Buffalo Chicken Burgers in Hot Sauce Gravy with Blue Cheese Dressing

This is a yummy twist on buffalo wings using ground chicken instead of ground beef.

Yields 4 burgers

For Burger:

2 pounds ground chicken
A palmful grill seasoning
A palmful of buffalo wing seasoning
1/4 cup hot sauce
1/4 cup (about a palmful) chives plus extra for garnish, chopped
1/4 cup (about a handful) parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated

For Burger Coating:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup hot sauce

For Dressing:

1 cup mild blue cheese
4 tablespoons buttermilk
2 tablespoons sour cream
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, mix the chicken, grill seasoning, buffalo wing seasoning, hot sauce, chives, parsley, garlic, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Form 4 large patties.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with two tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, 2 turns around the pan. Sauté the burgers about 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

In a bowl, break up blue cheese and whisk in buttermilk. Add the remainder of the ingredients and mix to a chunky consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

In a small saucepan, melt butter and blend in flour with whisk creating a rue. Add 1/2 cup hot sauce and mix with whisk to thicken. Take cooked burgers and coat them with the hot sauce gravy.

Once burgers are cooked and coated, place bottom of bun on a plate, then put the burger on top of the bun, garnish with extra chives, smother in blue cheese dressing and top burger with bun.

Add carrots and celery on the side if desired.

Spicy Blue Cheese Burgers

I don't know about you, but I love my burgers big! Let's be honest, by the time you grill a 1/4 pound burger it isn't a 1/4 pound anymore. That's why I make all of my burgers 1/2 pounds. If you prefer your burgers small, just halve the recipe.

Yields 4 servings

2 pound lean ground beef
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 cup minced onion
1 cup hot chicken wing sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
4 hamburger buns, split


1. In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, blue cheese and onion. Season with Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and pepper. Mix well, using your hands if necessary. Form into four patties, and place on a plate. When forming patties, try to make the middle of the patty a little thinner than the outer part as the middle tends to take longer to cook. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Remove the hamburger patties from the refrigerator, and pour enough hot wing sauce over them to cover the top surface. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
3. Place hamburgers on the hot grill, and cook for about 5 minutes per side, until no longer pink. The internal temperature should be at 180 degrees F (85 degrees C) if taken with a meat thermometer. For extra spicy burgers, baste with additional wing sauce while cooking. Serve on buns.

Honey Mustard Chicken

I love chicken! I love grilled chicken, whether it's cooked on an indoor grill or an outdoor grill makes no difference to me. This is one of my favorite things to make because, well I love honey mustard. Enjoy!


1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons steak sauce, like A-1
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves


1. Preheat the grill for medium heat.
2. In a shallow bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayonnaise, and steak sauce. Set aside a small amount of the honey mustard sauce for basting, and dip the chicken into the remaining sauce to coat.
3. If using an outdoor grill, lightly oil the grill grate. If using an indoor grill, spray the grill with a little cooking spray to keep from sticking. Grill chicken over indirect heat for 18 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until juices run clear. Baste occasionally with the reserved sauce during the last 10 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning.

Chocolate Cherry Cookies

I have a tendency to bake when I get bored. So, when things get quiet around my house (i.e., when my daughter finally falls asleep), I try to bake something. Tonight I decided to bake some chocolate cherry cookies. Try them yourself, they are sure to please!

Cookie:
1/2 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries

Frosting:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk


1. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, cocoa, 1/4 teaspoon salt, baking powder and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture.
2. Drain cherries, reserving 1-1/2 teaspoons juice. Pat cherries dry. Shape 1 tablespoon of dough around each cherry. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool on wire racks.
3. For frosting, in a saucepan, heat chocolate chips and milk until chips are melted; stir until smooth. Remove from the heat. Add reserved cherry juice and remaining salt. Frost cookies.

Makes 12 servings

Dinner, Sunday 6/14/2009

Three Cheese Macaroni

16 oz. Medium Shells Pasta
2 tbs butter
2 tbs flour
2 cups light half and half
1 cup smoked gouda cheese
1/2 cup super sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup smoky swiss cheese

1. Cook pasta according to directions on the box
2. In a pot melt butter. Add flour to make a rue. Be sure to stir constantly with a whisk to blend well.
3. Add half and half stirring well.
4. Add cheeses. Let cheeses melt.
5. Once the cheeses melt stir with whisk until blended smooth.
6. Drain pasta and pour pasta into pot with cheese sauce.

*optional: Once pasta is coated with the cheese sauce pour into 13 x 9 inch pan and cover macaroni and cheese with 1/2 cup of your choice of cheese. Put pan in preheated 325 degree oven and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

**optional: If your significant other is anything like mine, there has to be some kind of meat in the mac and cheese. Cook up some Italian sausage, pepperoni, and salami to add to the mac and cheese for an Italian take on the dish. Or cook up some Chorizo to add to the mac and cheese for a Spanish style take on the dish.