Southwestern Sweet Potato Quinoa Burger

This recipe is sponsored by Rojo’s | Opinions are my own

I’m just going to cut to the chase: if you’re not smothering your burger with Rojo’s Queso Blanco Dip With Green Chile, you’re not really living. Or maybe you like boring burgers. Or maybe you haven’t thought about it! But now that it’s in your head…

I was initially going to kick this post off with a “leftovers” angle. You know, “Not sure what to do with that leftover dip after your party this weekend? Slather it onto a burger!”

But! After dunking countless tortilla chips into this good stuff throughout my photo shoot for this post, I don’t suspect there’s ever anything leftover. This dip is just too tasty and easy to mow down! But I do encourage you to buy some for the sake of using it as a condiment sometime.

More specifically, this sweet and smokey veg burger.

Southwestern Sweet Potato and Quinoa Burger

Veggie burgers have a bad rap. Even at restaurants, where we assume they’ve got it all figured out, we encounter plant-based patties that crumble away from our faces after that first hungry bite.

The struggle is real.

And a lot of us just silently accept the catastrophe thinking: this is vegetarianism. This is why my meat-eating friends make fun of my food.

But not this burger. Sweet potato, quinoa, and black beans keep it together without the use of eggs or bread crumbs, and it. is. everything.

But in the end, the condiments make the burger.

What’s the all-American cheeseburger without ketchup? What’s a fish burger without tartar sauce, and a crispy chicken burger without mayo? No matter the patty, the condiments set the tone.

And with this burger, it’s all about slathering Rojo’s Queso Blanco into the mix.

Rojo’s gets fresh.

You might recognize the name “Rojo’s” for their restaurant-quality salsas and dips. After all, they’re found in the refrigerated section of most major grocers nationwide. And now, they’ve got a new line of Queso Dips that can be so much more than just a dip.

On top of being a convenient grab-and-go option, Rojo’s products feature quality ingredients that promise fabulous flavor and freshness.

Their Salsa Con Queso is made up of tangy sour cream, cotija and cream cheeses, fresh tomatoes, onions, and punchy jalapeño peppers.

The Queso Blanco, which is featured in this bomb recipe, brings you a mix of Monterey Jack and cotija cheeses, zesty green chile, and of course jalapeño peppers.

What makes Rojo’s products stand out is that they’re made in small batches with quality ingredients — so we get treated to homemade lip-smacking goodness.

Like I said, behind every successful burger is a fabulous condiment.

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Southwestern Sweet Potato Quinoa Burger

This Southwestern Sweet Potato Quinoa Burger is sweet, smokey, and slathered with creamy queso blanco for a burger you'll crave on the reg.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Burgers

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings 8

Author Killing Thyme

Ingredients

• 8 fresh hamburger buns

Burger Patties

• 1 cup black beans
• 2 cups mashed sweet potato approx. 2 sweet potatoes
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, ground or finely chopped
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• Cracked black pepper, to taste

Toppings

• Lettuce
• Avocado
• Red onion
• Microgreens
• + Whatever else you fancy!
• 1 heaping TBSP Rojo's Queso Blanco Dip With Green Chile

Instructions

Sweet Potatoes

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Cut the sweet potatoes

   Cut the sweet potatoes in half. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Place the potatoes face down and bake them until they're tender and can easily be pierced with a fork. This should take about 30 minutes. (You can cook quinoa in the meantime.) When done, set aside. Reduce oven heat to 375 degrees F.

Quinoa

1. Bring 2 cups of water (or, I like to use vegetable broth for extra flavor) and quinoa to a simmer. Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover, and allow to cook for about 15-20 minutes or until you can fluff the quinoa with a fork. When done, set aside.

Burger Patties

1. Add black beans to a large bowl and mash half of them; leave some whole for texture. Add the sweet potato and lightly mash. Finally, add the quinoa, red onion, nut meal/chopped nuts, and spices. Mix/fold until cohesive. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. If the mixture feels too wet and isn't good to work with, add more quinoa or nut meal. The mixture should be moist, but easy to shape and mold.

2. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

   Line a 1/4 cup measuring cup with plastic wrap.

   Scoop the burger mixture into the lined measuring cup and press down to secure. Then, carefully flip it over into the baking sheet. Move the 1/4 cup away and, with a spatula, lightly press down on the patty over the plastic (so your spatula doesn't stick to the patty) to slightly flatten it. Remove the plastic wrap, place it back into the 1/4 cup, and repeat this until you're out of burger mix.

3. Bake the burgers for approx. 30 minutes. After the 30 minute mark, carefully flip them over and bake them for another 10 minutes. The longer you bake them, the firmer and drier the patties will get. 40 minutes total worked for me.

4. When done, serve the burgers on fresh buns and top with crisp lettuce, creamy avocado, red onions, microgreens, and a generous slather of Rojo's Queso Blanco Dip With Green Chiles. (Obviously, feel free to do your own toppings!)

Recipe Notes

These patties freeze well, so feel free to freeze some for future noms.