You melt my heart.
Picture the most melty, comforting, ooey, gooey, kinda messy (in a good way), mouth watering, delicious thing you can think of. Now replace that image with this vegan lentil Frisco melt, because this patty melt will blow you away. This is like what you want to eat at Midnight, or to cure a hangover. This is comfort food. However, on that note, this is not really all that unhealthy. It may seem that way, since it is so GD amazing, but rest assured, this is definitely a step up from any late night fast food.
This vegan lentil Frisco melt is not just late night food. I must confess, I have had one for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They are addictive. The lentil patties are super easy, baked and would be great all on their own. They have incredible flavor, hold together really well, and can be made gluten free very easily.
The lentil patties are mostly lentils and bread crumbs, using a flax egg as a binder. Then if you just switch out the bread crumbs for gluten free bread crumbs and use gluten free bread for the sandwich, you are all set for anyone who does vegan and gluten free.
As the lentil patties bake, you can make the most incredible vegan Frisco sauce! It is so freaking good, and I kinda want to put it on all my sandwiches. Smash the lentil patty with Frisco sauce, onions and vegan cheese if you want (it is actually delicious either way!) on bread in a hot pan. Making the outside of the bread crispy and brown, but ooey gooey on the inside.
After eating this vegan lentil Frisco melt, your life may never be the same! I know I am forever changed. I find myself just wondering off thinking of these patty melts, until I am lost and have no idea where I am.
Meaty lentil patties, Frisco sauce, onions and vegan cheese if you like. On bread, smashed into a hot pan making the outside crispy and brown and the inside ooey and gooey.
- 1 C. Cooked lentils
- 2 Tbsp. Flaxseed meal
- 3 Tbsp. Water
- 3/4 C. Panko bread crumbs
- 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
- 1 tsp. Liquid smoke
- 1 tsp. Soy sauce or tamari
- 1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
- a pinch of Salt and pepper
- 1/2 C. Vegan mayo
- 2 Tbsp. Ketchup
- 2 tsp. Sweet pickle relish
- 2 tsp. Agave syrup
- 1 Tbsp. Apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. Smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. Onion powder
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- a pinch of Black pepper
- Sandwich bread of choice
- 1/4 a White onion, sliced thin
- Vegan cheese (optional)
- Vegan butter for spreading on the bread
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
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In a large mixing bowl, add your cup of cooked lentils. Then smash them, I like to use the back of a fork or a potato masher. Smash them pretty well, but so that they still have some texture, you don't want a smooth paste. It should still be chunky.
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Then in a small bowl, whisk together the flaxseed and the water. Set aside to thicken for a minute to make a flax egg.
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Then to the bowl with the lentils, add the panko, olive oil, liquid smoke, soy sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
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Then add in the flax egg. Stir everything together until fully combined. The mixture should hold together easily.
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Now form patties from the lentil mixture. It will make 2 large patties or 4 small ones. Divide the mixture and roll into a large ball, then flatten into a patty.
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Spray a baking sheet with non stick spray, then place the patties on the baking sheet, and spray the tops of the patties with more non stick spray. Then bake for 20 minutes, flipping the patties after 10 minutes. Or until the patties are firm.
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While the patties are baking make the Frisco sauce. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk all the sauce ingredients together. Taste, adjust seasonings, set aside.
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Once the patties are done, spread one piece of bread with the Frisco sauce, then add sliced onion, then a patty, then vegan cheese if you want. Then more sauce on the other slice of bread. Put the sandwich together.
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Heat a pan on medium high, and either add some olive oil to the pan, or spread the top piece of bread with vegan butter. Then place the sandwich buttered-side down in the pan.
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Press the sandwich down in the pan, and brown one side for a minute or so. Then spread the other piece of bread that is on top now with vegan butter. Flip and brown that side, smashing down the sandwich.
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Then, once the melt is all brown and hot and gooey, remove from the pan, and serve immediately!
To make this recipe gluten free, replace the panko with gluten free bread crumbs, the soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos, and the bread with your favorite gluten free bread.
This will make 2 larger sandwiches, or 4 smaller ones.
10 Comments
Allie
July 30, 2018 at 12:55 amI’ve been vegan for a little less than a year and try a new recipe or two every week, this was by far the best one yet!! My meat loving husband thought it was excellent as well! Thank you so much for the recipe, it will be a regular at our house!
Lauren Hartmann
August 3, 2018 at 8:36 pmThis is so amazing to hear! You are so welcome! This is by far my favorite new recipe!
Mariah
August 2, 2018 at 10:47 pmI love this recipe! But my dad has an allergic to flaxseed, do you have any ingredients in mind that i could use to replace them?
Lauren Hartmann
August 3, 2018 at 8:38 pmYou can use chia seeds instead, would that work? It is the made the same way with the same ratio of seeds to water.
janisis@hotmail.com
August 5, 2018 at 4:29 pmWhat vegan cheese did you use?
Lauren Hartmann
August 5, 2018 at 5:35 pmI used Parmela’s Mozzarella style shreds. It is my favorite!
Rachel Topaz
August 5, 2018 at 9:11 pmThis looks so yumm!! Can’t wait to make it!!
Jenny
August 11, 2018 at 7:58 pmI doubled the recipe and the mixture was all crumbly so I made another flax egg. Still not perfect. I used bread crumbs instead of panko. Could that be why? Did get the patties to form but I’m nervous about eating them, that they’ll fall apart easy. They smell awesome, though!
Lauren Hartmann
August 11, 2018 at 10:43 pmI’m not 100% sure what happened, but they definitely should hold together. I don’t think it would be because of using regular bread crumbs instead of panko. The only thing I can think of is making sure that the lentils are smashed enough so that the mixture is wet enough. However, as long as you got them to form a patty, they shouldn’t fall apart once they are baked. I hope it worked out for you, let me know how it went!
Jadh Lyke
August 14, 2018 at 11:19 pmMade this on Sunday and it was so good. Thank you!