Smokey Bean Sliders
by Christina Meyer-Jax, Tastemaker in Residence
Makes ~10 medium baked patties or ~16 thin sautéed patties
Ingredients
1/2 red onion, finely diced (~3/4 cup)
1 cup mushrooms, diced
Pinch each salt and pepper
1 15-oz can S&W Black Beans, well rinsed and drained
3/4 cup cooked quinoa (i use tri-color variety)
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tbsp chipotle or adobo seasoning
2/3 cup raw walnuts, crushed or ground into a loose meal
Optional: For even more heat, add 1 Tbsp Sriracha
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add some nonstick spray or add a bit of olive oil. When hot add the onion and slowly sauté, seasoning with a pinch each salt and pepper.
- When the onions are soft – about 5 minutes – turn up the heat to medium and add the mushrooms. Season with another pinch of salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms and onions are slightly browned and fragrant – about 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add beans and mash. You’re looking for a rough mash, not to turn it into a paste, so you can leave some whole or halved if you want. Taste and add another pinch of salt, or pepper if needed.
- Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl, add the quinoa, chili powder, chipotle seasoning, and stir. Lastly, add the walnuts a little at a time until the mixture is thick and malleable enough to form into patties. Pop in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to cool and preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 C). Coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray or olive oil.
- Once chilled, form into small patties. Can use a nut butter jar lid lined with plastic wrap to get the mess-free shape.
- Arrange on the baking sheet and brush or spray the tops with olive oil and another pinch of black pepper and any leftover crushed walnuts (optional). Bake for a total of 40-45 minutes, flipping around the 20-minute mark. Cook longer to dry them out even more and achieve crisper, but it’s not necessary. For a quicker option, form into thinner patties (1/4 inch) and brown in a saucepan over medium to medium-high heat lightly coated with olive oil. Cook until brown on both sides – 3-4 minutes on each side. However, this version doesn’t get them as well done in the middle.
- Serve on small buns or atop mixed greens with desired toppings.
- If you don’t want to cook the whole batch at once, form into 10 thicker patties, par-bake them at 375 for 15-20 minutes. Then cool and stack between layers of parchment paper and cover. Freeze for up to a few weeks. To cook, bake as instructed until desired texture/color is reached.