• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Hotel Leela logo

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Cooking Photo Gallery
    • Quavid's Recipes
    • AttaGrill's Recipes
    • Mama Cheryl's World
  • Amenities
    • The Woodshop
    • Quavid's Kitchen
    • AttaGrill's Patio
    • Mama Cheryl's Journal
    • Leela's Gift Shop
    • Products We Like
  • Hotel Song
  • Accommodations
    • The Leela Storm Suite
  • About
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Cooking Photo Gallery
    • Quavid's Recipes
    • AttaGrill's Recipes
    • Mama Cheryl's World
  • Amenities
    • The Woodshop
    • Quavid's Kitchen
    • Mama Cheryl's Journal
    • The AttaGrill Patio
    • Leela's Gift Shop
    • Products We Like
  • Hotel Song
  • About
  • Accommodations
    • The Leela Storm Suite
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    You are here: Home / AttaGrill / Loaded Cheeseburger Salad with Smoked Bacon & Crouton

    Loaded Cheeseburger Salad with Smoked Bacon & Crouton

    Posted by Heather Kozik · Leave a Comment

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email
    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
    cheeseburger salad on plates
    Loaded cheeseburger salads ready to eat

    Sometimes I'm running short on time because I forget to thaw something out for dinner. Or I just don't feel like cooking. This salad is perfect for those times. Smoked bacon, with its smokey salty flavor and crunch, sets this salad apart from the rest.

    The fact that it's a salad might also make you feel better about yourself. Or not. You decide.

    Jump to:
    • 🐶 Leela Storm's Suggested Pairings
    • 🍽 Kitchen Critique
    • ✔ Takeaways
    • 📖 Recipe

    This salad is perfect for even the pickiest of eaters. Put out a variety of toppings and let your peeps customize their own dish. No pressure on you!

    It's a Pittsburgher salad... who won't like it?!

    Prepping for the salad with vegetables and condiments

    Explain to me: Why is Heinz Ketchup the ONLY ketchup in the world worth using?

    Bacon, crostini, and beef grillin' on my Traeger

    Let me just say this: Even Morgan has made this dinner for her and Brandon. Yeah, she can cook, but I think she pretends she can't just to get out of it.

    We like to tease her by saying we're going to enter her on "Worst Cooks in America". She actually agrees - IF she can win some cash. Point being: If Morgan can make it, so can you!

    I’ll probably get in trouble for writing that!

    Just showing off my sign along with the bacon and soon to be croutons

    Look at the sun shine on the crispy bacon and crostini. It's a beautiful sight.

    Leela thinks your peeps will be Head Over Heels for this meal.

    Salad plated to show the beefy sauce

    🐶 Leela Storm's Suggested Pairings

    • 🎵 Tears For Fears Head Over Heels
    • 🍺 Great Lakes Brewing NOSFERATU® IMPERIAL RED ALE

    🍽 Kitchen Critique

    Out of all the things I cook, it amazes me that this is one of the most requested dinners. When the girls text and ask "What's for dinner?" and I say "Cheeseburger Salad", I get a "YAY!!!".

    How could something so easy be requested so often? I don't know.

    It's magic.

    I guess you'll have to try it and see for yourself.

    I usually don't measure the sauce. If you're like me, just wing it... Squirt some ketchup and mustard and spoon in some mayo - DONE.

    It's fun to prep the toppings and let your dinner guests make their own salads. Shrooms, jalapeño, sautéd onions - you name it! Plus, it's less work for you since no plating is required.

    Leela doesn't know why we even use plates when the floor is perfectly acceptable.

    ✔ Takeaways

    • It's a family hit, time and time again.
    • This is your "Easy Button" dinner, so press it, and call it a day.
    • Any beer or song will do while you prep and cook.
    • Get creative and put out any toppings you enjoy on a burger - they'll work equally well on this salad.
    Print

    📖 Recipe

    Loaded Cheeseburger Salad with Smoked Bacon & Crostini

    cheeseburger salad plated
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    You can't beat a loaded cheeseburger salad with smoked bacon.

    • Author: AttaGrill
    • Prep Time: 12
    • Cook Time: 45
    • Total Time: 57 minutes
    • Yield: 4 1x
    • Category: Dinner
    • Method: Pellet Grill
    • Cuisine: American

    Ingredients

    Scale

    Beef

    • 2 lb. ground beef
    • ½ cup chopped onion
    • Season with salt and pepper

    Smoked Bacon

    • ½ lb bacon

    Lettuce

    • 1 - 2 heads iceberg lettuce
    • Spring mix (optional)

    Toppings

    • Tomato
    • Red onion
    • Pickle
    • Shredded cheddar

    Sauce

    • 1 cup Hellmann's Mayonnaise
    • ½ cup Heinz Ketchup
    • ¼ cup tablespoon yellow mustard
    • ½ tsp red wine vinegar
    • Splash of pickle juice

    Crouton

    • 3 - 4 slices homemade or store-bought bread
    • Garlic infused olive oil
    • Salt and pepper

    Extras

    • Cheese
    • Diced tomato
    • Red onion
    • Diced Claussen pickles

    Instructions

    Bacon

    1. Preheat pellet grill to 325˚ for 15 minutes according to manufacturing instructions
    2. Once heated add bacon and cook for around 25 minutes flipping halfway.
    3. Remove bacon and increase grill temperature to 375˚, placing a well-seasoned 12" cast iron skillet with a little olive oil on the grill.

    Sauce

    1. While grill temperature is rising, whisk all sauce ingredients together and set aside.

    Salad Fixings

    1. Chop iceberg lettuce adding mixed greens if you'd like.
    2. Chop cherry tomato, red onion, and pickle.
    3. Shred cheddar cheese.

    Ground Beef

    1. Once the temperature is reached, add ground beef and onion, breaking up the ground beef.
    2. Cook until meat is browned.
    3. Add Sauce.

    Crouton

    1. Drizzle olive oil over both sides of bread along with salt and pepper. 
    2. Place on grill for a few minutes on each side.
    3. Remove and cut into squares.

    Assembly

    1. Grab 4 plates dividing lettuce between them. 
    2. Top with ground beef mixture.
    3. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
    4. Top with tomato, red onion, pickle, bacon, and croutons.

    Notes

    Instead of adding the sauce to the meat, you can save and drizzle over the salad like a dressing. We just like it mixed in.

    Smoke your bacon and cook ground beef on stovetop to save a little time.

    Cooking times vary depending on type of pellet grill and outdoor temperatures.

    Lettuce and topping amounts vary according to your taste or how hungry you are.

    Use whatever cheese makes you happy. Packaged shredded is totally fine.

    Keywords: cheeseburger salad, smoked bacon, tomato, cheddar, pickle, onion

    Did you make this recipe?

    Please tag us at @thehotelleela on Instagram and hashtag it #thehotelleela!

    « Popcorn and Cranberry Christmas Tree Garland
    Dutch Oven Quick Bread »
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email

    Reader Interactions

    Tell us what you think! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    Primary Sidebar

    Hey, now! Join Us

    Let's Cook Together!
    Newsletter

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    leela-storm-lick
    The lady who started it all - Miss Leela Storm

    Latest Posts

    • Spicy Sausage and Potato Skillet
    • Thai Curry Shrimp with Lime Leaf Rice
    • Panko Chicken with Vinegar Tomatoes and Pasta
    • Braised Quail, Garlic Mashed Potato, Mushroom
    • Butternut Squash Ricotta Ravioli

    Categories

    • Appetizer
    • AttaGrill
    • Bread
    • Breakfast and Brunch
    • Dinner
    • Dog Treats
    • Mama Cheryl
    • Outdoors
    • Pellet Grill
    • Quavid
    • Sauces and Dips
    • Side Dish
    • Uncategorized

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    (Don't) Contact Leela

    Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Pinterest

    Copyright © 2022 The Hotel Leela • Privacy Policy • Terms of Use