Skip the drive-thru and build everyone’s favourite cheeseburger right in a bowl. This loaded burger bowl recipe layers all the flavours you love, seasoned ground meat, crispy bacon, sharp cheddar, crunchy lettuce, juicy tomatoes, dill pickles, and red onion over a fresh romaine base, then crowns it all with hot, salty French fries and a drizzle of creamy “special sauce.” It’s fast enough for a weeknight, fun enough for Friday, and flexible enough to suit whatever you have on hand in the fridge.
The special sauce comes together in minutes with simple staples: mayonnaise, ketchup, yellow mustard, sweet relish, and a few dashes of hot sauce for gentle heat. While the fries bake, you’ll brown lean ground pork, beef, turkey, or chicken in a skillet and season it generously with dry mustard, onion and garlic powders, chili powder, Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper for that classic burger taste in every bite.
To serve, pile chopped romaine into shallow bowls, then add the warm, crumbled burger meat, shredded cheddar, cherry tomatoes, chopped bacon, pickle slices, and red onion. Finish each bowl with a handful of crispy fries, a generous drizzle of special sauce, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds for that burger-joint touch. Ready in about 35 minutes, this is a fun, family-friendly meal that lets everyone scoop, drizzle, and customize their own bowl. No buns required!
Recipe courtesy of SaskMustard
Loaded Burger Bowls with Special Sauce
Ingredients
- 500 g frozen French fries
- 5 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 3 Tbsp ketchup
- 1 Tbsp prepared yellow mustard
- 1 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
- few dashes hot sauce
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 lb lean ground pork, beef, turkey or chicken
- 1 tsp dry mustard powder
- 3/4 tsp EACH onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, Cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 8-10 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 slices cooked bacon, chopped
- 1/2 cup dill pickle slices
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
- sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Bake the French fries according to package directions. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, relish, and hot sauce in a small bowl. Stir well to combine.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the ground meat and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until no longer pink and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Season the meat with dry mustard powder, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Divide the lettuce among shallow bowls. Top with the ground meat, cheese, tomatoes, bacon, pickles, and red onion. Drizzle with special sauce and top with sesame seeds.
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