Make-Fast Mondays: Curried Chicken Burgers with Mango Chutney

The next time you want a burger but want to go for something a little less conventional than your trusty beef patty with lettuce, tomato and cheese, give these flavor-packed chicken wonders a try.

Curried Chicken Burgers with Mango Chutney 
1 pound ground chicken
1 egg
½ cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon yellow curry powder, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup plain fat free yogurt
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 green onions, sliced
8 tablespoons mango chutney, divided
Four sandwich thins (whole-wheat buns would also work), toasted
Garnishes: sliced English cucumber and red bell pepper

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Combine ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons curry powder and minced garlic in a medium bowl. Shape into four patties.

Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, green onions and remaining curry powder together to create curried yogurt sauce. Cook burgers 5-7 minutes on each side, until meat is completely cooked through. Serve the burgers on sandwich thins, topping each patty with two tablespoons of chutney, a healthy spoonful of the curried yogurt sauce, and sliced bell pepper and cucumber.

Putting whatever I want on a pizza

When I was a kid, I always wanted to try taco pizza. Mom and dad, in an attempt to get everyone to eat their dinner, went the classic route when ordering pizza, opting for more family-friendly toppings like pepperoni and mushrooms. Tough times, I know.

Recently seeing a friend’s Instagram photo of a black-bean pizza reignited my interest in this combination of two of my favorite foods, and here’s what I came up with. Not necessarily original, but quite delicious!

Taco Pizza 
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
½ pound ground chicken
1 cup red enchilada sauce
White pizza dough (I buy it at Trader Joe’s)
1 cup refried beans (I used black refried beans)
2 cups grated sharp cheddar
1 cup medium black olives
1 red bell pepper, diced
Green onion and cilantro

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Warm olive oil in frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic, stirring occasionally, for a minute or two before adding ground chicken. Once the ground chicken is thoroughly cooked, stir in enchilada sauce and remove from heat.

Evenly coat pizza pan with a little kitchen spray so the dough won’t stick. Roll out dough to desired thickness and place on pizza pan. Bake dough on its own for 8-10 minutes (I like to do this to help crisp up the crust). Spread refried beans all over the dough before adding meat and sauce. Top with grated cheese, olives and bell pepper, and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until cheese is nice and melty. Garnish with green onion and cilantro.