The chicken burger I made all summer

Plus, a holiday giveaway for subscribers.

It’s during this time of year that I seem to be frantically trying to figure out meals more often than not. Most days, I can’t believe I have to figure out what to eat again. I tend to rely on pantry staples and leftovers to pull together a meal, which usually means a lot of salads and rice bowls. But when I was recently rummaging through my freezer, I found some frozen ground chicken and I knew what to do.

Over the summer, I grabbed ground chicken on a whim while picking up things to grill. I turned them into chicken burgers with a Thai-inspired pesto that ended up being the star of the show. I have made these chicken burgers (with sauce and without) a handful of times since then, and they recently came to my rescue when I didn’t have a plan for dinner.

On they’re own, the burgers are simple enough that you can take them in any direction you want, and they’re great to keep around in case you need a meal rescue like me.

as a subscriber, you’re already entered!

Plus! I am doing a holiday giveaway for subscribers, and because you’re a reader, you’re already entered!

It features 2 boxes of artisanal pasta from Sfoglini, 2 cans of superb smoked salmon from Wildfish Cannery, a cute coffee mug from Jono Pandolfi, and a goofy-cute kitchen towel I picked up in Dublin. Plus, Sfoglini and Wildfish Cannery have both been featured in this newsletter which is a fun bonus! These items make a great gift or you can keep them for yourself.

You can refer other readers for additional entries. Head here to get your referral link.

Giveaway ends December 21, 2025. Giveaway winners will be alerted by Substack DM or email—be sure to check your messages. If there’s no answer within 1 week, prize will be awarded to someone else. U.S. addresses only and no purchase necessary.

Chicken burgers with a Thai (ish) pesto

The Thai(ish) pesto came from a moment where I was trying to use up some extra Thai basil I had in the fridge. I leaned on a lot of the ingredients and and flavors of a Thai basil stir fry you might get from takeout, and I think it’s a fun direction to take otherwise simple burger. That said, this chicken burger stands on its own, so you can go a traditional burger route or even use it as meatballs.