If you have been following my blog, you already know that I am not a gourmet. I am however, a gourmand.* (Not always proud of that classification, but if the shoe fits, etc. etc.) And as a true and faithful gourmand, some of the food I am passionate about is as common as a cheeseburger. But as I get a little older, some of the foods I used to eat with nary a concern for calories or nutritional content, have turned against me in the form of digestive problems and additional weight. (Simply not fair!)
So, in trying to still be able to wholeheartedly enjoy my favorite foods, I have been working on recipes that mimic certain foods, but are healthy, less caloric, and easy to prepare. And since a good bacon, avocado, and cheese hamburger is still one of the foods that make life worth living for both of us, I decided to try putting all the ingredients associated with our favorite burger into salad form. And by golly, both Mr. C and I felt totally satisfied after eating one of these salads last evening. We absolutely did not miss the bun, or the mayonnaise sauce in the least. The salad had way more veggies than a real burger, but regardless, the flavor of a good burger came through in every bite. And of course, this new recipe fulfilled my desire to provide you all with more recipes containing ground beef.
So give this recipe a try. It’s a very nice change of pace from a taco salad, while still being a snap to prepare.
*Gourmand – a lover of good food who often eats too much.
- 4 slices thick lean bacon, chopped
- 1 lb. very lean ground beef
- ½ red onion, very thinly sliced, divided
- ¼ c. ketchup
- 2 tsp. yellow mustard
- 2 tsp. Montreal Seasoning
- 1 lg. heart romaine lettuce, chopped
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1-2 lg. dill pickles, diced
- 1 Hass avocado, cubed
- ½ c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
Fry bacon until crisp in a large skillet. Remove cooked bacon to paper towels to drain. Set aside. Pour off as much bacon grease as possible from pan. Brown the ground beef in the same skillet over medium heat. Add half of the sliced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the ketchup, mustard, and Montreal Seasoning; stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning.
To assemble: Place lettuce on 2 large dinner plates. Add some of the meat mixture (I usually have extra meat when I make this salad). Then top with tomato, pickle, remaining red onion, avocado, cheese, and the cooked bacon. Serve immediately. No additional dressing required.
