Black Bean Burgers

For Joe's birthday barbecue last month we tried our hand at making veggie burgers for the first time.  They were pretty good but nothing to really write home about.  It really got me interested in trying to make a different variations of veggie burgers since I love hamburgers so much but beef burgers are so high in calories that I shouldn't eat them as often as I would like to.  I saw a recipe for black bean burgers on Annie's Eats and I was immediately interested.  I love black beans and they sounded so good.  I made them last night with a few small changes and Joe and I both loved them.  I will definitely be keeping a stock of these in the freezer at all times.  We topped ours last night with swiss cheese and sauteed onions but you could put anything on top of them or nothing at all.  Next time I think maybe some slices of avocado would be great.  The best part?  Each patty is only 200 calories!!!

Black Bean Burgers
Slightly adapted from Annie's Eats

Yield:  6 Burgers
Ingredients:
3/4 cup panko
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed, divided
2 large eggs
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely diced
1 shallot, minced

Directions:
Place 2 1/2 cups of the beans in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher or a fork until mostly smooth.  In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, 1 tablespoon of the oil, cumin, garlic powder, salt and cayenne.  Whisk to blend.  Add the egg mixture, panko, the remaining 1/2 cup beans, bell pepper and shallot to the bowl with the mashed beans.  Stir together until evenly combined.

Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions, about 1/2 cup each.  Lightly pack into 1 inch thick patties.  Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour or until slightly frozen (Patties can also be frozen solid and grilled from frozen).  Spray top and bottom of patties with non-stick spray and place on grill over medium heat.  Cook 6-7 minutes on each side, being very careful when turning over.  Top with your favorite toppings and serve warm.