New American Veggie Cheeseburgers

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.
2. In a large skillet combine chopped onions, minced garlic (reserving one clove for Cheese Sauce), and ¼ cup water. Cook over medium-low 5 to 7 minutes or until onion is translucent.
3. In a food processor combine the next five ingredients (through mushrooms). Pulse until vegetables are uniform ¼-inch bits. Transfer vegetables to skillet; add parsley, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon of the vinegar, the thyme, paprika, and black pepper. Cook 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and most of the liquid is cooked off.
4. Add quinoa, flour, bread crumbs, and salt; mix well. Cook 5 minutes more. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes.
5. Place a 2 ½-inch round patty mold or cookie cutter on one of the prepared baking sheets. Fill the mold with about ½ cup of the vegetable mixture; press with the back of a spoon to compact. Carefully remove mold. Repeat to make a total of 10 patties on the baking sheet.
6. Bake burgers on middle rack in oven 20 minutes.
7. For toppings, in a bowl combine sliced red onion, sliced bell peppers, and 2 tablespoons vinegar; mix well. Arrange vegetables on the second baking sheet. Bake on top rack in oven 20 minutes.
8. For Cheese Sauce, peel the potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Place potatoes in a steamer basket in a large saucepan. Add water to pan to just below basket. Bring to boiling. Steam, covered, 10 to 15 minutes or until very tender. Transfer potatoes to a blender; cool. Add the plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, the remaining vinegar, and remaining minced garlic. Blend just until smooth. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer sauce to a saucepan; heat until thick and warmed through.
9. Split buns and warm them in a toaster or skillet. Top each bun half with a burger, onion-pepper mixture, and Cheese Sauce.