Busy schedule? No worries! This satisfying and easy dinner is on the table in no time with the help of Food City. And what better time to prepare it than when Ground Chuck is on sale for $2/pound. (See link to ad below)

Ingredients

Buy four gourmet burgers in our meat department or buy some ground chuck and make your own. If making your own, you might want to add smoked gouda cheese and bacon.

  • 4 brioche buns
  • 2 large, sweet onions
  • 1 head butter lettuce
  • 1 large heirloom tomato
  • 3 large Zucchini
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup Italian style panko bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 4 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 Tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
  • Ground black pepper
  • Salt
  • Non-stick cooking spray
Preparation

OK, this recipe has 31 steps, but I’m going to cut to the chase. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare baking pan with light coat of non-stick cooking spray

Produce: Wash and dry all produce. Halve, peel and thinly slice onions. Slice tomato into rounds. Remove ends of the Zucchini. Then halve them (length and width) and slice into medium-sized wedges that resemble steak fries (about ½-inch thick and 4 inches long)

Sorry about using all these dishes: In a pie plate, place flour and season with salt and pepper. In a second pie plate, whisk together the two eggs. In a third pie plate, mix together panko, Parmesan, smoked paprika and a large pinch of salt and pepper.

Bread the Zucchini strips by first coating in the seasoned flour, then dipping in the egg, followed by the Parmesan breadcrumb mixture. Repeat process until all of Zucchini are coated.

Place Zucchini on prepared baking dish. Spray the top of Zucchini with a light coat of cooking spray to help with browning. Place in the middle rack of the pre-heated oven. Bake 12 minutes, then flip and cook an additional 10 minutes, or until Zucchini fries are crispy and golden.

Caramelized onions: Heat a skillet over medium heat. Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil into pan and swirl around bottom of skillet. Add onions to the pan and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Cook covered, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and golden in color (about 10-15 minutes). Reduce heat to medium-low. Add vinegar to pan to deglaze, scraping up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook uncovered, stirring constantly, until the liquid evaporates (about 1-2 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

The burgers: Using the same pan you cooked the onions in, increase the heat to medium-high and add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add burgers and cook to desired doneness (3-6 minutes per side). Once you flip the burgers, you can place the four buns on a baking pan and warm in the oven. Build the burger with desired condiments on both top and bottom of the bun (we suggest mayonnaise and a little sriracha for kick). On bottom bun, place a couple of leaves of lettuce and then the tomato. Next, place the burger, the caramelized onions and top bun. Serve with crispy Zucchini fries on the side.

Ad specials: And check our specials for today and Saturday (Feb. 19-20) here: Food City_2.19 Knox ROP

Betsi James is special events manager for Food City’s Knoxville and Chattanooga divisions.