Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa Burgers.

Yes, we’re doing it. We’re making broccoli cheddar burgers!

If you would have told me ten years ago that I’d be making broccoli cheddar burgers for my blog, I would have laughed in your face. Maybe even five years ago.

Crazy!

But here we are. Making these darn broccoli cheddar burgers and LOVING THEM. 

Remember last year when I made these (slightly controversial, hahaha) veggie burgers? They are the BEST veggie burgers I’ve ever had (though p.s. I have an incredible black bean burger coming in my next book!), with tons of texture and flavor and bite. I never expected to love veggie burgers like I love them. Oddly enough, I actually find myself craving them!

And I used the base of that recipe for these. So they are a little high maintenance. But in years of testing (I mean, literally, years), I’ve found that the best veggie burgers ARE a little high maintenance. They contain a few wild ingredients (cashews! oats!) to give them texture. But it’s all worth it in the end because the flavor is fantastic. 

And while it’s never my goal to replicate the texture and feel of a beef burger, it is my goal to make sure I don’t have a veggie burger that resembles mush on a bun. No thank you. 

ANYWAY.

The inspiration from these burgers came from Emilia. Yes, my adorable little chubba bug toddler who eats EVERYTHING in the universe. It’s the best thing ever. Makes my heart so happy.

One of her favorite things to eat are the broccoli cheese “nuggets” that I make when I’m pressed for time. She absolutely loves them and honestly… they are pretty great if you enjoy the broccoli cheese combo. 

I mean, cheese. Who can resist?

Since Emilia already loves broccoli and since it took me nearly 30 years to enjoy it, I am adamant on keeping this love going. I’ve been making allll the broccoli things that I can while occasionally throwing some cheese in there.

By occasionally, I mean almost always.

For myself, at least. 

These burgers work great on a bun. Top them with a chipotle honey mayo like I have listed in the recipe or even eat them as a patty without a bun. They are delish that way, especially when crumbled on a salad.

Now maybe if I had eaten my broccoli like this way back when…

Broccoli Cheddar Burgers

Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa Burgers

These broccoli cheddar burgers are a veggie burger dream! A little high maintence, but packed with flavor and can be made ahead of time!

• 1 cup cooked quinoa, (cooled)
• 1 14 ounce can of chickpeas or cannellini beans, (drained)
• 16 ounces broccoli florets, (chopped)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 sweet onion diced
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• ½ cup chopped unsalted cashews
• 1 tablespoon old fashioned oats
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika powder
• ½ teaspoon honey
• 1 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• sliced sharp cheddar or your favorite cheese for serving
• 4 to 6 buns for serving

chipotle honey mayo

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 chipotle pepper
• 1 teaspoon adobo sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray. Spread the beans on one sheet in a single layer. Spread the chopped broccoli on the other sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the broccoli with salt and pepper. Roast the beans and broccoli for 12 to 15 minutes, until the beans split open and the broccoli cooks a bit.
3. While the beans and broccoli are roasting, heat a skillet over medium low heat. Add the olive oil, diced onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 to 6 minutes.
4. At this time, you can also pulse the cashews and oats in your food processor until they are finely chopped. Don’t wash the food processor because we will be using it again!

5. In a large bowl, stir together the mayo, egg yolk, smoked paprika and honey. Stir in the sautéed onion mixture, quinoa, the beans and the broccoli. Add in the oats and the cashews. Use a potato masher or fork to smash the mixture together until it is somewhat combined. Take 1/3 of the mixture and place it back in the food processor. Pulse it a few times until it’s all very finely chopped and combined, then transfer it back to the large bowl. Stir in the cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Mix everything together (I suggest using your hands – it will be sticky!) until combined.

6. At this point, form the mixture into patties or burgers – whatever the size of your bun is! You can go with 4 or 6 patties – or even smaller for slider size. You can stick the patties in the fridge until it’s time to use them, meaning that you can make them ahead of time. You don’t have to refrigerate them before cooking, but sometimes I find that refrigerating them for 20 minutes can be helpful.
7. When you’re ready to cook, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add a high heat oil – like canola, grapeseed or coconut. Once the oil is hot, add the patties and cook them for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Be gentle when flipping to ensure they don’t fall apart! A minute or so before removing them from the skillet, add a slice of cheddar on top so it melts.
8. Serve on buns with the spicy mayo and tomato.
9. As a note, these cannot be grilled on an outdoor grill (like most homemade veggie burgers can’t!) – they will fall apart. You can, however, place a cast iron skillet on the grill and cook them outdoors that way.

chipotle honey mayo

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until combined.

So much serious flavor.

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