Homemade Baked Veggie Burgers

Vegan Beet Burger Patties

Beet "Western Cheeseburger"

Mmm, satisfied my Carl's Jr craving.

I like to experiment a lot when it comes to cooking. I hardly ever make the same exact recipe twice. In fact I hardly ever follow a recipe. I like to use them more as inspiration, and mix it up depending on what I have on hand. This doesn't mean I'm a good cook. To be honest, sometimes my recipes come out really bad. Like this no-noodle zucchini lasagne recipe (minus the meat). Something went horribly wrong with the texture. The flavor was ok, but it was not at all lasagne-like in its consistency. Joe asked if we were having dip for dinner (as in - just spooning dip straight into our mouths, minus anything to actually dip into it), and that's exactly what it looked like. He politely ate it anyway. That's true love, right there.

The beauty about veggie burgers is that there's a super simple, tried and true formula that works every time, while still allowing experimentation with the type of veggies and seasonings you use. I know it's easy to buy the frozen burgers at the store, but it's actually even easier (and much healthier and cheaper) to make your own.

Here's the super-easy veggie patty formula: throw equal parts veggies (steamed and pureed or shredded), cooked grains, and beans or lentils, plus seasoning to taste, in a food processor until it reaches desired consistency, which will look similar to raw ground beef. If you're going for vegan burgers, throw the "batter" (or whatever you want to call it) in the fridge for at least thirty minutes. If you're ok with eggs, add one beaten egg to the batter. In my opinion, the egg makes it hold together MUCH better. Usually when I'm making veggie burgers, I'll use one can of drained beans or a tub of flavored hummus, two cups of cooked rice or quinoa or whichever grain you prefer, and two cups of either shredded or mashed veggies. I use my half-cup measurer to make 4-6 patties, which I place on a baking tray lined with foil that I spray with Pam. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 20 minutes, flipping over halfway through.

Some combinations that I've tried and love include:

• mashed sweet potato with white or kidney beans, brown rice, and spicy cumin and chili seasonings 
• black bean quinoa burgers with shredded zucchini and taco seasoning 
• mashed eggplant burgers with hummus and curry seasoning 
• shredded beet and kidney bean burgers with brown rice and worcestershire seasoning (pictured above)

Here are some recipes that I've used for inspiration:

• Quarter Pound Beet Burgers
• Vegan Baked Eggplant Burgers
• Butternut Squash and Chickpea Burgers
• Easy Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers with Avocado
• Lentil Quinoa Veggie Burgers