These cheese and rice burgers are another very old favourite recipe from one of my first veggie cookbooks that I talked about in the leek, potato and coriander bake post. This one’s from “The Seasonal Vegetarian” by Sarah Bounds. It’s an unusual idea but it works really well; the combination of cheese and rice makes a tasty and indulgent burger.
The original recipe suggests Cheddar with onion and herbs which you can get in most supermarkets. I was a bit uncertain about the idea of flavoured cheese and when I first made them I used regular Cheddar and added finely chopped onion and herbs. However, the flavoured cheeses tend to have a slightly ‘squidgier’ texture than normal Cheddar which helps the burgers stick together.
Last time I made them I used Cheddar with jalapenos, labelled as Mexican Cheddar in most supermarkets. It’s surprisingly spicy and gave the burgers a good chilli kick.
You can serve these rice burgers in the traditional way, in a bun, but they’re also good with pitta bread and salad.
Cheese And Rice Burgers
Ingredients
- 75 g Cheddar cheese with onion and herbs or Mexican Cheddar
- 75 g long-grain brown rice cooked and cooled
- 1/2 tsp English mustard
- 1 egg might not be needed
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Mix the rice, grated cheese and mustard in a bowl.
- Give it a good stir and if it doesn't seem to be sticking together add enough egg to bind it.
- Shape into 4 burgers, either with a burger press or by hand, and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat.
- Fry the burgers gently for 4-5 minutes on each side so that the cheese melts helping to hold them together as you turn them.
- Before serving, remove any excess oil with kitchen paper.