Pioneer Woman Cheeseburger Salad

Pioneer Woman cheeseburger salad is an easy dinner salad made with seasoned ground beef, sharp cheddar and buttery bun croutons, ready in 20 minutes. Save this quick weeknight burger salad for family dinner, game day or summer cookouts, because it skips the grill and comes together in two skillets.

Add the butter to the bun cubes a little at a time, because that is how every crouton soaks it up and toasts evenly. Dump the whole stick in at once and you get greasy patches next to dry, pale cubes.

Cubed dill pickle spears and a ketchup, mustard and barbecue sauce mix give the beef a real cheeseburger flavor that taco-style salad meat doesn't have. Croutons made from actual hamburger buns finish the burger idea, so every bite tastes like the whole sandwich.

Pioneer Woman Cheeseburger Salad

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Course: SaladCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Calories

640

kcal

Saucy, tangy ground beef sits on crisp romaine with sharp cheddar, juicy tomato, pickle chunks and red onion. Warm, butter-toasted bun croutons add crunch while the meat stays hot against the cool lettuce.

Ingredients

• 2 lb. Ground Beef
  

• 1/3 c. Ketchup
  

• 1 tsp. Yellow Mustard
  

• 1 tbsp. Dijon Or Spicy Mustard
  

• 2 tbsp. Barbecue Sauce
  

• 4 whole Hamburger Buns
  

• 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
  

Directions

• Brown the beef: Brown the 2 pounds of ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Then take it off the heat and drain off the fat.
• Season the meat: Stir in 1/3 cup ketchup, 1 teaspoon yellow mustard, 1 tablespoon Dijon or spicy mustard and 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce. Taste it and add more of whatever it needs, then keep the meat warm.
• Cut the buns: Cut the 4 hamburger buns into 1-inch cubes. These are your croutons, so try to keep the pieces about the same size.
• Toast the croutons: Melt 1/4 stick of the butter in a separate skillet over low heat, then add the bread cubes and toss to coat. Toast them for 10 to 12 minutes, adding another 1/4 stick every couple of minutes until the whole stick is used.
• Prep the toppings: Tear the 2 heads of romaine into bite-size pieces and grate 1 cup of sharp cheddar. Dice the 4 Roma tomatoes, cube the 8 dill pickle spears and slice the red onion.
• Build the salads: Pile the torn lettuce on each plate, then add a generous scoop of the warm meat mixture. Top with plenty of cheddar, tomato, pickle chunks and red onion.
• Add croutons and serve: Sprinkle the warm croutons all around the plate. Serve right away, while the meat is hot and the croutons are still crisp.

Tools for this recipe

• Lodge 10.25-inch cast iron skillet, OXO 4-sided box grater, Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch chef's knife. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use ground turkey instead of ground beef?

Yes, ground turkey works fine here. It's leaner, so you may want a little extra barbecue sauce or ketchup to keep the mixture saucy.

How do I store leftover cheeseburger salad?

Keep the meat mixture in an airtight container in the fridge, and store the lettuce, toppings and croutons separately. Assembled salad turns soggy, so build each plate fresh and reheat the meat before serving.

Can I make the meat and croutons ahead of time?

You can make the meat mixture a day ahead and reheat it in a skillet. The croutons are best the day they're made, so toast them close to serving time, or re-crisp them in a warm skillet.

Can I use hot dog buns for the croutons?

Hot dog buns work just as well as hamburger buns. Split and cube them the same way so the pieces are about 1 inch wide.

What's the most common mistake with this salad?

Skipping the fat draining step leaves the meat greasy and thins out the sauce. Another is dumping all the butter on the croutons at once, which gives you uneven, oily cubes.