Cheeseburger Chopped Salad with Dill Pickle Vinaigrette.

I’m going to tell you about a cheeseburger salad and hope you don’t freak.

Please don’t freak! It’s really oh-so good. And when I tell you what goes on this crazy cheeseburger salad? I’m hoping you’ll be into it.

I am SO into it.

The thing about a cheeseburger salad is that it’s not… super attractive. You know? It’s not like this gorgeous voluptuously green salad that is bountiful and vibrant. But it is SO ridiculously flavorful and just GOOD.

And you’re probably looking at your screen thinking whaaaaat, this is gross. How the heck can we make a cheeseburger salad taste anything but awful? But!

I’m going to show you.

Because I’m obsessed.

And I know that is 100% shocking.

First, you want to brown some (good quality!) ground beef with some salt and pepper – maybe some garlic or onion (but we are adding that later) or whatever you would put inside of your burger. Aside from things like breadcrumbs or eggs or that jazz. And you want it crispy and browned and delicious.

Like eat-straight-out-of-the-pan delicious.

The rest of our salad goods are going to be the things you’d put ON your burger.

Cheese, or course. Bacon if you wish. Diced onion, because we’re doing the chopped thing. Tomatoes! You could also even do avocado.

And guess what is going on top. JUST GUESS.

Not a creamy dressing.

Oh, I guess you don’t have to guess since it’s in freaking title. Hello, I’m the worst.

It is…

Dill pickle vinaigrette. YES. Helllllo all my pickle freaks.

This concept is not something I came up with on my own. I’ve seen a ton of videos on Facebook for something similar and decided that I HAD to have it. I mean, I could practically drink pickle juice, I love it that much. I’ve always loved it. As a kid, I would dip potato chips in residual pickle juice that was left on my plate.

As a kid, I DID drink the pickle juice.

Now don’t worry – I’m not that nutcase who is going to start making pickle desserts. Is that going to become a thing? I mean, if we did it with bacon… ? But just no.

However, this salad is THE BEST. It’s perfect for summer, Memorial Day parties, your lunch or dinner – it just works all around. It’s pretty darn healthy, you can adjust the cheese or the beef or add bacon or add croutons – whatever. Also – it’s simple. You can eat leftovers and love life.

And the flavors are a mesh of things we’ve been eating together for ages, so it just tastes sooo good. Maybe I could say that 32 more times. it’s true!

Here’s a cheeseburger salad video too!

Cheeseburger Chopped Salad

Yield: 4

Total Time: 30 mins

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4.97 from 65 votes

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 6 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese freshly grated
• 8 cups butter lettuce
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
• 1/3 cup chopped dill pickles
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• salt and pepper for seasoning

dill pickled vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup diced dill pickles
• 3 tablespoons dill pickle juice from a jar of dill pickles
• 2 tablespoons diced shallot
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions 

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once it's hot, add the ground beef, garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Break the mixture apart with a spoon and cook until browned, stirring over and breaking the pieces into crumbles, for about 6 to 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and sprinkle about 2 ounces of the cheddar over the beef so it slightly melts. You can serve this salad with the beef hot or room temp - so if necessary, you can make this a bit ahead of time!
• Place the butter lettuce on a cutting board and run your knife through it to chop it into pieces. Ideally we want everything in uniform pieces so each bite is perfect. Chop up the lettuce, then throw it in a bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss it well. Add the tomatoes next, the dill pickles and the diced onion. Add the remaining shredded cheese. Toss the salad well, drizzle on the dressing and serve!

dill pickled vinaigrette

• In a bowl, whisk together the pickles, pickle juice, shallot, garlic, mustard and honey. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and whisk until the mixture comes together. While whisking, stream in the olive oil until the dressing emulsifies. This stays great in the fridge for a few days!

Course: Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: American

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I appreciate you so much!

I’m thinking we should add fries though. Right? That’s just common sense.