In celebration of Labor Day weekend, I had to keep the tradition going with a delicious veggie burger recipe!

These beet burgers are seriously filling. They are loaded with brown rice, black beans, beets, oat bran, and jalapeños to add a little heat! They’re also gluten-free, vegan, low-fat, and will give your average beef burger a run for its money.

Beet Burgers- serves 4

Ingredients
1 can low-sodium black beans
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup finely chopped beets (I used canned)
2 Tbsp diced jalapeños
2 Tbsp oat bran
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp Medjool Date BBQ Sauce or BBQ sauce of your choice

Toppings
4 slices of Monterey Jack cheese or vegan cheese
1 tomato, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
Kale or lettuce

Directions
Strain beans, but do not rinse. Place beans in a food processor and pulse until mashed but not puréed (you want some texture/chunks in there.) Transfer beans to a mixing bowl. Strain beets and place beets in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Measure 1/4 cup and add to the mixing bowl. Add the diced jalapeños, brown rice, oat bran, chili powder, paprika, and salt and fold until well combined. Divide the mixture into four and form patties.

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place the patties on the foil lined baking sheet and place in the fridge for 1 hour. This is an important step in getting the right consistency. After the patties have been chilled, preheat the oven to 375. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and cook for 30 minutes.

Remove the patties from the oven at the half-way mark (15 minutes) and baste with barbecue sauce (do not flip the patties). Place the baking sheet back in the oven and continue baking for the remaining cooking time (15 minutes). If you wish to add cheese, set the oven to broil during the last minute of cooking, place cheese on each patty and broil for about 30 seconds. Serve on a whole grain bun, in a fresh lettuce wrap, or on “grilled portobello buns” and enjoy your long weekend!

Note: Make sure to chill the patties in the refrigerator before baking.
Spicy Tip: Beet Burgers aren’t super spicy, but if you want them a little more mild, remove seeds from the jalapeños or try using green chillies.
Shortcut: I used precooked brown rice and heated it in the microwave before adding to the recipe to save me a few minutes. I also used canned beets and black beans.
Warning: Do not grill on a barbecue, they can fall apart.

*This post was originally published on Catherine’s website, Rabbit Food for My Bunny Teeth. For more from Catherine visit http://rabbitfoodformybunnyteeth.com.