Meatless Monday - Black Bean Burgers

The day we came home from the hospital with Evelyn

all I wanted to eat was a big, juicy cheeseburger.

So my dutiful husband ran out and picked us some burgers and fries at The Counter.

And I devoured it in under 5 minutes.

Maybe it was 3 days of bland hospital food,

or some primal need to replenish my low red blood cell count the nurses were so worried about.

But it was just about the best meal I've ever had.

All this is to say 

I'm a meat person.

Not a veggie burger kind of girl.

But we can't have big juicy cheeseburgers everyday

if we have any hope of ever fitting back into those pre-pregnancy clothes.

So when I saw this recipe for Black Bean Burgers on Skinnytatse

I figured I'd give it a try.

And you know what?

They're pretty darn good.

With the right mixture of beans, veggies, and spices for good flavor,

and a nice kick of spiciness from the chipotle mayo.

The best part is that they're super easy to make

and freeze up well.

Meaning you just have to grab a couple out of the freezer,

heat them up, throw them on a bun 

and Boom!

Dinner is served.

Black Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayo

from Skinnytaste

For the Burgers

16 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces

1/2 cup chopped scallions

3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro

3 cloves garlic, peeled

 1 large egg

1 Tablespoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1/2 cup quick oats

For the Mayo

3 1/2 Tablespoons mayo

1 chipotle, chopped

Mix the mayo and chipotle together in a small bowl and set aside.

Dry the beans well after rinsing, as extra moisture makes it hard to get the burgers to come together.

In a medium bowl, mash the beans with a fork until it gets pasty.

In a food processor, chop the pepper, scallions, cilantro and garlic.

Dump the veggies in with the black beans.

Add the egg, spices, and oats and stir it all together.

Divide the mixture into four patties.

Add more oats if the mixture is too wet.

Put the patties on waxed paper on a flat surface.

Freeze for at least 2 hours.

Once they're frozen, you can stack them between pieces of waxed paper

and put into a container or freezer bag.

To cook, heat a skillet on medium heat and cook for 7 minutes each side.

Serve on buns with avocado, tomato, and other fixin's.

Enjoy!