Mushroom, Spinach & Swiss Brown Rice Patties

Disclosure:  This post is written in partnership with Florida Prepaid College Foundation as a member of their Believer Bloggers program. As always, all opinions here are my own.

Get $25 off your Florida Prepaid application fee with the code : Prep1718.

I'm usually not one for making formal New Year's Resolutions, especially since I tend to spend the entire year trying to better myself and work on the things I need to improve upon. {Ugh, Virgo perfectionism.} But I have to say that since becoming a mom, I've spent a lot more time thinking about yearly goals for our family and for our contributions to Cole's future.

This year, Steve and I are planning to focus on reaching some big financial goals for our family, which is both exciting and overwhelming. As we've tucked away pennies to help us meet our objectives, we've both struggled with the burden of student loan debt interfering with reaching our target as quickly as we like. {Although, thank heavens, I am locked in at a very low interest rate and reasonable monthly payment which makes it all bearable at best.}

We both look at student loan debt as "necessary debt", and have worked diligently to make sure that we are otherwise debt-free... but wouldn't it be nice if we could spare Cole from entering adulthood with part of the $1 trillion worth of financial baggage that so many of us carry? {Yes, student loan debt has reached that astronomical figure among Americans.}

The thing is, we can. No, we have not won the lottery and our businesses haven't suddenly catapulted us into millionaire status, but thanks to Florida Prepaid plans we have been able to start saving for Cole's schooling with the confidence that, when the time comes, those costs will be taken care of. Continuing to contribute to the plan we've chosen is most definitely going to be part of our yearly "resolutions", and it can be part of yours, too, if you're thinking of taking the plunge. {That sounds way scarier than it actually is.}

All it takes is about 10-15 minutes to start making good on your promises by filling out an application on Florida Prepaid's site. And because I want to help you keep your New Year's resolutions, you can use the code Prep1718 and save $25 on the cost of the application fee.  Don't forget to put it on your "Things To Do" for this month; open enrollment ends at the end of February and that'll be here before we know it!

I can't drive you to the gym every morning or get you to finally clean out that junk drawer that will barely shut. But this? This is a resolution that we can make together for our kids, and one I intent to keep!

Now about those "healthier lifestyle" resolutions...

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I know, I know. All this talk of saving money and sending kids to college probably makes you want to toss any and all healthy eating resolutions out the window and sink your teeth into a burger.

I've got you covered, my friend. Behold my Mushroom, Spinach & Swiss Brown Rice Patties.

Ok, fine, it's not a burger. But it's hearty, earthy, cheesy and delightful, and that's nothing to turn up your nose at.

Currently, my child is in a "cheesy rice" phase, which means that several times a week, I make him a bowl of brown rice with a sprinkle of cheese. During the 234897384th time of making this for him, I noticed that the rice would clump together into a ball with the melted cheese as a binding, and I wondered if I could turn it into a patty for actual grown up taste buds.

I could, and I did! With the addition of sauteed onions, garlic, mushrooms and thyme {plus a nice little breaded crust that gives it a bit of a crunchy exterior} it is most certainly something I wouldn't mind making a few times a week. While I made this batch, I thought of a handful of other flavor combinations for these patties, and I hope to try them soon.

Can't say the same thing about those exercise plans... 😛

Mushroom, Spinach & Swiss Brown Rice Patties

The Kitchen Prep

Ok, fine, it’s not a burger. But it’s hearty, earthy, cheesy and delightful, and that’s nothing to turn up your nose at.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Chill Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

  

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¾ cup finely chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic grated or minced
• 1 ½ cups roughly chopped baby bella mushrooms rinsed and drained
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 ½ cups roughly chopped spinach
• 2 cups cooked brown rice {I used frozen and zapped in the microwave}
• ½ cup {heaping} grated Swiss cheese
• ½ cup breadcrumbs {I used gluten free but you can use regular or panko}

Instructions

 

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until slightly softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute, stirring often.
• Add chopped mushrooms to pan and cook until they begin to release water. Sprinkle with thyme and salt. Cook, stirring often until most of the liquid has evaporated.
• Stir in spinach and cook until completely wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add brown rice to the skillet and stir to combine. Reduc
• Sprinkle grated swiss over the rice mixture, and stir until the cheese is melted. {You should see stringy melted cheese as you stir.} Cool until it is a comfortable temperature for handling.
• Meanwhile, place breadcrumbs into a bowl or on a small plate. Prepare a small baking pan by lining with parchment paper or foil sprayed with a bit of oil.
• Using a ½ cup measuring cup, scoop out a portion of the rice mixture and shape into a ball, then gently flatten into a patty.
• Carefully place patty in the breadcrumbs and press down a bit to adhere, then flip and repeat.* Place onto prepared baking pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

To cook patties:

• For pan cooking, spray a skillet with oil {or pour in a small amount of oil if you don't have a Misto} over medium heat, and cook the patties for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned and heated through. To bake, heat the oven to 375 and bake for 10-12 minutes on each side or until golden and cooked through.