Tantalize those taste buds with a Tex-Mex Sweet Potato Veggie Burger

This veggie burger was inspired by trying to make something that is healthy and satisfying for our family.

I wanted this dish to be colorful, creative, easy and delicious.

We never buy frozen veggie burgers. This is my fun way to incorporate sweet potato in a unique burger onto the lunch, dinner or snack plate.

With the Tex-Mex flavoring and creamy roasted sweet potato, you can’t go wrong. These veggie burgers can be made ahead of time, and cooked or grilled right out of your refrigerator.

I serve the burgers with my homemade slider or regular-sized rolls and our favorite toppings (see below).

Have fun eating these burgers and enjoy adding ingredients yourself to create your own burger.

Tex-Mex Sweet Potato Veggie Burger

1 8-ounce sweet potato

½ cup of plain panko breadcrumbs

2 scallions, thinly chopped

¼ cup red bell pepper

½ cup of raw corn

½ cup of cooked brown rice (leftover rice works great.)

1½ cups of cooked, rinsed and dried off black beans

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast*

1 teaspoon arrowroot powder*

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon of onion powder

½ teaspoon of garlic powder

¼ teaspoon of Mexican oregano

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh cilantro (or fresh parsley, if you prefer)

Salt and pepper to taste

Safflower oil

*These ingredients can be found online, in a health food store or the supermarket’s organic section.

Cook rice as directed. Pierce sweet potato, wrap with parchment and foil. Roast in oven until tender at 400 F. Remove skin and mash in a large bowl with potato masher. In a food processor, place your black beans and pulse until the beans are slightly broken down. Place beans in bowl with sweet potato. On a sheet pan, place your corn, peppers and scallions. Drizzle with oil, salt and pepper and place in a 400 F oven for about 10-15 minutes. Add the vegetables into the sweet potato mixture.

Place an ovenproof saute pan on the stove over medium high heat. Drizzle with a little bit of oil. Add in tomato paste and spices. Saute for about 5 minutes until the tomato paste is cooked and the spices are fragrant. Scrape into the sweet potato mixture. Add remaining ingredients into the bowl, along with salt and pepper to taste.

By hand and plastic glove or a spoon, mix these ingredients together well. The mixture will be slightly sticky. Portion the burgers, to equal five patties. Place the burgers on a small baking sheet lined with parchment or a dinner plate. Cover the burgers with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook.

When ready to prepare, remove from refrigerator. Sprinkle flour on both sides. Using a preheated, lightly oiled pan, cook each burger until golden brown. Flip the burger over for a few minutes. Place the burgers, still in the pan, into a 375 F oven for 5-10 minutes.

Top with arugula or other greens and your choice of homemade sauce. Garnish can also be shredded raw red beet or carrot, sliced farm tomatoes, homemade coleslaw, fresh salsa, sautéed onions, creamy avocado, homemade ketchup, a spicy mustard, wasabi dressing or garlic mayonnaise. The toppings are endless.

Serve on a warm, toasted bun or even on a bed of lettuce for a light lunch or snack.

I hope you enjoy these yummy, homemade burgers as much as our family does.