Carrie Underwood and Sweet Potato Burgers

Let's face it: Southerners love anything with sweet potato. Sweet potato biscuits, fries, pancakes...you name it. Thankfully, one of my recent issues of SELF not only featured newly vegan Carrie Underwood on the cover, but had the genius to create (vegan!) sweet potato burgers. (Yes, this issue was from 2 months ago. Yes, that's how far behind I am in my magazine reading. So shoot me.)

Carrie Underwood, Queen of Vegans

Since I have nothing if not impeccable timing, I decided to create and photograph these rigggghhht when my roommates were in the middle of cooking their own dinner. Woops.

The look says it all: Please. Stop. Annoying. Us.

Hey, a blogger's gotta do what a blogger's gotta do. (Plus, I was really hungry and needed to take pictures before I scarfed them down.)

Will I eat both of these? Yes, yes I will. 

My $15 lighting set up , thanks to Taylor Takes a Taste

The verdict? Totally light and tasty, though probably not firm enough to hold their own on a grill. They tasted great coming right from the oven, which was just fine with me. (Especially since I wouldn't know how to light a grill if you paid me.) Plus, despite stuffing them into buns and slathering them with vegan mayo, I convinced myself that they were the healthiest food I'd ever eaten since (hello!)  they're made from sweet potatoes. Feel free to indulge and still look great in that Lilly bikini.

Ingredients

• 1 14 oz. can chikpeas, rinsed and drained
• Cooking spray
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and grated

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine chikpeas, tahini, black pepper, baking powder, and 3/4 tsp. salt. Pulse until mixture holds together when pinched. (Scrape down sides as necessary.)

2. Transfer mixture to a bowl. 

3. Stir in grated sweet potato and add last 1/4 tsp salt. 

4. Form mixture into 4 burgers, place on baking sheet, and cover tightly with foil.

5. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, coat burgers with spray, and and bake until crisp underneath, 20 to 25 minutes.

6. Flip burgers, coat with spray, and bake until crisp on opposite side, 10 to 15 minutes. 

Serve on a whole wheat bun with some vegan mayo and Dijon mustard. Serves 4. 

Cheers, y'all!