Burger Test Kitchen 1: Cajun Potato Black Bean Burger

Thanks for your advice yesterday, everyone. With your suggestions, I decided to do a little twist on the black bean burger. I shredded some potato and added some cajun flavor. I really liked the flavor, but since I don't know what I'm up against, I'm going to keep working so I have several burgers to choose from.

This burger wasn't very spicy at all, in spite of my efforts. The potato gave it some fluffiness like a potato cake which I liked. It tasted more like a black bean burger though. The first burger I tried to cook, I just pattied and cooked in a pan. It worked well, but it was soft in the center, so the next patty I decided to bake it for about 1/2 hour and then cooked it in a pan to give it some crispiness. These would be really good on a grill, too.

It's not winning any beauty contests, but it's pretty good for my first time pattying.

I'm getting sort of burned out on burgers already. After having them for dinner and lunch. Thanks to some great suggestions, I think I know what I'm doing tonight. I want to dress up the burger a bit, too. The patty is a big part of taste, but toppings go a long way too. I'm not sure if this is a pure patty challenge or not. If I can work some topping though, I think I'll do alright.

[[Cajun Potato Black Bean Burger]]

2 medium sized red potatoes, grated
1 can of black beans, cooked, drained
1/4 cup zucchini and carrot, grated
1/2 cup red onion, grated (about 1/2 of a small onion)
1/4 cup finely chopped baby bello mushrooms (about 4-5 mushrooms)
1/4 cup frozen corn
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tbs cajun seasoning
1 tsp cajun hot sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs tomato paste
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbs yellow corn meal

1 tbs freshly chopped cilantro
a dash of chili powder

-- Pre-heat your oven to 375 F.
-- Cook and smash the black beans. You can leave some whole black beans, but you want to get a little black bean paste.
-- Add the first set of ingredients to the bowl. You can grate the vegetables using a cheese grater. Mix until fully combined.
-- Divide burgers into 5 patties. Using the palm of your hand, scoop some of the black bean mixture into your hand and work into a flat disc. It will be fairy wet and difficult to mold. Place your formed disc onto a GREASED cookie sheet. Bake on one side about 15 minutes. Flip over and bake the other side for another 15 minutes.
-- When you are done, they should be fairy firm but still soft. You can now grill them or cook them on the stove top to give them a crispy, greasy exterior.
-- They freeze well, too. [[We had them for lunch today!]]