Buffalo Chicken Burgers with Ranch Slaw

Looking for an alternative to your standard cheeseburger this summer? Try these flavorful Buffalo chicken burgers with ranch slaw for a spicy alternative at your next barbecue!

We love to grill in the summertime. If it's Saturday night and it isn't raining, you can usually find my husband manning the grill while I prep the rest of the meal in the kitchen-- or if I'm really smart and it's a meal that can be mostly prepped ahead of time (like this one), then you'll find me seated on the deck next to my husband with a chilled glass of wine in hand. We do our best to come up with new and exciting grilled dinners to make, but burgers are always in heavy rotation. They're easy to make and they just taste like summer. We usually make a standard beef cheeseburger when we're grilling, but when Moore's Marinades & Sauces sent me a sample of their spicy tangy Original Buffalo Wing Sauce to try out I was inspired to make something a little different.

Alex loves anything Buffalo flavored and truthfully, so do I-- except for wings. It's weird, I know, but I hate Buffalo wings. But since I love that bold recognizable flavor, I will often make grilled Buffalo chicken breasts, pulled Buffalo chicken wraps, slow cooker Buffalo chicken baked potatoes... you get the picture. This time, I put together a burger that takes the flavors of a basket of Buffalo wings and stacks them right up on a bun. It starts with a chicken burger patty with some simple flavors and a shot of Buffalo sauce mixed in. It's all grilled up and topped with a slice of melty sharp cheddar or Swiss cheese, which mimics that strong blue cheese flavor but melts more smoothly. The burger is drizzled with some additional Buffalo sauce and topped with a creamy cool ranch coleslaw-- because we prefer ranch or blue cheese dressing with our Buffalo chicken in this house. This burger is fun and delicious and a great way to get your Buffalo wing fix between two buns!


Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground chicken *I used a combination of 1/2 lb. ground chicken thigh and 1/2 lb. ground chicken breast
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 Tbs. Buffalo sauce
• 1/2 Tbs. parsley flakes
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• Vegetable or olive oil
• 4 brioche buns
• 4 slices of Swiss or cheddar cheese
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup Buffalo sauce

For the slaw--

• 3 Tbs. ranch dressing
• 1 Tbs. white wine vinegar
• 2 cups shredded coleslaw mix
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• Salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium bowl, whisk together ranch dressing and vinegar. Stir in coleslaw mix and onion, tossing to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper, cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the grill to medium.

In a large bowl, mix the ground chicken and next 8 ingredients through paprika until just combined. Don't over-mix.

Using your hands, form the mixture into four 1/2-inch thick patties. Grill burgers over medium heat for 5 - 6 minutes per side, or until insides are hot and no longer pink. Top each burger with a slice of cheese and remove from grill. Allow to rest for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Lightly brush the insides of each bun with oil. Toast the buns cut-side down on the griddle until golden brown.

Remove buns from the griddle and top the bottom half of each with a cheeseburger patty. Spoon prepared slaw over the top of the burger and then drizzle with desired amount of Buffalo sauce. Place top half of the bun on top and enjoy.


Editor's Note: A complimentary sample of Moore's Marinades & Sauces was provided in order to facilitate this post. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Pasta with Asparagus, Bacon & Herbed Goat Cheese

I feel like it's been a long time since I shared a recipe here and for that, I apologize. This is still a food blog and I know I've been sharing a lot of mom and baby content over the past several months... In the past few weeks though, I have felt a shift in our cooking/eating here at home. And while Hannah was a little baby we were basically eating and cooking to survive, recently I've been cooking for the love of cooking a lot more. And I've missed that! So, if you're here for the recipes then rest assured-- I have a lot more coming your way this summer! And a few mom posts too, of course.

While I am cooking because I love to cook a bit more again, my cooking strategy has changed a bit. Gone are the days of using every pot and spending over an hour preparing a meal. My recipe M.O. these days is big flavor, relatively healthy, and quick/low maintenance. And this pasta recipe totally fits the bill! For cooking, you'll need a pasta pot and a skillet and that's it for this one-bowl dinner.

You can use any short cut pasta that you like and one of the easiest ways to add fresh veggies to it is to toss them into the boiling pasta pot when there are just a few minutes of cook time left. I did that here with asparagus, but it also works really well with broccoli or green beans too. Meanwhile, I cook a little bacon in a skillet, remove it, and cook some red onions in sweet balsamic vinegar and the remaining bacon fat. It's all tossed together with the bacon, asparagus, and the pasta and topped with some herbed goat cheese for a little tangy creaminess. The flavor combination is wonderful and this makes a really satisfying complete dinner in a bowl. Perfect for a summer weeknight!


Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. shortcut pasta
• 1/2 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 slices center cut bacon
• 1/3 cup red onion, sliced
• 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 oz. herbed goat cheese, crumbled

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add pasta. Cook according to package directions, adding the asparagus to the pot when there are 3 minutes of cooking time left. Drain well and set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon to the pan and cook on both sides until crisp. Remove from the skillet and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Once cooled, chop bacon into 1/2-inch pieces.

Carefully drain the bacon grease from the skillet, leaving 1/2 Tbs. in it. Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium and add the sliced onion to the skillet. Sauté for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Increase the heat to medium-high and pour in the balsamic vinegar. Continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.

In a large bowl (or in the pasta pot), combine pasta, asparagus, bacon, onions and any liquid from the skillet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with pepper, and toss to coat. Sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese over the top and serve.

Shortcut Orzo Salad

Looking for a fresh and healthy summer side dish that won't have you slaving away in the kitchen on a gorgeous sunny day? Try my shortcut orzo pasta salad recipe!

You know I love a good orzo salad; See here, here, oh and here, for example. I actually prefer an orzo salad to a traditional pasta salad. The small rice-like shape doesn't get mushy or broken when tossed in a dressing and because its size it really lets the other ingredients take a starring role in the salad. It's my favorite side dish for grilled protein in the summer, a great light entree, and a perfect option for potlucks too!

And speaking of potlucks, my office recently hosted one and I volunteered to bring an orzo salad as my contribution. I was out of the office to spend some time with Hannah on the day before the potluck, so I had some time to get it together. Not wanting to waste my whole day off peeling, chopping and roasting vegetables though, I enlisted one of my favorite shortcut ingredients: Whole Foods grilled vegetables. The prepared foods section of Whole Foods always has a perfectly sliced, lightly seasoned, and grilled selection of vegetables at the ready and they are great on their own or in this case, chopped and added to a bowl with cooked orzo and a simple vinaigrette. A little fresh parsley and crumbled feta rounds out this potluck-perfect salad!


Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb. dry orzo
• 2/3 cup lemon juice *This equals the juice of approximately 5 lemons
• 1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 fresh parsley, chopped 
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3/4 lb. assorted grilled or roasted vegetables, chopped *I like the ones available in the Whole Foods prepared food section. I got a combination of red peppers, yellow squash, zucchini, and asparagus this time. 
• 6 oz. crumbled feta

Cook orzo according to package directions, minus 1-2 minutes of cooking time (to keep the pasta bit chewier). 

Meanwhile, in a large bowl or food storage container, whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, oil, and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add drained orzo and vegetables to the mixture and toss well to coat.

Fold in the crumbled feta and serve cold or refrigerate until ready to serve.