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Summer is all about fun in the sun, right? Not only that, but it is the season of easy, delicious food and fabulous low-key gatherings with friends and family. You know how much I love making gorgeous table spreads, but when you’re the only vegetarian household in your circle, it’s hard to get people to come to your parties. (Not really, but you get the gist.) I usually play it safe with the menu and stick to fruit, desserts, and quick munchies, but as a foodie desperately want to present my best recipes and show off a little. We don’t cook or serve meat in our house, and with so many veggie cuisine choices out there I decided that enough was enough and it was time to invite them into my world!
I have long been touting the benefits of a plant based diet to my family for a while now, and with promises of amazing new dishes I convinced them to let me throw them a picnic that was unlike anything they’ve experienced before. So, with that idea and a variety of MorningStar Farms goodies from Target, I set out to give them the best, most deliciously awesome grilled burger bar they’ve ever tasted. And get this – they loved it! Even my 84 year old grandmother enjoyed her custom built veggie burger, and that’s saying something!
Trying new foods can be scary, and I knew I wasn’t going to convert them to a vegetarian lifestyle, but my goal was to show them that it’s okay to switch out meat-based meals every once in a while without sacrificing flavor. My go-to when it comes to protein is always MorningStar Farms, and I firmly support their “Veg of Allegiance” initiative that encourages people to go meatless for at least one meal a week. I’ll tell you more about it later in the post, but for now let’s talk about this burger bar!
I started with a variety of burger flavor choices – MorningStar Farms Grillers Original (a basic burger patty), Spicy Black Bean, and Garden Veggie Patties. I also threw in some veggie bacon strips as a topping option. I cooked them all on the grill, but you can use the oven if you wish. One great thing about cooking veggie burgers like these is there is almost no prep time – just open up the package and pop them on the grill! Don’t they just look delicious?
I also made sure to include a variety of toppings, bread options, and sides for everyone to choose from. Check out my gorgeous spread:
I even made a fun sign for the picnic – isn’t it cute? You can print yours out here: 1, 2, and 3.
For the drinks I whipped up limeade and orange juice punch. I’m a very visual person, and besides tasting great they look great with my bar too!
We had a great time building our burgers and choosing toppings, and I loved seeing how everyone personalized theirs.
Here is my personal favorite – to make it all you need is a spicy black bean patty, some pepper jack cheese, a pineapple ring, and some pico de gallo. Pile it all on a bun and serve. YUM!
The picnic turned out to be a big hit, and I was so happy with how well everyone liked their burgers! I got so many amazing photos of the day that I can’t stop sharing them, so check out these random shots of all the gorgeous details from our picnic. 
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Now that I’ve shown you my ultimate veggie burger bar, what is your idea of the best veggie burger?
