The Best Bean Burger for Your Freezer

Our Pinto Bean BBQ Burger, thawed and warmed in the microwave, rests atop a skillet-toasted gordito (thick corn tortillas found at Latin markets). Vegan Jack cheese, sauteed peppers and onions and snipped micro-greens grown in the kitchen window add extra panache.

This super simple meal is completed with another warmed gordito, roasted sweet potato wedges, salad, cranberry chutney and a pickled jalapeno.

A freezer stocked with homemade veggie burgers isn't just a good idea; it's almost a necessity for fast, high-protein weeknight meals. At Cafe Drake HRV right now we have Black Bean and Wild Rice Burgers, Sunflower Millet Burgers (grab recipe HERE from the 2011 Cafe Drake archives) and the Pinto Bean BBQ patties featured here all frozen in zip-lock bags, ready at a moment's notice when the mood strikes. For optimal texture frozen burgers should be thawed overnight in the fridge, but they can also be cooked directly from the freezer in a microwave or lightly oiled skillet.

This recipe from Terry Hope Romero's Protein Ninja cookbook is a current favorite because it's chewy and hefty and boasts the universally loved flavors of BBQ sauce.