Nothing screams summer like burgers, but sometimes the same old beef burgers get a little boring, or are off-limits to many people because of dietary restrictions. Black bean burgers are the perfect alternative. I like them because they taste great, and they happen to be good for you. They’re low in fat, packed with protein, and these ones are really easy to make. I’ll admit, my family prefers the meat kind, but they sure didn’t mind eating these burgers. I topped them with guacamole, which is always a big hit in our house, so I think that helped.  You can eat them without the bun and just guacamole if you want (that’s what I had for lunch the next day), or serve them in a bun with the usual burger toppings such as cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, mustard, ketchup, etc. You can even crumble them into a salad if you’d like. They’re very versatile, so even if you don’t eat all of the patties for dinner, you’ll easily find a way to use up the extra ones.

Black Bean Burger Patties
2 cans (19 oz) black beans
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tbsp flour

In a large bowl, mash up black beans. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. PLace 1/2 cup mounds of mixture onto a greased baking sheet and form into patties. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes, flipping patties halfway through baking time. Makes about 7 patties.
If desired, top with sliced cheese and return to warm oven until melted.