Ingredients

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2 cups frozen crinkle-cut french fries (optional)*
1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 Tbsp. ketchup, divided
1 and 1/2 Tbsp. relish**
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. mustard
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, plus more for optional garnish
2 cups romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 small red onion, finely sliced
2 dill pickles, sliced***
2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

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Instructions

Cook the fries according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of the ketchup, and the relish. Set aside.
While the fries finish cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef. Stir in the salt and pepper. Cook undisturbed until browned underneath, 3-4 minutes. Flip and stir. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is no longer pink, 2-3 more minutes.
To the beef, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of ketchup, the mustard, and the Cheddar cheese. Stir to combine. Remove from heat. Taste and add more salt but remember that there will be pickles and burger sauce on the bowls, which are both a bit salty.
When the fries have finished cooking, transfer them to a cutting board and cut them into crouton-sized pieces.
Divide the lettuce among four dinner bowls. Top each with ¼ of the beef mixture, tomatoes, red onion, and pickles. Drizzle each with ¼ of the sauce. Top with the fry croutons and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

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Notes

*Instead of the store-bought french fries, you can use chunks of leftover baked potatoes toasted in the air fryer, homemade fries, or croutons. Alternatively, you can use cooked rice or another grain as the base of the bowl, as you would for a burrito bowl, and the skip the carbohydrate croutons, if desired.

**I prefer to use dill pickle relish here, but the more traditional option for burger sauce is a sweet pickle relish. If you don’t have relish, you can dice up any type of pickled cucumber and mix it with a small drizzle of vinegar and a sprinkle of sugar.

***Dill pickles are my favorite on burgers. I either buy dill chips or whole pickles that I slice, but whatever you like best on a burger will work here!