As many of you may be aware, I underwent a significant weight loss journey over a decade ago. Throughout that time, I continuously sought ways to savor delicious flavors while keeping an eye on fat and calorie content. One particular challenge I found intriguing was finding a balance between satisfying my craving for cheeseburgers and managing the inevitable calorie overload. Luckily, I discovered an excellent alternative that will have you hardly missing the unhealthy aspects. With this approach, you can treat yourself to a traditional burger every now and then and truly relish every bite.

Ingredients

2 hamburger buns, split and cut into 3/4″ strips

1 small red onion, 1/2 chopped, 1/2 diced

1 pound lean ground beef

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup finely chopped dill pickle (dill relish works too)

1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard

8 cups of chopped lettuce

2 tomatoes, chopped (plum tomatoes are best)

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 425º

Arrange the strips of buns in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until the strips are lightly toasted. Set them aside.

Brown the ground beef for about 10-12 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks until the meat is well browned and no longer pink inside. Stir the chopped onion, ketchup, dill pickle, and mustard into the beef mixture and mix well.

Pour chopped lettuce into a large serving bowl, and add the beef mixture (you may prefer to let it cool some). Top the salad with the sliced onions, tomatoes, and shredded cheese. Toss the hamburger bun crotons over the top.

UPDATE:

On our road trip, we visited many restaurants listed on www.bringfido.com. One place, Home Grown House in Florence Oregon posted their version of a cheeseburger salad on their social media. There wasn’t anything healthy about their version, but it gave us a good idea.

Instead of going to all the trouble to make hamburger bun crotons, try air frying french fries! We did this recently and we’re never going back. You can find pretty reasonable french fries in the freezer section of the store. Just read the labels and try different brands until you find the right one for you.