What can I make instead of burgers?

Try these delicious cheeseburger bowls. The recipe is great for adding your favorite toppings and you can substitute the ground beef with ground turkey or ground chicken.

What is a deconstructed burger?

Instead of the typical burger with toppings between two slices of a bun, it's spread out on a plate or bowl. It includes all things burger including the burger and toppings along with sauce, but usually leaves out the bun.

How to Serve Deconstructed Burger Bowls:

There are a few options. You can build the bowls and serve already assembled or make it like taco night and place everything in separate bowls on the table for people to build their own. My family loves this because they can choose their own toppings.

How to Store Leftovers?

Store the leftovers in separate containers if possible for the best freshness and to avoid soggy ingredients.

Do I eat the ground beef cold or hot?

My favorite way to eat the ground beef is warm in the salad. It's nice and tender, but doesn't melt the cheese or wilt the lettuce. It also tastes delicious cold, which makes this a wonderful recipe for meal prepping for the week.

Easy Cheeseburger Bowls (Deconstructed Burgers)

Description

These Cheeseburger Bowls are deconstructed burgers without the bun. They're absolutely delicious and the perfect lunch or dinner, ready in less than 30 minutes. High in protein, low in carbs, and loaded with big time flavor.

Ingredients

Scale

Chipotle Ranch Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon dry ranch powder dressing mix
1 tablespoon Adobo Sauce from a small can of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce (The Goya brand is popular)
1/4 cup milk (any milk works, I like whole milk for the fat)

Cheeseburger Bowls:

1 lb ground beef (85/15)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 large head of Romaine hearts or 2 smaller ones (about 4 cups), washed, dried and chopped
4 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese (about 1 cup grated)
1 small red onion, sliced thinly
1/2 cup dill pickle chips or 4 dill pickle spears, cut into bite sized pieces
1-2 roma tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
1 avocado, pit removed, peeled and diced

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Instructions

Make the Chipotle Ranch. In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise and ranch dressing powder until combined. Pour in the milk and adobo sauce and whisk until smooth and combined. Place the dressing in the fridge until it's time to top the cheeseburger bowls.
Cook Ground Beef. In a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat on the stovetop, add in the ground beef and cook until no longer pink, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Sprinkle in the chili powder, cumin, salt, and garlic powder and stir to combine. Once it's fully cooked, turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.
Assemble the Burger Bowls. Using a large bowl or plate, place a bed of lettuce covering half the surface of the bowl. Add a few spoonfuls of ground beef on the other side. Organize the toppings of cheese, avocado, pickle, tomato, and onion around bowl. Drizzle over the Chipotle Ranch dressing or serve on the side. Enjoy!

Equipment

Cutting Board

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dutch oven

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wusthof knife

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Notes

Make sure all of the veggies are nice and dry before adding them to the bowls, especially the lettuce, to avoid any soggy ingredients.
When making the dressing, try to get just the adobo sauce without a lot of the chipotle peppers. We want a smooth sauce, since we are just whisking the ingredients.
During assembly, keep the lettuce and cheese away from the warm beef so the cheese doesn't melt and the lettuce doesn't wilt.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: lunch
Method: stovetop
Cuisine: American