Pioneer Woman Cheeseburger Salad 2

Pioneer Woman cheeseburger salad 2 is a crunchy, loaded dinner salad with smashed beef patties, buttery bun croutons and crisp romaine that comes together in 40 minutes. Save this easy cheeseburger salad dinner for Father's Day, Fourth of July or summer cookouts, because it's a no-grill skillet recipe.

Press each meatball flat under a square of parchment in the hot skillet, so the edges turn crispy and lacy. Skip the smash and you get thick, gray patties that taste nothing like a real burger.

Cubing the sesame seed buns and tossing them in melted butter turns the bun into croutons, so every forkful tastes like the whole burger. A splash of pickle juice over the lettuce also gives the salad its tangy dill bite without a heavy dressing.

Pioneer Woman Cheeseburger Salad 2

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: SaladCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Calories

540

kcal

Crispy-edged mini smash patties sit on shredded romaine with tomatoes, pickles and red onion. Warm buttery bun croutons and crumbled bacon top it all, and a Thousand Island drizzle ties it together.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. ground chuck
  

• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  

• 2 tsp. salt, divided
  

• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
  

• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
  

• 3 slices yellow American cheese
  

• 3 sesame seed buns, cut into 1-inch cubes
  

• 1/4 c. melted butter
  

• 3 hearts of romaine lettuce
  

• 1/2 c. dill pickle slices plus 1/4 cup pickle juice (from jar)
  

• 1 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
  

• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced into rings
  

• 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
  

• Thousand Island dressing, to serve
  

Directions

• Mix and shape the meat: Preheat the oven to 350°F, then stir 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl. Roll the meat into 12 equal balls of about 2 ounces each. Then cut a three-inch square of parchment paper to use for smashing.
• Smash the patties: Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then space four meatballs evenly apart. Top each one with the parchment square and press down firmly with a spatula to make a 1/2-inch thick patty, peeling the parchment off before moving on.
• Brown and top with cheese: Cook the patties without disturbing them for about 2 minutes, then flip and cook about 2 minutes more until both sides are browned. Move them to a rimmed baking sheet and repeat with the remaining meatballs. Then cut the 3 slices of American cheese into 4 squares each and top every patty.
• Toast the bun croutons: Toss the 1-inch cubes from 3 sesame seed buns with 1/4 cup melted butter in a medium bowl, then spread them on another rimmed baking sheet. Bake about 10 minutes until toasted, adding the cheese-topped patties to the oven for the last 5 minutes so the cheese melts.
• Build the salad base: Thinly slice one heart of romaine into fine shreds and roughly chop the other two, then put all the lettuce in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup dill pickle slices, 1 pound halved cherry tomatoes and the sliced red onion. Then drizzle with 1/4 cup pickle juice, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss to coat.
• Top and serve: Just before serving, top the salad with the burger patties, croutons and 6 slices of crumbled bacon. Then drizzle Thousand Island dressing over everything, since the warm patties and croutons are best when they stay crisp.

Tools for this recipe

• Lodge 10.25-inch cast iron skillet, Nordic Ware half sheet pan, Reynolds unbleached parchment paper. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use ground turkey instead of ground chuck?

Yes, ground turkey works, though it has less fat, so add a little extra oil to the skillet to keep the patties from sticking. Cook them until no pink remains, since poultry needs to be cooked all the way through.

How do I store leftover cheeseburger salad?

Keep the patties, croutons and bacon in separate airtight containers from the dressed lettuce. The patties and bacon last about 3 days in the fridge, but the croutons go soft quickly, so they are best eaten fresh.

Can I make the patties ahead of time?

You can roll the meatballs and refrigerate them for up to a day, then smash and cook them right before serving. The cooked patties also reheat well in a 350°F oven, though the edges are crispiest straight from the skillet.

What if I don't have a cast-iron skillet?

Any heavy skillet works, such as stainless steel, as long as it gets properly hot before the meat goes in. Nonstick pans don't brown as well, so you may lose some of the crispy edges.

What is the most common mistake with this salad?

Dressing everything too early is the usual problem, because the croutons turn soggy and the patties lose their crisp edges. Toss the lettuce with the pickle juice first, then add the warm toppings and dressing just before serving.