Chicken Parm Burgers🍔

1. In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, 1/2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp tomato sauce, 2 tsp tomato paste, 1 egg, 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs, 2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp sea salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Mix until everything is combined. The best way to do this is with your hands…sorry, ya gotta get messy. (I like to wear plastic gloves while doing this).
2. In another bowl, combine 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, and 1 tsp Italian seasoning.
3. Form the ground chicken mixture into equal size burgers. Then, coat the burgers with the breadcrumb mixture. Let the burgers sit in the fridge for an hour to firm up or else they’ll fall apart when you cook them.
5. In a non-stick pan on medium heat, add oil and cook the burgers for 5-6 minutes on each side, or until they reach 165º internally.
6. Place the cooked burgers on a sheet pan and top with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. On the other side of the pan, place your hamburger buns and lightly butter them so they can get nice and toasty in the oven. Broil on high until the cheese is melty and then buns are golden brown.
8. Smear some pesto onto your buns and top the burgers with fresh basil…if you’re feeling fancy😉