Happy 2016 on January 20th!! We survived 2015 and now we have a whole new year to kick some ass and use the nail painting emoji.
We’re kicking things off with a weird quasi-resolution of me trying to eat less meat for absolutely no specific reason. I’m not a vegetarian, I looove meat, I will destroy a chicken thigh, but I figured I’d try and eat less meat as a challenge because apparently I don’t think life is hard enough as an adult. I also like that I can buy a bunch of vegetables in the beginning of the week and use them for whatever I want instead of buying chicken thighs because they’re on sale and then trying to figure out what that smell is two days later.
I also have another resolution of making sure the kitchen is 100 every day when I’m done working in it, before Steve gets home from work, for my own sanity and so far I have to report that I’m probably earning a solid A- with zero witchcraft.
Now before we finally talk about these burgers, two things:
- I know there’s a difference between sweet potato and yams, yams are orange sweet potatoes are golden and I am going to use them interchangeably because nobody really eats the golden sweet potato.
- this video, forever and always
I’m nowhere near being a picky eater, trust and believe, but the only acceptable sweet potato vessels in my world are sweet potato fries with ranch and tempura yam and now this burger.
I love it because it’s super easy, super cheap (less than $10 for a lot of burgers), and is packed with all kinds of good shit. There’s a nice play between the spicy/smoky chipotle and the sweet potato that’s super cute and it only gets better because we top that with sour crema and the world applaudes our attempt at meatless eating.
Chipotle Sweet Potato Burgers
Makes 12, but hear me out. You can easily freeze these once baked and just let them defrost in the fridge then fry them up in a pan to serve, and I’d hate to only use half a can of beans and half a sweet potato but if that’s what you’re into then the recipe can easily be divided in half.
3 cups roughly mashed sweet potato (yam), from 3 large sweet potatoes*
1 14oz can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons chipotle puree**
1/2 garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 scallions, thinly sliced, greens and whites
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
sour crema (found by the mexican cheeses and sometimes salsas) for serving, or sour cream thinned out with a little lime juice
homemade burger buns make a world of difference with burgers (the ones I mader aren’t exactly perfect enough to share on here just yet but you could follow either these from Adrianna or these from Cindy and top with all the black sesame seeds in the world. When shaping the buns go for a 2 oz size for the perfect bun.
*To cook the sweet potatoes I just pop ’em in the microwave after I’ve washed and pricked them with a fork and cook them for 6 miuntes then flip them over and cook for another 6 minutes. Once they’re cooled enough to handle I cut them in half and scoop out the flesh. I also like to use a potato masher, not a ricer.
** for the chipotle puree I actually use a jar of chipotle peppers in adobo and blend it in a blender or food processor until smooth then store it in my fridge for almost forever. 1 tablespoon is about the same as 1 pepper, no chopping, no hot hands. If you want it really spicy go for 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) or if you aren’t crazy about the flavor (I totally understand) then go with 2 minced jalapeños, keep the seeds for spicy.
To make the burgers mash the potatoes in a large bowl then add the beans and use the potato masher to continue mashing until the beans are fairly broken up and smooth. Mash in the chipotle puree, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cilantro, scallions, and panko. Taste for seasoning then stir in the eggs. Refrigerate for 30 minutes for mixture to set up.
Preheat the oven to 400* F
Shape the patties by scooping out the mixture with a 1/3 cup measuring cup then sort of forming them in the palm of your hand. Transfer to a large baking sheet lined with parchment and flatten the patty so it’s 1/2-3/4″ in thickness.
Once all the patties are formed bake for 30 minutes until they’re firm to the touch. At this point they’re cooked enough for making a burger but if you want a crust on them then lightly pan fry both sides in a little olive oil.
To assemble the burger toast the buns in a pan with a little olive oil, apply some of the crema to both buns and stack a patty with avocado, thinly sliced red onion, and sprouts or lettuce. Boom. Done.
