So here’s a recipe I saw on TV by Giada De Laurentiis, Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Rosemary Mayonnaise, but the thought of combing Mayo and Rosemary didn’t do it for me that evening. It is a good combination but at the time, I wasn’t in the mood for the powerfulness that is Rosemary, so I thought, change it up and combine Garlic, Basil, Mayo, and some scallions in addition to the chicken mixture – now we’re talking. The recipe itself seemed a little boring, lacking texture so I change it up by adding the white parts of scallions and some celery, which you really couldn’t taste, but it added a nice crunch.

So my recipe evolved from hers. Still her recipe, but change is good!

Ingredients

Mayonnaise:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Basil leaves
• 1 clove garlic, minced, crushed
• 2 Scallions, just the green parts (slice up the white parts for the burgers)
• salt and pepper to taste – very important!
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (seriously awesome stuff)

Burgers:

• 1 pound ground chicken. I actually took whole chicken breasts and put them in the food processor. Worked great.
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ciabatta rolls or burger buns
• 2 scallions, white parts, sliced
• 1 celery stalk, chopped fine
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup arugula, divided

Directions

For the mayonnaise: In a small bowl, combing the mayonnaise ingredients and fold; set aside.

For the burgers: Preheat a gas or charcoal grill or place a grill pan over medium-high heat. In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, celery, scallion whites, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 of the mayonnaise mixture. Using clean hands, gently combine the ingredients and form the chicken mixture into 4 patties. Place the burgers on the grill and cook for about 7 minutes on each side. Transfer to paper towels and let rest for a few minutes.

Brush the cut side of each roll with the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the mayonnaise mixture. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly golden.

To assemble the burgers: Spread a dollop of the remaining mayonnaise mixture on the tops and bottoms of the toasted buns. Place the chicken burgers on the bottom halves of the buns. Top each with 1/4 cup of arugula and finish with the top half of the bun