Greek Spinach Veggie Burgers

{Meatless Monday}

Just a super quick post tonight...I am in the middle of canning season and I have SO little extra time! ; )

We made these the other night and they were FABULOUS!!  Everyone liked them!  They are such a yummy veggie burger.  We used some of the Cajun mayonnaise that goes with the Southern Sliders...so yummy!

So...I am sorry to be completely lazy...but here's the link to the recipe.  My pictures definitely DID NOT turn out well on this one, so I thought you might like to see what they could look like! ;)

One change that I made....  I had some fresh spinach that needed to be used, so I chopped that up instead.  But I ended up adding another egg and some bread crumbs to hold them all together.

Southern-Style Veggie Sliders

{Meatless Monday}

I love it when I find a recipe that is a total KEEPER!!  These look kind of strange at first glance!  I had the hardest time finding canned Black Eyed Peas at Walmart...and I think I've maybe used one recipe in my life that called for them.

This recipe was the 2nd place winner in BH&G for Veggie burgers.  It was so good, I can't wait to try the 1st place winner: Greek Spinach Veggie Burgers.  Mmmm.  Anything with feta is my friend!

My family loved these.  EVERYONE ate them and wanted more!  To actually get through dinner without any complaints is such a miracle...I might make these on a weekly basis!  I served them on my own homemade rolls that I had toasted in the oven...so I think that made them extra yummy!

The slightly spicy mayonnaise adds a yummy twist...but it wasn't even too hot for my little ones.

So if you've never tried a veggie burger...you really should try this one!!  BUT,  you have to know that they in NO way taste like a burger in flavor or texture.  But they are super yummy in their own right.  My husband liked them so much he suggested that I make up a huge batch, shape them into patties and then freeze them for him...instead of buying those expensive Boca burgers.  I think when I go to Walmart today, I will snag a few cans of Black Eyed Peas and try it out!!



So, here's what you need: 
2  15- to 16-oz. cans  black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained 
1    egg, lightly beaten 
1/2  cup  finely chopped red sweet pepper 
1/4  cup  fine dry bread crumbs 
1/4  cup  finely chopped celery
3    green onions, finely chopped 
1/2  tsp.  garlic salt 
2  Tbsp.  olive oil 
1/2  cup  mayonnaise 
1  tsp.  Cajun seasoning ****See recipe below****
12-16   soft dinner rolls, split and toasted
    Lettuce leaves

  In large bowl mash black-eyed peas with a potato masher.

Add egg, sweet pepper, bread crumbs, celery, green onions, and garlic salt; mix well.

Shape bean mixture into twelve to sixteen  1/2-inch-thick patties about 3 inches in diameter. (One tip I have read is to refrigerate these for 30-60 minutes...she said it helped them not fall apart as much when you cook them.)

   In large skillet heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil over medium heat. Add half of the patties to the hot oil. Cook 8 minutes or until lightly browned and heated through, turning once. (I did mine all at once in my HUGE skillet.) Remove and keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and patties.  (I cooked them until they were well browned and a little crispy on each side...just to give them a little more "bite".)

   In small bowl stir together mayonnaise and Cajun seasoning.

Spread cut side of each roll with the mayonnaise mixture. Place a burger on bottom half of each roll; top with lettuce and add roll top. Makes 12-16 sliders (6 servings).

***Cajun Seasoning Recipe***
I am not about to go to the store and spend $5 on some special mix of spices, so I simply googled Cajun seasoning and then mixed up some of my own.  Here is a link if you want to make a larger portion of it to keep in your cupboard:  Cajun Seasoning

I just basically made a small batch of it...here's what I used:
3/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. ground thyme (I just chopped up my regular thyme)
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. dried basil
1/8 tsp. dried oregano

Mix all up in a bowl.  This made enough for at least 2 or 3 recipes of the burgers.


I hope you will be adventurous and try these!!  They really are yummy and easy to put together.  I love having a new recipe that is so different from our normal fare.  We eat a lot of pasta...and lots of the new recipes I try are pastas, so I am happy to add a yummy veggie burger into the mix!

Black Bean Burgers

{Meatless Monday}

These were very yummy...but you cannot approach them as a burger substitute! You have to enjoy them for what they are...because it does not taste like you are biting into a big juicy burger! But they have very delicious flavor and all my kids ate them. Two just tolerated them and the other 3 genuinely liked them.

I doubled the recipe for my family, but only did 1.5 times the spices. I also used flavored black beans (S&W Caribbean Style), but I think that made the whole mixture more runny than it should have been. I ended up adding more bread crumbs and some corn meal to have it stick together. When you add the crumbs, give it a few minutes to firm up, then if it is still too sticky, don't be afraid to just stir in more bread crumbs. You want it to be about like a meatloaf mixture. I could just barely get mine to form patties and they cooked up great. I baked them on each side for 10 minutes and then broiled them on each side for 2-3 min just to have them a little crunchy on the outside.

Here's what you need:


1 16 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 onion, cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic, peeled (I used minced garlic from my fridge)
1 egg
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
1 tsp Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375*. Lightly oil a baking sheet. If you want to actually grill these, preheat your grill for high heat and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil.

In a bowl, mash beans until thick and pasty.

In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Then stir into the beans.

In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.

Stir the egg mixture into the beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide into four patties.

If grilling, place on foil and grill about 8 min each side. If baking, place on baking sheet and bake about 10 min each side.


Try them out! You might be surprised how yummy they are!