Cooking with Fire: Lake Forest Fire Department
LAKE FOREST, Ill. - This morning we're "Heating Up the Kitchen" with the Lake Forest Fire Department and making firefighter Nick Dovel's cheesy chicken parmesan smash burgers.
Here is the recipe!
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground chicken
- Your favorite marinara sauce
- Fresh Mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese (fresh or in the bag)
- 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- Fresh Basil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Hamburger buns of your choice; Ciabatta is my preferred bun.
- Olive oil
Directions:
- In a bowl, mix the ground chicken, Italian breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, ½ cup of parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of the marinara sauce. Once mixed, form meatballs roughly 5 oz each and set aside.
- Heat a griddle over medium to high heat. Drizzle olive oil on the griddle. Place the meatballs on the griddle and let sit for approximately 30 seconds to start forming a crust. Use wax paper and a spatula to flatten the burger patties to about a quarter to a half-inch thickness. Cook on each side for approximately 4 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Place a handful of parmesan cheese on the other side of the griddle to let it crust over, about one minute per side. This will be used when you build the burger.
- Once the burgers are cooked but still on the griddle, spoon the marinara sauce onto each burger. Then, layer on the fresh mozzarella cheese and basil. Place a baking pan over the burgers to allow the cheese to melt.
- Pile the patties and toppings onto your buns, and you're good to go!