Pinto Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayo

This is my kind of food-beans, corn, avocado, chipolte pepper, etc etc. It's perfectly herbivore and perfectly satisfying. No meat. No high costs. No guilt.

I am still a bit of a tyro when it comes to working with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (found in your grocery store by enchilada sauces, refried beans, etc). It's really a bang for your buck, for you only need one pepper per recipe (in most cases) and the can is packed full with at least 8-10 peppers. See? Lots of leftovers for future recipes. Though I'm not sure how long the things last in the refrigerator before a little chucking in the upchuck is required. I keep the peppers around for about a week then toss whatever is remaining.

But these little, seemingly harmless chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are HOT HOT HOT. You think I'm joking? This husband of mine, this person who orders the most death-defining deep red enchilada sauces at any Mexican restaurant, this man who eats raw jalapeno slices, seeds included, all over his pizza.... THOUGHT the chipotle -infused mayo on top of this burger was quite the fire party in his mouth! Yes. It was hot. Yes you may want to lessen your chipotle pepper addition if you are serving this to children or elderly.

Other than my mouth not recovering for hours because of the heat, this was a keeper-favorite. Really. I mean, it's not hotdog-on-the-grill good, but it's, this-tastes-healthy-and-filling good. Hmm... grilled hot dogs. Outdoors. With corn on the cob. OOooohhhh my taste buds are jumping up and down just at the thought.

Pinto Burgers with Chipotle Pepper Mayo

{Cooking Light Cookbook}

Burgers:

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño pepper

2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained

1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no salt-added whole-kernel corn, drained

Chipotle Mayonnaise:

1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise

1 teaspoon canned minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce

Remaining ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil

4 (1 1/2-ounce) whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted

4 romaine lettuce leaves

Slices of ripe avocado

To prepare burgers, combine the first 10 ingredients in a large bowl. Add pinto beans and corn; partially mash with a fork. Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each portion into a 3 1/2-inch patty, and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

To prepare chipotle mayonnaise, combine mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon chipotle in a small bowl; set aside.

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to pan, and cook 4 minutes on each side or until thoroughly heated. Place patties on bottom halves of buns; top each patty with mayonnaise, 1 lettuce leaf, avocado, and top half of bun.