Tell the Southwestern Veggie Burgers in your life to take a vacation- there’s a new girl in town. I was craving a homemade veggie burger; I love to keep them in the freezer for quick meals, diced up on burrito bowls, scrambled into eggs, added to salads, the list goes on. I usually gravitate toward black bean burgers, anything with a southwestern flair; I love cumin! BUT, let’s switch it up to get a little Mediterranean flavor here. I love to cook these on the Char-Griller Flat Iron Griddle to get that crispy sear on the outside of the burger, plus you can toast your buns at the same time, and I think we know the secret to a great burger is a toasted bun! Double up on this feta sauce and eat with lots of napkins. This one is messy but oh so good. Let’s dig in!

Instructions

1. In a food processor, combine brown rice, sweet potato, egg, garlic, pepperoncini peppers, parsley, salt, and pepper, and pulse until well combined. You can also mash these ingredients with a fork if you prefer a chunkier texture, just dice the garlic, parsley, and peppers first.

2. Wet hands slightly, and form mixture into six evenly shaped patties. Let chill in the fridge or freezer for 10 minutes, until burgers have a chance to firm up a bit.

3. Combine ingredients(12-19) for Feta Dip and set aside. Pro Tip: dip is even better the next day after the flavors marry, if you have time to make it the day before!

4. Preheat Flat-Iron Gas Griddle to medium heat, and drizzle olive oil over the surface, using a towel and tongs to spread it across the griddle. Once it’s been heating up for a few minutes, add burgers and buns to the grill. Let buns toast for 1 minute, then remove. Let burgers cook for 5 minutes on the first side, flip, then finish cooking for 5 more minutes.

5. Remove burgers from grill and begin assembling, piling L,T,O, and a burger on the toasted buns, finishing with a dollop of feta dip! Enjoy while warm! These burgers can keep in the fridge for 5 days, or frozen for up to three months.