Bacon Cheeseburger…Salad!

Who doesn’t like bacon cheeseburgers? Beef, cheese, bacon (isn’t everything better with bacon) and all your favorite toppings – lettuce, tomato, maybe some onion, ketchup, and personally I like some ranch dressing on there too! But if you’re watching your carb intake, just want to avoid rolls, or forgot to buy them and everyone wants burgers, you end up with a sad burger on a plate! Here’s an easy and delicious way to avoid Sad Burger Syndrome – bacon cheeseburger salad!

I made this a while ago and had all kinds of kitchen drama – first, I somehow splattered bacon grease on my wrist, not while actually cooking the bacon, but while removing it to the plate to drain. I dropped the plate, which shattered on my kitchen floor, but thinking quickly, grabbed the paper towel on the way down before I lost my bacon. Then I was making the dressing and got splattered with hot sauce in the middle of my chest, which created an interesting dramatic effect when we sat down to eat – I felt like I needed a disclaimer that no one was actually hurt in the making of this salad. That being said, I’ve made it plenty of times without incident, but I just had to share that story, because it was too funny!

Bacon Cheeseburger Salad – serves 4

1 lb. ground beef or turkey, browned
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 slices bacon
4 cups lettuce, cut or torn into small pieces
1 tomato, diced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup ranch dressing
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

Brown ground meat in saucepan with salt and pepper. In another pan, cook bacon until crispy and drain on paper-towel lined plate. While the meats are cooking, cut or tear the lettuce, dice tomato, and dice red onion. In a separate bowl, mix ketchup, ranch dressing, and hot sauce (if you like mustard, you can add some, but I am not a big mustard person, so I don’t – I’d recommend about 1/4 teaspoon).

When ground meat is cooked, drain and combine in bowl with lettuce, tomato, onion, cheddar cheese, and crumbled bacon. Add ketchup/ranch dressing and toss well to completely coat.

Enjoy!