Meatless Monday: Beet, Bean and Blue Cheese Sliders

What's on the menu for this week's Meatless Monday? The triple B burger with beets, beans and blue cheese! Try not to be intimidated by these colorful ingredients - they come together to make a crave worthy vegetable patty that will liven up both your dinner table and palate.

The sweetness of the beets pairs perfectly with the tangy blue cheese and nuttiness of the toasted walnuts. Lemon-pepper arugula is not just a garnish, it adds a fresh crunch at the end of each bite. The small size of the patties makes them perfect for an appetizer or to turn a regular weekday night into a fun eating occasion.

The key to success with this recipe is not to over-process the ingredients. If the ingredients are over-processed it will result in the "refried beans" effect leaving your burger with the texture of, you guessed it, refried beans. Head to Kristin's Kitchen blog for more detailed instructions and other great recipes!

Beet, Bean and Blue Cheese Sliders

Makes 12 Sliders

INGREDIENTS

• 6 - 7 ounces cooked beets*, quartered
• 15 oz canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/3 cup toasted walnuts, cooled
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Handful of fresh baby kale
• 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup arugula, for serving
• Hamburger rolls, for serving
• Salt and pepper, for seasoning

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Quarter the beets and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and thyme. Season with salt and pepper

Add to a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. Take out of the oven and set aside to cool. Lower the oven to 350 degrees

Add toasted walnuts to a food processor and pulse until soft crumbs form

Remove the walnuts from the food processor and place in a large bowl

With the food processor running, drop in the cloves of garlic and run until finely minced, turn off the food processor

Add cooled roasted beets, kale, all but 1/2 cup of beans and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the food processor

Pulse until everything is evenly distributed and in small chunks - stop before it is smooth. You want it to have small bits with the edges just starting to become a paste

Empty the contents of the food processor into the bowl with the the walnuts

Very lightly mash the 1/2 cup of remaining beans with a fork - I usually cut them in half and lightly press on them

Stir in the 1/2 cup beans, bread crumbs, flour and blue cheese

Place in the refrigerator for about 30 min

After chilled, form patties on a large baking sheet. I used a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop and shaped them into 1/2 inch high patties with my hands

Lightly brush the top and sides with olive oil. Carefully flip using a spatula and brush olive oil on the bottom. Add to the preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes, flipping the patties halfway through

Add the patties to the slider buns and top with arugula and blue cheese sauce (recipe below)

* I recommend Love Beets, cooked and vacuum packed regular and baby beets. I find them at both my regular grocery store and Whole Foods in the refrigerated section. Trader Joe's also sells vacuum packed beets

Blue Cheese Sauce

Makes approximately 1 cup sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk
• Salt and pepper, for seasoning

DIRECTIONS

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. I like to mash up some of the larger blue cheese chunks

Taste and season with salt and pepper