Tried a million veggie burgers… only to waste YET another $5 ???
Here’s My Picky Eater Club Solution!!!
I discovered the Neat meat alternative a few years ago and have been tinkering to combine the best ingredients that offer the mouthfeel of a real meat burger as well as a delicious taste! After many combinations and concoctions, I finally have the best recipe here for you.
The Neat package is comprised of ground pecans and garbanzo beans. It is a super clean label, which I love. There are a few other whole food ingredients but those are the main flavor purveyors in the mix. For this picky eater, the Neat mix is the perfect base for a veggie burger or meatballs, meat cakes…a hamburger alternative. However, I discovered that if you don’t combine anything else to the Neat Burger mix, such as a ground up carrot or potato for starters…you’re really just going to have a paste burger…a nothing burger, if you will! It isn’t disgusting but it doesn’t go down in the Picky Eater book of favorites.
So…through many trials and variations, I found that adding whole grain old fashion oats, mushrooms, and white potatoes…it somehow gives the texture and taste a real deal upgrade resembling a meat burger. The cooked Quinoa also helps to add an element of airiness to the texture but as long as you have the oats and mushrooms you will get the desired meaty texture. Quinoa just puts it over the top.
Taste-wise, the field is wide open with veggie pairings. I have even combined lentils and black beans to the mix. But the most important additions are the oats and mushrooms in order to give it the texture of a real burger. I happen to love potatoes, so it’s my go to on anything I can! I have also used sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini…all delectable! I find, as long as you add the mushrooms and oats, you will always have that meaty consistency sure to fool the carnivore!
I would love to know of any combinations you found delicious!
Neat Burgers Recipe
1 Package of Neat
½ cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1 cup Uncooked Whole Grain Old Fashion Oats (Bob’s Red Mill)
¼- ½ cup Cooked Quinoa
¼ cup Paleo Flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
1/8- ¼ cup Chickpea (Garbanzo Bean) Flour
2 Small Potatoes
1 cup Finely Chopped Mushrooms
1 Small Onion, Finely Chopped
1 egg or egg replacer (Neat Egg is a great replacement)
1/3 cup Oil (Olive, Sunflower, Canola or your favorite one)
2/3 cup Water
Instructions:
Combine dry ingredients and stir together.
Next shred mushroom, potato and onion and mix into dry ingredients.
Add liquid ingredients including egg/egg replacer and mix together.
Shape into patties according to size you prefer.
Grease baking pan and cook in the oven at 350 degrees for 20- 25 minutes. (Or pan fry, of course.)
These are great to freeze and break out just like the ones you’d buy from a store. I wouldn’t cook the patties on the grill initially but you can surely heat them up on one right out of the freezer! To reheat the burgers, do as you normally would, pan, oven, grill! Enjoy!
Hope this helps!
The Picky Eater Club 