Black Bean Burgers

Looking wonderful and tasty and ready to eat!

Hot off the BBQ!

Ready for the BBQ!

These were such a hit for supper last night! Although hubby refuses to call them 'burgers' choosing instead to label them BBQ Bean Patties. Whatever you call them make sure you insert 'yummy' at least once!

I kind of just threw them together so changes will need to be made but here is the preliminary recipe.

Makes 10 patties depending on what size you make them.

Ingredients

6 cups beans, drained (I soak & cook my beans and then freeze them in 3 cup portions (including broth) so I'm not exactly sure how many cups of drained beans I used).
1/2 Large onion (next time I would cook this first or use dehydrated onion)

1 Egg

1 Cup Cheese, shredded

1/2-3/4 Cup Instant Potato Flakes (I don't normally use anything like this but in trying to keep it gf and not use crackers I tried this. It worked but I think I will experiment with ground gf oats or gf breadcrumbs next time just to see if it makes a big difference. Although I will admit that these were super cheap and easy to grab out of the pantry!)
Steak spice, to taste (Maybe 2Tbsp.)

BBQ Sauce, to taste (Maybe 1/4 Cup and more for topping on the BBQ)

Mash the beans in a big bowl using a potato masher. You don't want complete puree but you do want it all mashed.
Add all other ingredients.
Add more potato flakes/bread crumbs as needed.
Shape into patties.
BBQ on medium-medium high heat for about 5 min per side.
Add some BBQ sauce to the top after you flip them, if desired.
Alternately you can pan fry them in 1/4 cup of oil. I knew if I was going to stand a chance to get my hubby to eat them they would have to be on the BBQ!!

Serve hot as you would hamburgers...buns, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, pickles etc. then return to the kitchen and quietly fist pump as you score one for meatless Mondays and are one meal closer to reducing your grocery bill, even a small amount!

Keep in mind that these are NOT the same firmness as beef burgers. They do squish a bit when you bite into them. I thought it would bother hubby but he said it was kind of like bbq sloppy joe or meatloaf. I can live with that!

I'm not sure how well they would freeze, I didn't have a chance to try...maybe next time!