Easy Homemade Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers

For the burgers:
Preheat oven to 400ºF and line a small baking sheet with tinfoil. Spray with cooking spray.

Poke potatoes all over with a fork and bake on the prepared baking tray until fork tender and soft, about 45–50 minutes. Let cool.

In a large bowl, mash baked sweet potato and white beans with a fork. Leave beans a little bit chunky to add some texture.

Stir in cornmeal, garlic, paprika, cumin, chile powder, salt and pepper. Refrigerate mixture for at least 30 minute to make it easier to form (the longer the better!).

While the mixture cools, prep all the veggies. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium/high heat. Cook sliced red pepper and onion until browned, about 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

To finish cooking the burgers, pour 1 tablespoon panko onto a small plate. Take a scant ½ cup of the potato mixture and form a 4-inch patty (it is a little messy!). Ppress down onto the panko to cover the bottom and up the sides. Once the bottom is covered, slide the patty off the plate onto a separate large plate. Repeat with the remaining burgers and then sprinkle the remaining panko over the formed burgers, pressing gently to adhere it.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil into the same large pan over medium heat. Using a pancake flipper, gently lift 2 of the burgers off the plate and into the pan, use the sides of the flipper to gently reform if any patties lose their shape. Cook until golden brown, about 6–8 minutes. Do not flip until the burger easily releases from the pan. Once golden, flip and cook and additional 6–8 minutes on the other side. The inside of the burgers stays very soft and moist with a crispy exterior. Repeat with the remaining oil and patties.

Once cooked, transfer each burger to a bun and top with salsa, lettuce, avocado slices, sautéed red pepper and onion, corn kernels and cilantro. Devour!