I somehow missed most of the pumpkin baking season this year. Between work, traveling and who knows what happened, I barely baked with pumpkin this year. Which means that I still have one large jar of pumpkin puree in my pantry just begging to be used. Seriously, its TALKING to me, guys. Yes, I have a problem.

So, I used half of the giant can to make this amazing pumpkin bread. But I still have some left. Instead of immediately baking with it – I decided to try something not-so-sweet based on what I had in my pantry. I didn’t tell B these had pumpkin in them until after he tried (and enjoyed) them – so that should tell you something. Success? Yes!

Pumpkin Black Bean Burgers

Here’s what you need:

• 1/2 c canned pumpkin
• 1/2 c. cooked grain of your choice – e.g. rice, quinoa, freekeh, etc. I used freekeh which has a similar texture to rice but more whole grain, protein and fiber
• 1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained (about 1 1/2 c. black beans)
• 1 green onion, diced
• 1 diced carrot
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon ground flax seed
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 Tablespoon cumin

Here’s what you do:

1. Saute the diced carrot and green onion in olive oil until softened.
2. Divide the rinsed and drained canned beans in half. Mash half of them with a fork – not so they become a paste but enough so that they become mushy.
3. Put it all together! Mix together pumpkin, cooked freekeh (or quinoa or rice), whole beans and mushy beans, cooked veggies and flax seed. Combine until everything is evenly distributed.
4. Add spices (cumin, garlic powder and chili powder) and continue to mix well.
5. Create 4-5 patties, about 1/3 – 1/2 cup in size and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour. This will help the patties harden somewhat so they keep their shape while cooking.
6. When hardened, cook the patties! I put them on a pan sprayed with Pam and cooked on medium until each side was somewhat browned.
7. Enjoy! I like mine with avocado on top of a salad.

Some questions for you:

• What’s your favorite way to use pumpkin? Do you have any savory recipes to share? Please? 🙂
• Do you like veggie burgers?
• Have you tried freekeh yet? If you’re looking for inspiration, I have a few recipes to share here and here.