Homemade Veggie Burgers

Oddly enough, Melissa (Smells Like Brownies) and I both ended up with no plans for the 4th of July this year.  So we decided to go about our weekly vegetarian lunch as usual and, in spirit of the typical holiday food, decided to try making veggie burgers.  Based on her memory of a particularly delicious restaurant version and a couple of online recipes, we came up with our ingredients.

Mushrooms and lentils were to be the base; with the help of carrots, onion, garlic, and cheddar cheese.

We seasoned with salt and pepper, thyme, and dry mustard, then bound it together with breadcrumbs and egg.  We saved the “fancy” breadcrumbs (panko) to form a bit of a crust on the outside of the patties.  We learned the hard way that you definitely want to let the mixture chill in the fridge for about 30 min before you form the patties, or you will have a hard time.

The filling (except for the egg) was already cooked, so we just need to brown and warm the patties – which we did in a skillet with olive oil.  Watch the heat here, you want to keep it low so that they can warm through without burning the panko.

We put some extra cheddar on top (because why not?) and then Melissa said “What about a fried egg?” and I called her a genius.

Oh.  My.  Gosh.  Warm, soft, richly flavored patties with a bit of a crunch, topped with melted cheese, a runny egg, and a thick smear of roasted garlic aioli.  These were awesomesauce.  Frozen patties do not compare – make these for yourself, you will not be sorry.

Homemade Veggie Burgers
A Smells Like Brownies and Well Dined Collaboration
makes 6-8 patties

3/4 cup green lentils
2 cups water
6 oz cremini or button mushrooms, diced
1 large carrot, shredded
1 small onion, diced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 cup shredded cheddar, plus more to top
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 large egg, beaten
panko, as needed
fried eggs, optional
roasted garlic aioli, optional
buns
toppings such as lettuce, tomato, onion

Rinse the lentils and bring to a boil with the water. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 min, or until soft and the water has been absorbed.

Meanwhile, heat a small amount of butter and/or olive oil in a skillet and cook the mushrooms, carrot, and onion together until soft (5-10 min); add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Combine the lentils and mushroom mixture and season with the salt and pepper, thyme, and mustard. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Then add in the cheese, breadcrumbs, and egg and mix to combine. Cover the mixture and place in the fridge for half an hour to set up.

Form patties from the mixture and press into panko to coat. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium and brown the patties (about 3 min per side). Top with cheese and eggs, if desired. Place in buns and serve with toppings and condiments.

NOTE – these also work well in lettuce wraps!