Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burgers

With the Covid-19 pandemic underway, we all want to limit our trips to the grocery store and make good use of our pantry.  These burgers are delicious, easy to make and super cheap! Not to mention, they are meatless so you can do something good for yourself, the planet, the animals and your wallet :)  Serve them on sandwich thins, burger buns or lettuce leaves with some Sriracha mayo or even some BBQ sauce.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 can Black beans, drained & rinsed (~1.25 cup yield)
2 large Sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled &  mashed (~2 cups yield)
1/2 cup Onion, fine dice 
2 Garlic cloves, minced 
1/4 cup Bean liquid 
1/3 cup Oats, quick cooking         
2 TSP Smoked Paprika               
1 TSP Cumin, ground                  
Salt & Pepper                   
2 TBS Oil for pan frying               ​

How To

Cook & mash sweet potatoes. Roast in the oven @ 350 degrees for about 1 hour
OR poke some holes in sweet potato and microwave for 5-7 min.  Cook until tender and a knife pokes through very easily.  Let cool and peel.  SAVE THE SKINS.  Mash up potatoes.

Drain & rinse the black beans.  SAVE THE LIQUID.  Season with salt & pepper.

Sauté aromatics.  Heat skillet over medium heat with olive oil.  Sauté onions, garlic and spices. Once onions are soft, deglaze the pan with 2 TBS of the bean liquid.

Combine ingredients.  Add sweet potatoes, black beans, onions/garlic/spice mixture, and oats into a bowl and mix to combine. Add 2 TBS bean liquid.  NOTE: If the mixture feels too wet, add up to another 1/3 cup of quick oats.  The oats act like breadcrumbs and will absorb excess moisture and will disappear into the burgers.

Measure burgers using 1/3 measuring cup.  Form with hands.  Place on parchment lined sheet pan.  Refrigerate for 30 min.

​​Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Pan fry burgers.  Heat up nonstick skillet on medium high, add vegetable or olive oil and
pan sear burgers so they get a golden-brown crust.  Place burger on sheet pan and bake for 10 min. 

Bonus: Use the sweet potato jackets to make potato skins.  Cut up into chip size pieces, lightly coat with olive oil and spices.  Bake skins @400 degrees for about 10 min until they are crispy.  Don't go far because they can burn fast!

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