Week 27: Recipe #1--Cheeseburger Salad

This is a Pioneer Woman recipe (see link below).  I made this tonight, and it turned out great, and really did taste like a cheeseburger.  The only thing I might add next time is a bit of dressing.  The meat was extremely tasty, but bites without the meat were a bit dry.  I only did 3 hamburger buns vs. the four the recipe called for, and even that was too much (although they were Lily's favorite part).  I served this with sweet potato waffle fries.  Makes 6 servings.

Photo from the Pioneer Woman

You'll Need:

• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1/3 c. ketchup
• 1 tsp. yellow mustard
• 1 Tblsp. dijon or spicy mustard
• 2 Tblsp. barbecue sauce
• 4 whole hamburger buns (like I said, I only used 3 and that was still a bit much)
• 1 stick butter
• 2 heads romaine or green-leaf lettuce, torn
• 1 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 whole roma tomatoes, diced
• 8 whole dill pickle spears, cubed
• 1 whole red onion, sliced

Preparation:

1. Brown meat in large skillet over medium heat.  Then remove it from the heat and drain off the fat. Add ketchup, mustards, and barbecue sauce to the meat and stir to combine.  Taste and add more of whatever you think it needs.  Keep warm.
2. Cut hamburger buns into 1-inch cubes.  Melt 1/4 stick of butter in a separate skillet over low heat, then add the bread cubes and toss to coat.  Toast the croutons in the skillet over low heat for about 10-12 minutes, adding 1/4 stick of butter every couple of minutes until you've used the whole stick.  This will ensure all the croutons soak up the butter and toast nicely.
3. To assemble each salad, pile torn lettuce on a plate.  Pile on a good quantity of the meat mixture, then top with plenty of grated cheddar.  Add diced tomato, chunks of pickles and slices of red onion over the top.  Then sprinkle warm croutons all around the plate.
4. Serve immediately!

Recipe and link:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/01/cheeseburger-salad/