Loaded Cheeseburger Salad with Bacon and Special Sauce

Get ready for all the satisfaction of a juicy cheeseburger with the crisp freshness of a salad! This 20-minute bowl packs all your favorite loaded burger ingredients-tomato, pickle, lettuce, cheese and savory seasoned ground beef-plus a classic special sauce that doubles as dressing. It’s a quick, gluten-free dinner that will convince you to skip the bun (and skip the drive-through!).

Perfect for busy weeknights, this salad comes together in just 20 minutes. The seasoned beef is cooked with a touch of beef stock concentrate for extra richness, while the special sauce brings tangy, creamy notes that tie everything together. Top it all with crispy bacon and Monterey Jack cheese for a meal that’s both hearty and refreshing.

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Ingredients

1 unit Sliced Dill PickleView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

4 ounce BaconView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Baby LettuceView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon Fry SeasoningView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

10 ounce Ground BeefView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Beef Stock ConcentrateView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit KetchupView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon MayonnaiseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 cup Monterey Jack CheeseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit TomatoView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 teaspoon Dijon MustardView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 teaspoon (tsp) SugarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 teaspoon (tsp) Cooking OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) Black PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Wash and dry produce. Trim and discard root end from lettuce; roughly chop. Reserve ½ tsp pickle brine in a small bowl; drain and discard remaining brine and roughly chop pickle. Dice tomato.
2. Stir ½ tsp Fry Seasoning and ¼ tsp sugar into bowl with reserved pickle brine. (You’ll use the rest of the Fry Seasoning in the next step.)
3. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add beef, remaining Fry Seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned, 3-5 minutes. If there’s excess grease, carefully pour it out. Stir in stock concentrate and ¼ cup water. Cook, stirring, until liquid has absorbed and beef is cooked through, 2-3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.
4. Meanwhile, to bowl with pickle brine mixture, add mayonnaise, ketchup and half the mustard. Stir until well combined. Add water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency.
5. In a large bowl, toss lettuce with half the dressing and half the tomato. Divide salad between bowls. Top with beef, Monterey Jack, chopped pickle and remaining tomato. Drizzle with remaining dressing and serve.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use a different type of cheese?

Yes! Cheddar, Swiss or American cheese would all work well in this salad.

Can I make this salad ahead of time?

It’s best enjoyed fresh, but you can prep the ingredients (cook beef, chop veggies, make dressing) and assemble just before serving.

Is this salad gluten-free?

Yes, as written, this recipe is gluten-free. Just ensure your beef stock concentrate and fry seasoning are gluten-free.