Green Chili Burger with Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

With Labor Day weekend just around the corner I decided to make a new burger recipe.  So using some of my favorite ingredients (avocados, peppers, onions) I came up with an easy to make Green Chili Burger and Roasted Rosemary Potatoes.  My wife and I loved these so much that I made the burgers and potatoes again the next day!

Green Chili Burger

Ingredients

• 1 lbs ground sirloin 90/10
• 4 oz can fire roasted green chilies
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup Rice Krispies 
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp salt and pepper
• 2 small avocado's
• red onion thinly sliced for topping
• 4 whole wheat buns
• 4 slices pepper jack cheese

Directions

Combine sirloin, green chilies and Worcestershire sauce in mixing bowl.  In small food processor, add Rice Krispies, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt and pepper, and blend.  Add the Rice Krispies mix to sirloin and mix.  

Make four patties or in my case I like a big burger, so I made 3 patties.  Press your thumb in the middle of the patties before grilling to help make the burger not plump up in the middle while cooking. Start grilling the patties.

Slice the avocado and red onion.  Toast the buns on the grill.  After you flip the burger, place the red onions on top of the burgers and continue to cook.  When burgers are to desired temperature place the avocado's on and then add the pepper jack cheese.  Close the grill so cheese can melt and then remove from gill.  My wife added mayo to her burger and I added BBQ sauce.  

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

Ingredients

• 4 or 5 red skin potatoes
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 springs of rosemary, slightly chopped
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut each potato into 10-12 pieces as similar as possible in size and place in a bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix. 

Place potatoes on non-stick baking sheet and cook in the oven for about 15 minutes.  Take the potatoes out and flip them; put back in the oven for another 10 - 15 minutes until they become soft all the way through.

Oriental Chicken Salad

Wow, this summer has definitely flown by!   Unfortunately, plans for my blog came second to our summer plans of traveling, birthdays and other prior arrangements that the boss makes (I just do what I'm asked).  I know many have been asking for new recipes and posts and I promise to keep this more updated as things are starting to finally settle down.  Keep the requests coming!  

I'm definitely excited that fall is just around the corner and most importantly football season is about to start.  And with football season comes tailgating, NFL Sunday with our friends ...  and of course none other than my infamous chili (recipe coming soon!).  I also have a few other tricks up my sleeve for the coming weeks, so in the words of the newest Bengals player... get your popcorn ready!

But before fall officially starts, I'd like to add a recipe for an Oriental Chicken Salad that my wife and I actually made a few weeks ago.  This recipe comes from my mother in-law and is ALWAYS a huge hit.  Whether it's for a party, dinner or a lunchtime snack ... it's sure to keep you coming back for more.

Oriental Chicken Salad

Ingredients 

Salad

• 1 head of iceberg lettuce
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 8 oz. bag of sugar snap peas
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 3 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 bunch of green onions, chopped
• 1 4 oz. can of water chestnuts, drained
• 1 can of mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 2.5 oz. bag chopped walnuts 
• 1 can of crunchy chinese noodles

Dressing

• 2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/3 cup vinegar (I used red wine vinegar with a touch of balsamic)
• 3/4 vegetable oil

Directions

Mix all dressing ingredients in small bowl.  Use 1/3 of the dressing mixture to marinate the chicken while making salad. 

Chop and clean lettuce and put into a large mixing bowl. Add snap peas, red pepper, celery, green onions, water chestnuts, mandarin oranges, walnuts and crunchy chinese noodles.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Take chicken out of marinate and place in baking dish; bake in oven for 15-20 mins or until completely cooked.  Remove from dish and set aside to cool.  Once cooled shred the chicken and add to salad.  Add about half the dressing and toss.  If needed, add more dressing, it's up to you how wet you like it.  

**if making for a later date or small portions keep noodles, oranges, walnuts and dressing separate until ready to eat.