Chargrilled Chicken Feta Burgers with Kalamata Mash and Roasted Red Peppers

Pairs well with:

White Zinfandel

With strawberry and melon essences, this American original is perfectly at home with however you like to unwind.

Ingredients

Kalamata Mash
¾ cup pitted Kalamata olives
1 clove garlic, minced to a fine paste
¼ cup parsley, chopped
1/3 cup extra virgin Colavita olive oil
Chicken Feta Burgers
½ cup yellow onion, minced
1 tbs white wine vinegar
2 1/2 lbs ground chicken
1 tbs  Dijon mustard
2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper, fresh cracked
Oil to brush grill
6 sandwich rolls, split
12 oz feta cheese
1 – 12 oz jar roasted red bell peppers, cut to size if necessary

 

Instructions

For the kalamata mash, add olives, garlic, parsley and olive oil to a mini food processor (or the small bowl of a full-size kitchen model). Pulse mixture until a paste forms, approximately 5-7 times. Remove mash from processor, place in a glass bowl, cover and set aside. Alternatively, olives, garlic, and parsley may be chopped by hand to a fine mince and then mixed with olive oil to form a paste. For chicken feta burgers, combine minced onions and white wine vinegar in a large bowl. Allow the onion mixture to sit for 10 minutes. While waiting for the onions to macerate, prepare an outdoor grill for moderate direct-heat grilling. Continue with the chicken feta burgers by adding the ground chicken, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper to the onion mixture. Mix thoroughly, yet gently, to combine all ingredients. Form into six burger patties of equal size, with a diameter slightly larger than the sandwich rolls. Brush the grill rack with oil. Place the burgers on the rack and close the grill. After 5-7 minutes, open grill and flip each burger to continue cooking. For best results, monitor burger temperature with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the patties. The burgers are cooked properly when the thermometer registers 165 degrees F. During the last five minutes of grilling, crumble feta cheese atop burgers and then top cheese with roasted red bell pepper pieces. Open rolls, and toast on grill until lightly browned. Top the bottom half of each roll with the burger, then generously dress the top half with the kalamata mash and place atop the burger. Makes 6 burgers