Veggie, Bean, and Cheese Burger Patties -- About 6 Cents Per Patty

These patties are a bit different from my regular bean burgers, as I've added vegetables and cheddar cheese to the dough and left out the usual egg and bread crumbs. 

The only binder in the recipe is all-purpose flour. (Rice flour or tapioca flour could be substituted for the all-purpose.) A starchy flour absorbs some of the fat from the cheese as it melts when cooking and help the patties retain their shape and firm up.

What I like about these patties -- the veggie content and the cost

I'm working at increasing my vegetable consumption, so these patties help in that regard. I think that the amount of carrots and greens could be increased, perhaps up to double the amount. The patties are flavorful and the texture is soft. As a bonus, these patties freeze well for 1 to 2 months (to be reheated individually as needed) or keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

I had been looking at veggie patties in the frozen section at Dollar Tree. Their veggie patties were 50 cents each (package of 2 patties for $1). My homemade veggie patties cost me about 6 cents each, or almost 1/10 the cost of the Dollar Tree version. I used greens, oregano, and garlic from my garden and pinto beans, onions, carrots, flour, and cheese from SmartFoodservice Cash & Carry. If I had to pay regular grocery store prices for all of the ingredients, these might cost as much as 10 cents per patty. That would still be 1/5 the cost of the Dollar Tree veggie patties.


Remember the other day, when I discussed my 4-step method to getting what I want for less? My end goal in wanting the veggie burger patties from Dollar Tree was to have high protein, veggie-filled entree items that I could easily heat for my lunches. But I didn't want to spend 50 cents apiece. So, I thought I could make something that would provide the protein and veggies that I wanted, but at a fraction of the cost. I've made a variety of bean-based patties and balls over the years. However, this time I was interested in adding vegetables. I was pleased with how these patties turned out. The above recipe made 15 patties. I wrapped and froze what we didn't eat at dinner the other night, leaving me with a half-dozen heat-and-eat veggie burgers.