Shelly's Recipe

BUFFALO CHICKEN WING BURGERS

Category: Burgers

1.25 pound ground chicken, turkey or a combination (just insist on freshly ground and avoid bulk process meats)
6 tbsp finely minced celery
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 cup Buffalo wing sauce
1/2 cup Japanese Panko Breadcrumbs

3-4 oz. Cambozola or Blue Cheese of your choice, room temp
2 tbsp Butter (optional)
1 clove crushed garlic
4 whole wheat hamburger buns
Lettuce leaves
Ketchup blended with Buffalo wing hot sauce to taste
Celery and carrot sticks
Low Fat Blue Cheese or Ranch Dressing

Place ground chicken or turkey in a mixing bowl and add celery, buffalo wing sauce and breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with thyme and mix by hand to combine well. Shape into 4 thin patties.

Combine melted butter with garlic and brush on the insides of hamburger buns (optional - they're also great when simply toasted, and another low fat variation follows).

Preheat a medium hot grill or pan, mist with oil and immediately add patties - browning the first side quickly. Turn and reduce to medium-low. Add Cambozola or blue cheese to the center of burger - cover as the cheese melts and the patty finishes cooking. Meanwhile, toast buns on grill, pan or under broiler – note, these patties cook quickly!

Serve burgers on toasted buns with lettuce alongside a sauce of ketchup spiked with buffalo wing sauce. Serve celery and carrot sticks on the side with low fat dressing. Serves about 4

Low-fat variation: Omit the garlic butter and the blue cheese, brushing buns with fat-free ranch or blue cheese dressing after toasting.