Each member of my family is excited when they hear it is burger night – even if that burger is in salad form. The boys rarely complain if we don’t have hamburger buns, which is something we had to start when Ridge was put on a gluten free diet, and Todd and I love a burger salad. It is a simple, quick, easy, healthy dinner, and I even use frozen burgers! See? I told you it was semi-homemade. Burger nights do not have to include a giant piece of bread, too much cheese, and french fries. You can get all of the burger flavors, along with the benefits of a salad. Here’s how I make them.
Burger
I like to buy the frozen grass-fed beef burgers from Trader Joe’s, thaw them in the refrigerator, then season them with worcestershire sauce or the 21 seasoning salute from TJs. I try to grill them, because the flavor from the grill cannot be beat. If I add cheese, I will either use goat’s milk or raw cheddar (from Trader Joe’s), or the Violife smoked provolone.
Salad Components
We use anything we have on hand, but ideally I would have a mix of something lighter and crunchy like iceberg or romaine, with some baby spinach added in. Add some sliced tomato, avocado, and always pickles. Pickles are key!
Sauce
I’m a fan of putting the typical burger condiments on the salad and using them as dressing. I add a little paleo mayonnaise, ketchup, and yellow mustard. Recently my husband mixed the 3 together, told the boys it was a special sauce, and it was a hit. Mix equal parts ketchup and mustard, then add in a little mustard at a time, until you like the taste.
Sides
We usually do roasted regular and sweet potato “fries.” I peel and slice the potatoes so that they are the size of larger fries. Lay them out on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On one pan, add the sweet potatoes, and use the other pan for the white potatoes, and toss each in some avocado oil or olive oil. I season the regular (Yukon gold or russet) potatoes with Everything But the Bagel seasoning. Last time I did them this way, my boys ate so many of them straight off the pan after they came out of the oven. However, they are not a fan of them leftover. For the sweet potatoes, I use the Trader Joe’s seasoning salt and some black pepper. Roasting them usually takes about 45 minutes, but I recommend checking them after 20-30 minutes, flipping them over, and switching them to different racks in the oven. *Life hack: Buy the pre-cut sweet potatoes from the produce section, so your prep is even easier.
Grilled veggies are a great side to add to this meal. Because asparagus are in season, I have been buying them often. The other night when my in-laws were here, we had a meal similar to this, and Todd’s dad grilled some asparagus while he cooked the burgers. I simply toss whatever veggie I am grilling in a tiny bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Extras
If I have any mushrooms or onions, sometimes I will sauté those to add on top. Ridge is a huge fan of sautéed mushrooms (so random for a two year old, I know).
Assembly
For Todd and I, I will get one of my shallow salad bowls, and fill it with lettuce and greens. Then place the burger on top, followed by tomato, avocado, and pickles. Add the condiments, and some of the potatoes on the side of the bowl. Chop it all up (leaving the potatoes to the side or incorporating them, your choice) and I promise it’s delicious. For the boys, I do a deconstructed version on a plate.
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