I absolutely love cheeseburgers, and I also fancy hearty salads, so why not smash them together into one marvelous meal? This is my Cheeseburger Salad Recipe. And ya know, you gotta include crispy potatoes for the win!
The next time you’re craving a Big Mac, skip the drive through and make this at home instead. This spin-off of an American classic brings all the juicy flavors of a drool-worthy burger together in a bowl without the bun. It comes together quickly, as you don’t have to form patties or fire up the grill! If this is right up your alley, other ground beef recipes you’ll want to check out include my Beef Enchilada “Crunchwrap” Supreme, this Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf, and my family recipe for 3-Generation Classic Lasagna.
WATCH OUR VIDEO ON THE GRAM!
INGREDIENTS FOR THIS RECIPE:
Per the usual, I grabbed everything for this recipe from my local Earth Fare. They always have high quality produce and shelf staples that I pretty much purchase every time I visit. Potatoes are from Melissa’s, I always grab their Field Day condiments, Verde Farms Organic Ground Beef, Organic Girl’s Romaine, and of course I gotta support local with my friend Dave’s Still There Shine Sauce Blackening Rub. Here’s a full list of what I used:
FOR THE CRISPY SMASHED POTATOES:
- Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes
- Blackening Rub
- Olive Oil
HOMEMADE BURGER SAUCE:
- Mayonnaise
- Yellow Mustard
- Ketchup
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Paprika
- Cornichon Juice
- Cornichon (basically a teeny-tiny pickle)
TO ASSEMBLE THE CHEESEBURGER SALAD BOWLS:
- Ground Beef
- Blackening Rub
- Romaine Lettuce
- White Onion
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Cheddar Cheese
- White Sesame Seeds
To utilize the best of your time, I like to start the smashed potatoes first, then while those are cooking I mix together the sauce / dressing. Set that in the fridge to let the flavors mingle a bit, then you’ll drizzle it on top after assembling the cheeseburger salad bowls. I also start to brown the ground beef while the potatoes are finishing up.
VARIATIONS:
While this might not be the prettiest salad… man-oh-man is it oh-so-satisfying. Seriously, you’re gonna love it. Here are some swaps if you don’t have what I used on hand.
PROTEIN: While I prefer to use 93/7 ground beef, you could also substitute with ground chicken, turkey, or even plant-based ground meat. Oh, and sometimes I like to add crumbled bacon if I have it.
ONIONS: I know some folks aren’t a fan of raw onions (you can use white or red here), so you can substitute those with pickled onions, or you can cook the onions along with your beef to soften them and get a more caramelized flavor. Heck, you could even add onion rings… that would be fun!
ADD SOME SPICE: I’m always a spicy food lover, but my littles aren’t quite there yet. But if you want to add some to your bowl, go ahead and add some fresh, pickled, or canned jalapeños. Or you can place a dollop of crushed Calabrian peppers in the sauce.
MORE HEARTY SALAD IDEAS:
Baby Romaine Crunch Bowl with Creamy Sesame Dressing
Butter Bean and Asaparagus Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
Chicken, Berry, Feta, and Arugula Salad with Sumac Dressing
Homemade Antipasto Salad with Tangy Dressing
Crispy Quinoa Salad with Cucumbers, Avocado, and Edamame
Piadine’s with Creamy Italian Salad
California Chickpea Avocado Salad
Sunshine Cobb with Bright Vinaigrette
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Apples
Chicken Dijon Cobb with Dill-Dijon Vinaigrette
Kitchen Sink Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
CLICK HERE FOR ALL RECIPES!
- 12 Yukon Gold Baby Potatoes
- 1 tbsp. Blackening Seasoning
- 3 tbsp. Olive Oil
- ¼ cup Mayonnaise
- 1 tsp. Yellow Mustard
- 1 - 2 tbsp. Ketchup
- ¼ tsp. Onion Powder
- ¼ tsp. Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp. Paprika
- Splash of Cornichon / Pickle Juice
- 1 Cornichon / Baby Pickle, chopped small
- 1 lb. Ground Beef
- 1 tbsp. Blackening Seasoning
- 2 cups Chopped Romaine Lettuce
- ¼ cup White Onion, chopped small
- ½ pint Cherry Tomatoes, halved (1 cup)
- 4 oz. Cheddar (1 cup shredded)
- 1 tbsp. White Sesame Seeds, optional
- ¼ cup Sliced Cornichon / Baby Pickles, optional
- Fill a large pot with cold water and add potatoes. Bring potatoes to a boil and cook over medium heat for approximately 15 minutes. Cooking time might vary slightly based on the size of your potatoes, but you should easily be able to pierce them with a fork. Drain potatoes and allow them to cool.
- Using the back of a spatula or bottom of a cup, press down gently on the potatoes, creating a disk shape. Place on air fryer rack and repeat with remaining potatoes.
- Place the olive oil in a small bowl and mix together with the blackening seasoning. Brush the olive oil mixture on both sides of each potato.
- Air fry for 10 minutes total, switching the racks halfway through for even cooking.
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and set aside in the refrigerator until you're ready to eat.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet with blackening seasoning. Drain and set aside.
- Layer each bowl with an even amount of romaine lettuce, white onion, cherry tomatoes, cheese, ground beef, crispy smashed potatoes, and top with optional white sesame seeds and cornichon slices. Drizzle with desired amount of sauce and enjoy!
NOTES ON THIS RECIPE:
- If you’d like to substitute the smashed potatoes with a different tater instead… go for it! I’ve got these Air Fryer Potato Wedges, my Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, or these Dutch Oven Roasted Potatoes on my blog. 🙂
- Please shred your own cheese when you can. Trust me, it makes a difference.
- I mentioned that the cornichons are optional for the burger bowls, as I already diced and put some in the burger sauce. If you’re a pickle lover like me, go ahead and add more to the bowl.
- This is a great meal prep recipe. Simply cook everything and store in separate containers in the refrigerator. I like to allow the crispy smashed potatoes to cool before storing, as it will keep them crunchy and not steam in a container. Then you just quickly assemble when you’re ready to eat.
This post is sponsored in partnership with Earth Fare. Per the usual, all opinions here are mine alone and I would never recommend a product or grocery store that I did not immensely enjoy myself. Thank you for supporting the brands that support SliceOfJess.com!
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