Cheeseburger Salad

I don’t eat a lot of dainty salads. When I do eat salad, I like mine with lots of meat, cheese and extras. You know, like Doritos. I decided I wanted to make something that was kind of like a taco salad, but not tacos, and once cheeseburger salad popped into my head I knew that’s exactly what I wanted. I decided to mix and match some concepts and ideas from past recipes, like the sesame bun croutons from my Cheeseburger Soup and a twist on the meat/seasoning/ketchup/mustard combo I’ve used in recipes like my Bacon Cheeseburger Wraps, Cheeseburger Lettuce Wraps and Cheeseburger Wonton Cupcakes.

The results were just what I was looking for: a hearty, meaty, satisfying salad complete with cheese, croutons, tomatoes and pickles that tasted just like a cheeseburger…as a salad. I didn’t even use dressing on mine because the seasoned meat along with the tasty other components were super flavorful without it, but you could certainly add your favorite dressing. I think French or Catalina would be great for added tomato flavor.

To view your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here!

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Cheeseburger Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 25 minutes mins

Calories: 280kcal

A hearty, meaty, satisfying salad complete with seasoned beef, cheese, croutons, tomatoes and pickles - just like a cheeseburger!

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 hamburger bun with sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon light butter, I use Land O’Lakes
• A pinch of salt and garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 pound 95% lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon hamburger seasoning, I use McCormick
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 ½ teaspoons yellow mustard
• ½ teaspoon pickle juice, bring from the pickle jar
• 8 oz chopped romaine or other green leaf lettuce
• 2 oz reduced fat sharp cheddar, shredded (I used Cabot 50% reduced fat sharp cheddar)
• 1 plum tomato, chopped
• 2 pickle spears, chopped (I use Claussen kosher dill pickles – they’re my favorite!)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325 and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Using kitchen shears, cut the burger bun into bite-sized cubes (I got 28 cubes). Melt the tablespoon of butter in a bowl in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until completely melted and then toss the bun cubes in butter to coat. Sprinkle with just a bit of salt and garlic powder and toss. Spread the cubes in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for 15-16 minutes until they have a crouton-like texture.
• While the croutons are baking, bring the teaspoon of oil over medium heat and add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until onions start to become tender. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until meat is browned and cooked through. Drain any liquid from the pan. Add the hamburger seasoning and stir to mix. Add the ketchup, mustard and pickle juice and stir until well combined.
• Place 2 ounces of lettuce on each plate and top with about 2/3 cup of the meat mixture. Add ½ ounce of the shredded cheese and a quarter of the tomatoes and pickles to each plate. Sprinkle with the bun croutons (each of my salads got 7 croutons) and serve.

Notes

To view your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here!

Nutrition Information (per 1 cup serving)*:

280 calories, 13 g carbs, 5 g sugars, 12 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 31 g protein, 2 g fiber (from myfitnesspal.com)

MyWW SmartPoints per serving: (SP calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)

Green: 6 SmartPoints/ Blue: 6 SmartPoints/ Purple: 6 SmartPoints

Weight Watchers Points Plus:

7 per serving (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)

Author: Emily Bites

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Ground Beef, Weight Watchers, WW Salad