Cheeseburger Salad

I love a good salad for lunch, but sometimes a burger hits like nothing else. That’s when it occurred to me - Cheeseburger Salad! The beef is cooked with yellow mustard and onions to really drive the burger flavor home. The dressing is creamy from mayonnaise, spicy from sriracha, sweet from ketchup, and briny from dill pickle relish. It truly hits all the notes, and you’ll find yourself wanting to add this dressing to just about everything. The salad toppings are just a suggestion - you can add whatever toppings you like for your favorite burger. I add mini sweet peppers to mine, and although they aren’t a typical burger topping, they are one of my favorite salad ingredients. Rules aren’t meant for cheeseburgers! Do what ya want!

Ingredients

For the burger meat:

• 1 lb. lean ground beef

• 1/2 large red onion, diced

• 3 tsp. yellow mustard

• 1 tsp. kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

For the salad:

• 8 cups chopped iceberg lettuce

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

• 1/2 cup sliced mini sweet peppers

• 1/2 cup chopped mini pickles

• 1/2 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

• olive oil

• red wine vinegar

• kosher salt

• black pepper

For the burger sauce:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 1/4 cup ketchup

• 1/4 cup dill pickle relish

• 1 clove garlic, grated

• 2 tsp. yellow mustard

• 1 tsp. dijon mustard

• 1 tsp. sriracha

• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

• 1 tbsp. brine from pickle jar

• 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

• pinch kosher salt and black pepper

Recipe

1. In the bottom of a large bowl, add cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, chopped mini pickles, and sliced mini sweet peppers. To the veggies, add 1 tsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. red wine vinegar, and a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Toss to combine and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat with 1 tsp. of kosher salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Once the meat is browned and crumbly, add the diced red onion with a pinch of salt and cook until the onions are softened, about 6-7 minutes. Add 3 tsp. of yellow mustard to the meat and onion mixture and stir to combine. Turn the heat to low and allow to rest while making the rest of the salad.

3. To the bowl with the veggies, add the iceberg lettuce and sharp cheddar cheese. Toss to combine. Add 1/4 cup of the burger sauce and toss again. If you prefer more dressing, add more to the salad.

4. Divide the salad mixture over 4 large plates, top each with the ground beef mixture, and drizzle with additional burger sauce.