Hawaiian Chicken Burgers

Since we moved to Alabama with the knowledge that we would be here a minimum of three and a half years there has been the thought in the back of my mind that we might be able to leave sooner.  It's not that I don't enjoy living in Alabama.  The city we live in is wonderful.  It's a beautiful place and extremely family friendly.  The people down here are extremely nice.  The lack of a real winter is a huge bonus (I tend to fall a lot...on the ice...and otherwise).
 

The truth is we just miss living out West.  We miss being close to family.  We want the kid to know his cousins (all 20 of them!).  

Up to this point the husband has been fairly miserable in his job and we spent a lot of time considering our other options.  Specifically, leaving Alabama and finding work elsewhere.  


He was getting close to getting very serious too.  He had a deadline, the end of October, when he would kick his job searching into high gear.  

Well *sigh* things turned around at work and he is now enjoying his job quite a bit more and the future looks even brighter.  Which is wonderful!  I'm very happy.

But I admit, that there is this little part of me that is disappointed.  I have to let go of that bit of hope I have been clinging onto for the last 21 months and it is not without a small amount of pain.  

But I'm looking on the plus side.  We can go comfortably camping in October, the Alabama autumns are amazing, and grilling season lasts much longer.  So I can keep grilling up these delicious burgers well into fall...and you can bet that I will.

A delicious teriyaki flavored chicken burger is topped with Swiss cheese, grilled pineapple, tomato slices, lettuce and a teriyaki mayonnaise.  Ground chicken, if you were not aware, is the new ground turkey.  Kind of the way pink is the new black.  Except without making a fashion statement and in a more delicious way.  Ground chicken is much easier to find that it was 5 years ago and for good reason.  It shares a lower content but taste more mild than ground turkey.  Plus, since I saw a Dirty Jobs episode on turkey farming I'll admit I'm less inclined to eat turkey than I used to be.  Blech!  That show will put anyone off meat.

Hawaiian Chicken Burgers
serves 6
a Balancing the Table Original

Ingredients:

2 slices bread
2-3 tablespoons milk
 2 lbs. ground chicken
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
6 slices fresh pineapple

1/2 cup mayonaisse
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce


6 hamburger buns
6 slices Swiss cheese
6 tomato slices
6 lettuce leaves

Directions:
1. Crumble bread slices into a large bowl.  Add milk and little bit at a time, mixing well with hands, until it forms a thick paste.  Add chicken and teriyaki sauce and mix until just combined.
2. Form into 6 large patties.  These will be very large.  If you prefer smaller burgers than adjust accordingly.
3. Preheat grill to high heat (for charcoal grill look here).  Cook burgers and pineapple slices on grill for about 5 minutes per side or until the burgers are thoroughly cooked and the pineapple is nicely charred, but not burnt.  For the last 2 minutes of the burgers cooking time, place a cheese slice on each burger and allow to melt while they finish cooking.
4. In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, mustard and teriyaki sauce.  Stir until thoroughly combined.
5. Construct burgers by spreading sauce on both sides of the hamburger buns.  Layer a burger, grilled pineapple, a tomato slice and a piece of lettuce on each bun and replace the top of the hamburger bun.
6. Enjoy!
 

What the Husband thinks:  He agrees that this may be the best burger he's ever had.  Or at least in the top five.  It's my #1.

What the kid ate:  Grilled sweet potatoes and some whole wheat hamburger bun.  He may have tried a bite of the burger but wouldn't eat anymore.  He's not a big meat eater--although he will eat my turkey sloppy joes and crock pot shredded chicken.  So, that's a start.