Ingredients:

• 2 cups mashed sweet potato (~2 large)
• Olive oil (for cooking sweet potato)
• 1-1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 cup cooked salted black beans
• 1/2 cup finely diced green onion
• 1/2 cup walnut meal
• 2 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp chipotle powder (optional)
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar (optional)

For Serving (optional)

• Sliced avocado
• Sprouts, lettuce or parsley
• Sliced onion

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400°F and cut sweet potatoes in half
• Rub with olive oil and place face down on a foil-lined baking sheet
• Bake sweet potatoes until soft and tender to the touch- about 30 minutes - set aside.
• Reduce oven heat to 375°F.
• While potatoes are baking, cook rice
• Add black beans to a mixing bowl and mash half of them for texture.
• Then add sweet potato and lightly mash, then 1 cup rice, green onion, nut meal and spices.
• Mix to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add more rice or nut meal if the mixture feels too wet. It should be very moist but moldable.
• Lightly grease a baking sheet and line a 1/4 cup measuring cup with plastic wrap.
• Fill the lined measuring cup with sweet potato mixture.
• Scrape down to pack, then lift out and transfer to the baking sheet and gently press down to mash.
• The thinner you press them, the faster they'll cook, but no need to go too far. Just a gentle press will do.
• Bake burgers for a total 30-45 min, carefully flipping 20 minutes in to ensure even cooking. The longer you bake them the firmer and drier they will get - up to preference. I went for around the 35-min mark.
• Serve on slider buns (double stack for more bulk) or atop a salad with sliced avocado, red onion, greens, and ketchup or salsa.
• Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to a few days. Freeze for longer term storage.

Freezing Instructions:

• Par-bake for ~20 minutes, let cool, and then carefully layer between pieces of parchment paper and enclosed in a freezer bag or container with a secure lid.
• Reheat them from frozen at 375°F for about 20-30 minutes or until desired firmness.

Credits:

Minimalist Baker