Bacon Cheeseburger Salad with Sesame Bun Croutons
Hello, I want to introduce you to the BEST salad. Bacon cheeseburger salad with sesame seed bun croutons tastes just like your favorite drive-thru burger and is super cost-effective. You know that taste of a really good burger?
Golden brown bun, sauteed onion, creamy sauce, and juicy, seasoned beef goodness? Bacon cheeseburger salad has all of that, and it costs a fraction of what it costs to get takeout these days. Over the years, I have found that one of the best ways to lower your grocery budget is to find ways to reduce your meat intake. But nobody will even notice that cut down on meat here, bacon cheeseburger salad is loaded with beefy, cheesy decadence in every bite. With just a half pound of beef, you can feed your family this delicious salad that will satisfy even your family’s salad critics.
Why bacon cheeseburger salad is the perfect salad for salad haters
I will be transparent here: I am not a salad hater. I love salads. However, I have many people in my life that aren’t as fond of salad, and would prefer not to eat it for dinner. This bacon cheeseburger salad with sesame seed bun croutons is a mind changer. Every bite tastes like your favorite drive-thru burger, and this is hearty enough to fill up for dinner.
This past week, I asked my husband what his favorite food we made throughout the week was (I even made his favorite peanut butter cookies) and he said this salad was his all-time favorite. I KNOW!
What to do with leftover hamburger buns
I recently splurged on the “fancy” buns at Aldi’s. Most burger recipes make 4 burgers, but this pack had 6 buns leaving me with 2 leftover buns. This leaves me with the age-old question, what do I do with leftover buns?
CROUTONS.
Save your buns (you can add them to your freezer) and turn them into delicious croutons in this burger salad.
How to make Bacon Cheeseburger Salad with Sesame Bun Croutons
Make the croutons.
Save your leftover burger buns to create the best homemade croutons. If you are saving your buns in the freezer, get the buns out a day ahead of making the croutons for best results.
Next, make the burger mixture: ground beef & sauteed diced onions.
I love the “under the bun” browned onions on many fast food burgers. I highly suggest cooking the onions with the beef for maximum flavor, but if you prefer crunchy raw red onions on your burger try adding in some raw onions instead.
Prep the veggies and “special sauce” dressing.
Chop the lettuce and wash and dry thoroughly using your salad spinner. If you eat salad a lot, I recommend making space in your kitchen for a salad spinner as it is a HUGE time saver.
But if you don’t have one, wash your lettuce first and let it dry as you prep the croutons and beef. The “special sauce” dressing is SO important to this recipe, as it tastes just like a drive-thru burger.
Unlike other homemade dressing recipes, this recipe makes just enough for this salad. I use plain Greek yogurt in the dressing to bump up the protein and nutritional value, but you can also use sour cream for a similar taste. But if you want to opt for store-bought dressing, I would recommend ranch for this salad.
Add croutons on top and enjoy!
Looking for a low-carb burger recipe?
You can certainly remove the croutons, but even with the croutons you are reducing the carb intake from a traditional burger. I find this salad decadent, but fresh. It’s perfect for a day when you want to indulge in a burger but want to feel a bit more energetic afterward.
Bacon Cheeseburger Salad Ingredients
Lettuce
I like to use crunchy romaine lettuce for this recipe. I find that about 2 heads from Aldi’s romaine lettuce bag produces about 8 cups of chopped salad.
Cheese
I like sharp cheddar cheese here for the maximum punch of creamy cheeseburger taste, but any type of cheese will work. Try adding in your favorite burger cheese like cubes of Swiss cheese, dill Havarti, or even shredded pepper jack.
Sesame Buns
You can use any leftover bread in place of the sesame buns for the croutons, but sesame buns do provide a great taste. Sourdough bread is another extraordinary savory option.
Pickles
We are big dill pickle fans in my household, but if you like sweet pickles chips just dice those pickles up instead.
Bacon
You only need 4 strips of bacon to get the ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger Salad experience, so you will end up with some extra bacon, or enough bacon for another recipe. If your household, is anything like mine, that won’t be a huge problem. If you aren’t a bacon fan– just leave it out. Or try turkey bacon.
Tomatoes
Just like a traditional burger, the tomatoes add a nice fresh juicy pop to this salad.
Avocado
Avocado adds a creamy smooth texture to the salad and some added healthy fats. It also makes this cheeseburger salad feel slightly like a California burger.
Beef and Onions
The beef and sauteed onions on this salad take this burger salad to a whole new dimension. This mixture is the true key to getting this salad to taste just like your favorite drive-thru burger.
Can I prep this salad ahead of time?
Yes! Bacon Cheeseburger Salad is a perfect make-ahead recipe for an easy and energizing lunchbox or picnic meal. When meal prepping the salad I would make these changes:
Add the “special sauce” dressing to the bottom of your meal prep containers.
I typically use glass containers for meal preps and have found that salad stores best when you add the dressing to the bottom of the bowl and add some heartier ingredients to the top.
Instructions for layering this salad for meal prep:
- Place the dressing on the bottom of your meal prep container.
- Then add the ground beef mixture on top of the dressing.
- Next, Add shredded cheese and tomatoes to the dish.
- Add lettuce on top.
- Add avocado slices the day of (the avocado will start to brown as soon as it is cut, if this doesn’t bother you can add them ahead of time).
- Store croutons in a smaller separate container or baggie.
- Before eating your salad, mix the ingredients and top with sesame bun croutons.
Separate your croutons to store (& avoid soggy bread)
No one likes soggy bread. Store the croutons separate from the salad. Top salad with the croutons before eating to ensure a crunchy bite every time.
Bacon Cheeseburger Salad with Sesame Seed Bun Croutons
Ingredients
Sesame Bun Croutons
- 2 sesame seed buns
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
Bacon Cheeseburger Salad
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 8 cups lettuce
- 4 strips bacon, crumbled
- 3 pickle spears, diced
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 cup diced cherry tomatoes
Special Sauce Dressing
- 2 tbsp mayo
- 2 tbsp plain greek yogurt (can sub for sour cream)
- 1 tbsp pickle juice
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1/2 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp water (to thin dressing) optional
- 1/2 tsp hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
Sesame Bun Croutons
- Prep the sesame seed croutons. Preheat the oven to 375℉ degrees Dice the buns into 3/4 inch cubes.
- Place bread cubes on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Toss the bread cubes with olive oil and seasonings. Spread the cubes evenly into a single layer.
- Place the pan in a preheated oven and bake for 7 minutes. At the end of seven minutes flip the bread cubes and place back in the oven for 5 minutes. Keep an eye on your croutons to avoid burning them (it usually takes me about 15 minutes total oven time to toast the croutons).
- Set croutons aside to cool.
Burger Meat
- In a large fry pan, brown and crumble the ground beef. Drain the excess fat. Stir in 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp garlic powder. Remove beef from pan.
- Saute the diced onion in the same pan until browned. Stir the ground beef back in the pan and set the pan aside to cool (at least 20 minutes).
Salad And Dressing
- Wash, dry, and chop lettuce and add to a bowl.
- Add crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes, diced pickles, and diced avocado to the salad.
- Prepare the dressing by mixing all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
- Add cooled beef and onion mixture to the salad.
- Serve the salad. Place the bacon cheeseburger salads in the bowl and top with dressing and sesame seed bun croutons.
