Big Mac Salad

 

We don't eat out much. When you're 15 minutes from town, it hardly seems worth the effort. Plus, it's a lot more cost-effective to eat at home.

 

The pandemic impacted our limited dining out even more, mainly because we didn't seem to go anywhere at all. Even on our infrequent travels to see the kids, we took along a sack lunch and ate it at roadside parks, rather than going into a restaurant along the way.

 

McDonald's hasn't been on our regular dining out choices since our kids were little.  Happy Meals from the drive-through were part of the Wednesday night routine during the few years Jill and friends took dance lessons in Hutchinson. 

 

These days, if we go a fast-food franchise, it's usually Freddy's. And finding their sauce bottled and ready to eat at home has been a nice addition to the sandwich/tater toppings in my refrigerator door. 

So I'm not sure exactly why the recipe for Big Mac Salad appealed to me. Probably it's because I have hamburger readily available. And I'm always looking for new - and tasty - ways to use it. So the Big Mac Salad appeared on our noontime table this month, and it got good reviews from both Randy and me.

 

I just prepared enough lettuce for us for one meal and then topped with the toppings. I made each of us a main dish salad on separate plates. I had both hamburger and special sauce dressing leftover for another meal.  Just keep well-covered in the refrigerator until ready to use again. That's the beauty of this: Make as much or as little as you need. 

 

And make it how you prefer: We don't particularly care for raw onions, so I just included some chopped onion when I browned the ground beef instead.

 

And, by the way, it's Kansas Beef Month. Since it's always Beef Month around here, I didn't even think about the fact that this blog post could even be considered timely ... until after I wrote it. What a happy coincidence!

 

According to www.kansasbeef.org, there are more than 27,000 cattle farms and ranches in Kansas. This year, Kansas takes third place among U.S. states with cattle numbers, totaling 6.5 million head of cattle on ranches and in feedyards. That’s more than twice the state’s human population. Furthermore, Kansas ranked second among U.S. states in fed cattle marketed, with roughly 4.97 million in 2019. In total, beef cattle and calves represented 51.5 percent of the 2019 Kansas agricultural cash receipts, bolstering and enhancing the spending power in local economies across the state.

 

Kansas has about 45.8 million acres of farm ground. However, not all of this land can be used to grow crops. Grazing cattle is an ideal technique for efficiently utilizing grasses and plants growing on more than 15.3 million acres of Kansas pasture and rangeland. These acres would be wasted if not for ruminants like cattle who can turn these resources into essential protein and nutrients for humans. Additionally, grazing cattle helps maintain grasslands and reduce the fuel load which can spark destructive wildfires.

 

So enjoy a little beef for Beef Month!

 

 Big Mac Salad 

Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

 

1lb. ground beef

Worcestershire sauce

Seasoned salt and pepper
3 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
1 red onion, thinly sliced (opt.)

Freshly shredded cheddar cheese

Cherry, grape, or vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped

Dill pickles, chopped
 

For the Special Sauce Salad Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup French dressing
2 tbsp. minced pickles
2 tbsp. minced onion (red or white)
1 tbsp. distilled white vinegar

For Special Sauce Salad Dressing: Add ingredients to a bowl then whisk to combine. Can be made several days ahead of time.

For Salad: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat then add the ground beef. (I added onion to cook along with the ground beef.) Let the beef cook undisturbed until the bottom is golden brown then add a few shakes worcestershire sauce. Season with seasoned salt and pepper, and continue to saute until cooked through. Drain any fat, and cool slightly.

Once slightly cooled, divide lettuce between plates or bowls then top with the cooked ground beef, red onion, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, and dill pickles. Drizzle with Special Sauce Salad Dressing then serve.

Notes:

• Neither Randy or I prefer raw onions. I just incorporated some minced onion into the hamburger as I was browning it.  
• I just prepared enough lettuce for us for one meal and then topped with the toppings. I made each of us a main dish salad on separate plates. I had both hamburger and special sauce dressing leftover for another meal.  Just keep well-covered in the refrigerator until ready to use for another meal. That's the beauty of this: Make as much or as little as you need. 
• I kept all the components - including dressing - separate for photo purposes. Then we just tossed our own salads together and enjoyed!