Meatless Monday: Buffalo Chick(pea) Sliders

Mr. Foodwhore and I love spicy foods. Buffalo chicken sandwiches are one of our favorites. But they are hardly healthy. As part of my efforts to incorporate more meatless meals into our diet, I went back to a trusted favorite food blogger, Ashlee, at Veggie By Season. Ashlee has written a few blogs over the years with some great recipes that I have enjoyed. This is another one of hers and another favorite of mine! One thing I loved about these patties is that they were substantial and held their shape well throughout cooking and eating--both of which are rare traits in veggie patties.

Buffalo Chick(pea) Sliders
adpated from Veggie By Season

Ingredients
1 15 oz. can chick peas, drained

1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup buffalo sauce (Franks Red Hot is my favorite)
1 egg white, beaten
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. In a food processor, combine 3/4 of the chick peas, buffalo sauce, oats and 3/4 of the onion. Pulse until mixture is well blended and no large piece remain.


2. Add the remaining chick peas and onion and pulse just once to break up the peas, but not puree them like the rest.

3. Dump the mixture into a bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Note: the patty mix can be stored in the frige over night if you prefer to make it ahead of time.

4. Form patties from the mixture. (I made four large patties, which was a bit much for us. Next time I will probably make five or six and save the leftovers. Plus, these are pretty big patties to be called sliders!)

5. Heat the griddle to medium and  coat with non-stick spray.

6. Add the patties and cook for approx. seven minutes on each side.

7. To serve, we made sliders out of french rolls, lettuce, tomato and onion (and more Frank's Red Hot) and served with steak fries. Next time, I definitely want to add some bleu cheese crumbles to the sandwich for extra flavor.

Nutritional Info: this recipe makes four large patties at 154 calories each

UPDATE: I've since made this recipe a few more times and changed it up just a bit. I now add 2-3 tbsp bleu cheese crumbles to the mix for an extra bit of flavor.  And I've also made smaller nuggets with this recipe to serve as an appetizer (be sure to serve some bleu cheese dressing for dipping)!

Looking for something to do with the leftover patties? Try the Buffalo Blue Cheese Benedict!

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore