Black Bean & "Chorizo" Blue Cheese-Stuffed Burgers

Last night we got an early start on the weekend by having our friends Chris and Vanessa over for cocktails and dinner.

I love having Thursday night plans because they make the weekend feel so much longer. It was great to come home from a long day at work to this colorful pitcher of goodness waiting:

Vanessa made these beer cocktails based on a recipe she found on Pinterest. She just combined Coronas, 1 can of pink lemonade mix and a few ounces of vodka (she used pink lemonade vodka).  They were so tasty and refreshing for a hot summer day!

Since it was only around 95 degrees out and definitely not weather for cooking over a stove, the boys made us a feast on the grill. While our little Mexican barbecue was grilling away, we sipped on our cocktails and nibbled on chips & salsa on the patio.

By the time dinner was served, my mouth was watering. 

 

Homemade black bean & "chorizo" burgers stuffed with blue cheese and spread with chipotle mayo were on the menu, along with some grilled corn on the cob. If you're a fan of store bought black bean burgers, then you will LOVE these ones. They are crispy on the outside and soft & fluffy on the inside, and have a slight kick tempered by the tangy bite of the surprise blue cheese filling and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Both the boys, who are most definitely meat eaters, seriously loved these.

They take about an hour to make, but believe me, they are worth it. They are also enormous! I was stuffed before long, so only ate two bites of my corn and gave the last few bites of my burger to Matt. Be ready to stuff your face!


Black Bean & "Chorizo" Blue Cheese-Stuffed Burgers 
with Chipotle Mayo

Makes 5 large burgers


Ingredients
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 habanero pepper, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cobs of corn, kernels removed
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. Adobo seasoning
1 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
6 oz. soy chorizo ("soyrizo")
1 egg
6 oz. crumbled blue cheese
1 avocado, diced
1 cup light mayonnaise
1 chipotle + 1 tsp. adobo (from a can of chipotle in adobo)
Fresh lime wedges

In a saute pan, gently cook onions, habanero pepper, garlic and corn together until soft. Add chili powder and Adobo seasoning, then set aside. In a food processor blend the black beans until smooth, then transfer to a bowl.

Mix together the cooked veggies, pureed black beans, breadcrumbs, soyrizo and egg. Once combined, form into 10 small patties; the mixture will be wet, so use wax paper to form them. On 5 of the burgers, put a small amount of blue cheese in the center, then top with another patty (this is how you stuff the burgers). Once all burgers are stuffed, put in the refrigerate for about 30 minutes, until set. Cook the burgers on the grill or in a saute pan for about 4 minutes on each side, until hot and slightly crisp.

While burgers are cooking, make the sauce by combining the mayo with the chipotle and adobo sauce.

Serve burgers on toasted buns with the chipotle mayo, diced avocado and fresh lime juice.