amounts here, I can give you some basics. I used 6 chicken breast, two large eggs and approximately 3 cups of coating (2 c bread crumbs, ¾ c cheese, ¼ c seasoning). The amount you need will vary depending on how much chicken you're making.

INGREDIENTS

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Breadcrumbs
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Italian Seasonings (pre-made or your own blend)
  
• Eggs
• Oil

1. Heat oven to 350°, spray shallow baking pans with non-stick cooking spray
2. In a shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs, cheese and seasonings. In a second bowl, beat the eggs to combine.
3. Butterfly cut the chicken breasts so they are large and flat. Using a meat mallet, pound them to tenderize and further flatten.
   
4. In a large skillet, heat oil as you begin to coat the chicken.
5. Coat chicken, first in egg, then transfer to the breadcrumb mix and turn until thoroughly coated.
6. Place chicken in oil and fry for a few minutes. Repeat step 4 until the pan is full, turning the previous breast each time you add one.
7. When pan is filled, remove breasts in order they were cooked. Place them in baking pans. and cover with a bit of spaghetti sauce.
8. When all the chicken has been breaded, fried in oil and placed in baking pans, bake for 15 minutes.
9. Serve over your favorite pasta and enjoy!