Before we dive into the burgers, a quick note about what I was up to.
I was snacking on blueberry yogurt pretzels (delicious, though they’re more like white chocolate pretending to be yogurt) and sipping a San Pellegrino Aranciata that I’d spiked with vodka, Malibu and a splash of tequila. Not a professional mixologist, but I kept adding little things to find a flavor I liked. The result was oddly satisfying.
Why all these flavors? Smoky sweet potato, roasted garlic maple cream, avocado — and then blueberry pretzels and that questionable cocktail. No, I’m not pregnant; I’m just admitting my weekend was incredibly boring, which apparently led to culinary experimentation and snack fusion.
It was the sort of weekend where I virtually fused to the couch and ordered pizza Friday night that doubled as lunch and then dinner again on Saturday. Microwaved pizza, no oven preheat, the crust alternately scorching and gummy, the center cold — all eaten on a paper plate while collapsing back into the cushions. Glamorous, right?
I’d hoped to spend the weekend doing all those things I never have time for — folding a massive pile of laundry sitting in the living room, reorganizing the pantry, tackling the freezer, cleaning bathrooms, scrubbing floors, and dealing with the bottomless pit of receipts and list fragments that live in my purse. Instead, I stayed on the couch.
Still, I managed to make these burgers — no small feat given my general inertia. I’d planned to prepare double bean burgers but discovered I was out of black beans. What I did have were several sweet potatoes, so I mashed them up, added a bit of cannellini beans, and called them burgers. I topped them with roasted garlic cream and sliced avocado. The trick is to really crisp the outsides in a hot skillet so they hold together and get that satisfying texture.
Of course my husband didn’t eat them as a stand-alone dinner — he had them as a side to roasted chicken and dutifully dunked each bite in ketchup. Such is life.
These burgers are simple, comforting, and perfect for using up sweet potatoes. The roasted garlic cream adds a mellow, nutty depth, and a drizzle of maple balances the earthiness of the potatoes. Add avocado for creaminess and serve on whole wheat buns for a wholesome, satisfying meal.
Smoky Sweet Potato Burgers with Roasted Garlic Cream and Avocado
4
burgers
45 mins
10 mins
55 mins
Ingredients
- 2 cups coarsely mashed sweet potatoes or yams (about 2 large)
- 2 bulbs roasted garlic
- 1 cup cannellini beans, rinsed and drained if canned
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup oat flour (or all-purpose)
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cumin
- 2–3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- extra salt and pepper for the yogurt/cream
- 4 whole wheat buns
Instructions
- To roast garlic, follow a simple roasted garlic method. Roasting several bulbs at once (4–5) is convenient for using throughout the week.
- Pierce the potatoes all over with a fork and microwave on a paper towel for 5 minutes, flip, and cook 5 more minutes. Let cool, then slice and scoop out the flesh.
- In a large bowl, coarsely mash the cannellini beans, then add the sweet potato and mash together. Stir in spices, salt, pepper, minced garlic, egg, panko and flour until combined. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes to help it hold together.
- While the mixture chills, make the roasted garlic cream by blending the yogurt or sour cream with two squeezed roasted garlic bulbs, maple syrup and a pinch of salt and pepper until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Form the chilled mixture into 4 equal patties and place them in the hot skillet. Do not move them until they become golden and crisp on the first side, about 5–6 minutes. Add more oil if needed and flip very gently; cook another 5–6 minutes. Toast buns if desired.
- Assemble burgers by topping each patty with roasted garlic cream and sliced avocado. Caramelized red onions are a tasty addition if you have them.
Main Course
American
Chomp.