Skip The Bun Crunchy Cheeseburger Salad

Overview

Get ready for all the satisfaction of a cheeseburger with the crisp freshness of a salad! This 20-minute bowl of all your favorite loaded burger ingredients—tomato, pickle, lettuce, cheese, and savory seasoned ground beef, plus a classic special sauce in place of dressing—will convince you to skip the bun (and skip the drive-through!).

This meal is inspired by HelloFresh, which we originally used to make this in the past.

• Serves: 6
• Prep Time: ~5 minutes
• Cook Time: ~15 minutes

Estimated Calories & Sources

Ingredient	Quantity	Calories	Source
Organic Ground Beef (85/15)	30 oz (850 g)	~2,295 kcal	FatSecret
Baby Lettuce	3 stalks (225 g)	~35 kcal	FatSecret
Dill Pickles	8 oz (225 g)	~25 kcal	FatSecret
Roma Tomatoes	3 medium (375 g)	~65 kcal	FatSecret
Monterey Jack Cheese	¾ cup (3 oz / 85 g)	~285 kcal	FatSecret
Mayonnaise	6 tbsp (90 g)	~630 kcal	FatSecret
Ketchup	2 tbsp (30 g)	~50 kcal	FatSecret
Dijon Mustard	2 tsp (10 g)	~10 kcal	FatSecret
Olive Oil	~1 tbsp (14 g)	~120 kcal	FatSecret
Beef Stock Concentrate	3 packets (48 g)	~60 kcal	Estimated
Sugar	~¾ tsp (3 g)	~12 kcal	FatSecret

Total (approx): 3,587 kcal
Per serving (6 servings): ~598 kcal

Ingredients

Produce

• 3 stalks baby lettuce (roughly chopped)
• 8 oz sliced dill pickles (chopped)
• 3 Roma tomatoes (diced)

Pantry

• 3 tbsp fry seasoning
• 16.5 oz beef stock (or 3 concentrate packets)
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• Cooking oil / olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Dairy

• 6 tbsp mayonnaise
• ¾ cup Monterey Jack cheese

Protein

• 30 oz organic ground beef (85% lean, 15% fat)

Instructions

Step 1: Prep the Produce

1. Wash and dry produce.
2. Trim root end from lettuce; roughly chop.
3. Reserve 1½ tsp pickle brine in a small bowl; drain remaining brine and chop pickles.
4. Dice tomatoes.
5. Stir 1½ tsp fry seasoning and ¾ tsp sugar into the reserved pickle brine.

Step 2: Cook the Beef

1. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add beef, remaining fry seasoning, salt, and pepper.
3. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned, 3–5 minutes.
4. If there’s excess grease, carefully drain it.
5. Stir in stock concentrate and ¾ cup water.
6. Cook until liquid is absorbed and beef is cooked through, 2–3 minutes.
7. Transfer beef to a plate.

Step 3: Make the Special Sauce

1. To the bowl with pickle brine mixture, add mayonnaise, ketchup, and half the Dijon mustard (use all for 4 servings).
2. Stir until well combined.
3. Add water, 1 tsp at a time, until sauce reaches drizzling consistency.

Step 4: Assemble the Salad

1. In a large bowl, toss lettuce with half the dressing and half the tomatoes.
2. Divide salad between bowls.
3. Top with beef, Monterey Jack, pickles, and remaining tomatoes.
4. Drizzle with remaining dressing.
5. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Add extra mayo or ketchup to the sauce for a creamier dressing.
• Swap Monterey Jack for cheddar, Colby Jack, or another melty cheese.
• Great for meal prep—store dressing separately and toss before eating.