Place diced squash on a parchment lined cookie sheet, sprinkle with ⅛ teaspoon salt and bake for 15 minutes.
At the 15 minute mark, add apples and shallots to the cookie sheet and sprinkle with the other ⅛ teaspoon salt. Bake another 30 minutes. Set aside to cool while you assemble everything else.
Put the veggie mix in a food processor with the thyme and pulse until chunky. Do not puree into a mush or paste. Add to a large bowl.
Next add the cooked rice and pumpkin seeds to the food processor and pulse until chopped a bit but still chunky. Add to the bowl.
Mix everything well. Add more salt if preferred.
Shape into 4 patties, then cook on stove top in a pan over medium heat for 7-9 minutes on each side or until browned. Keep pan covered to help the burger cook throughout and not dry out. If you're mixture was on the wetter side, then leave uncovered. Let sit for a few minutes after cooking to help the burger get more stable before eating.
Serve with toppings of choice!
Notes
You can use any rice you prefer, just make sure it's hearty and not too mushy.
If you want to roast the squash/apples/shallots with a drizzle of oil you can, however I did not and it turned out great.
I like these with both the aioli or the ranch with caramelized onions on top. Mix it up however you choose!
If your mixture seems dry, you make not have cooked the rice enough. If it is too wet, you probably overcooked the rice or used too much water to cook it.
Tips to prep ahead:
Roast the veggies/fruit, make the rice and/or sauces ahead of time. You can also make the patties and store in the fridge until the next day.
Baby/Kid Food Ideas:
Form these into small nugget sized pieces or even balls. Serve ranch as a dip.