Vegetarian Sliders

I stumbled upon this recipe (for vegetarian meatballs, but we weren't looking for meatballs, so we flattened them) while searching for a veggie burger Kaia would eat that was not soy-based. I don't have anything against soy. I just think we eat plenty of it already, so it's nice to have options. I also like that this recipe gets her to eat walnuts, which she will not eat any other way, and eggs, which she will only occasionally eat hard-boiled...but just the yolks. She gives the whites to Hallie.

Anyway, I don't know where I got the recipe, but here it is. I have actually changed it a bit from the original. The method is different, and I use more nuts, and grind them. You can substitute non-dairy cheese (use one you like, and which melts well) or you can try leaving out the cheese and adding about 1/4 nutritional yeast (I think you might have to add a few extra breadcrumbs, too). I have tried both variations, and they work fine, but, I have to admit, these are best with real cheese. I can't eat them that way, but the are best. Not sure if you could use an egg substitute, too, and make them vegan. Possibly, but they do use a lot of eggs, so I am not sure how well it would work.

Well, anyway, here goes:


Ingredients

* 4 eggs, slightly beaten
* 1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
* 2 cups grated cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, Italian blend or Mexican blend all work well)
* 1 generous cup walnut pieces, ground in the food processor (measure before grinding)
* 1 cup dry Italian style breadcrumbs
* 2-3 vegetarian bouillon cubes, or the equivalent (enough to make 2-3 cups vegetable broth. Or use 2-3 cups of vegetable broth instead of water in step 5)

Directions

1. Mix ingredients together in order.
2. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Form into 1-1/4 inch balls and place on baking sheet sprayed with Pam, flattening (like a cookie ~ not too flat)
4. Bake in 400 degree oven until brown, about 20 minutes (turn after 10 minutes to brown evenly).
5. (May be frozen now. In fact, I often freeze about 1/2 of the recipe and serve the other half right away. That way, I've got the jump on another good dinner down the line.) Place burgers in rectangular baking dish or casserole and cover with 2-3 cups boiling water and 2-3 cubes or envelopes vegetarian brown broth.
6. Your tiny burgers will probably float on top of the liquid.
7. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour (1-1/2 hrs if frozen).
8. As meatballs (just form little balls, instead of patties), may be prepared in a crockpot on high setting for 1 hour (or 1-1/2 if frozen).

Serve on tiny buns with tiny pickles, tiny bits of lettuce and sliced cherry tomatoes. Aw, aren't they cute? And yummy, too.