This meal is such a staple in our house and it is on replay weekly. Our beef and bacon comes from our local farmer, Zoe Farms and if you are in Northeast Ohio I highly recommend you checking them out (in addition to visiting the farm, the also offer delivery). Burger Bowls are filling and packed full of protein and have the healthy carbs from the potatoes. We use are favorite ingredients that we used for burgers, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand or what is a favorite for you.
Ingredients:
-1 pound of ground beef or ground chuck (I will do 2 pounds so I can have leftovers for the week)
-Salt and Garlic Powder to season the ground beef to taste
Toppings:
-Romaine lettuce or your lettuce of choice (I love crunch lettuce here and I love to get icicle lettuce or baby green leaf lettuce from Giant Eagle of I have also found good lettuce at Whole Foods)
-Bacon (will make ahead on my skillet and let it cool while I prepare everything else)
-Avocado
-Pickles, chopped (We love Grillos pickles because they are so crunchy and healthy)
-Tomatoes
-Sliced red onion (we use shallots here)
-Shredded cheese, optional (I am dairy free and haven’t yet found a cheese that I like so we usually just leave out the cheese
French Fries (you can use pre-packaged or will make them homemade):
-2-3 russet potatoes sliced into ½ inch slices or even wedges are good. I leave the skin on (I like how crispy they get)
Directions for Homemade French Fries:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees (I like the convection option on my oven but conventional is great too.)
2. Slice potatoes and place in bowl with cold water and ice and soak for 20 minutes (this helps to remove the starch and then they get extra crispy in the oven). I have also not soaked them when I am pressed for time and they just a little extra time in the oven. Dry potatoes wellness with paper towels after soaking. Place potatoes in plastic bag and drizzle olive oil in (I just do until they are covered, so it will be your preference). Shake up real well. Place potatoes on parchment lined cookie sheet and spread well so they are not overlapping. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. You can add any other seasoning you prefer. I tend to stick with just salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes and then flip. I will set the timer for an additional 10 minutes and then will flip again and depending on how crispy you like your fries, you might need to bake them a little longer. I tend to cook in 5 minute increments and check on them often.
Burger Bowl Prep
1. While the fries are cooking, I prepare the ground beef and bacon. I always try to time it up (although I know life happens and children always need fed too) and like to have everything finish at the same time so everything is still warm.
2. To prepare the Burger bowl, place the lettuce, ground beef, pickles, onions, bacon, and avocado in your bowl. You can put your fries in the bowl or on the side or a little bit of both J
Burger bowl dressing
½ cup avocado mayo
3 tablespoons of ketchup (love Primal Kitchen ketchup)
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
**Or we have also started using the Primal Kitchen Special Sauce (I have purchased at Thrive Market or have seen at Fresh Thyme)
I hope you enjoy this delicious meal and as always, let me know what you think!