Healthy Cheeseburger Bowls with Smashed Potatoes
Meet my new favorite easy high-protein weeknight meal! These loaded cheeseburger bowls are so easy, and feel indulgent even though they’re pretty dang healthy.
I feel like I’ve been gatekeeping it because I just couldn’t get good pics to save my life. But whatever…we’re just going to go with it.
Rather than a rice base (though you definitely wouldn’t go wrong with that), the hero here is…crispy smashed potatoes!! These are really easy to make, and make a delicious carb base for your bowls, mimicking fries.
I will say, though, if you’re in a hurry…tater tots in the air fryer ALSO make a delicious base for this.
What’s great about these burger bowls is the variety…the world’s your oyster on fixin’s. I’ve gone pretty traditional with mine, but you can mix up the cheeses, add favorite burger toppings like caramelized onions, lettuce, or bacon, and adapt easily to different preferences or dietary restrictions.
How to make easy crispy smashed potatoes
What’s great about this is you can prep some of this ahead of time if you want, which not only saves time whipping up the meal but also has a health benefit. Cooking and then cooling (refrigerating) starches like potatoes transforms them into resistant starch which benefits both your blood sugar and gut.
Place the potatoes (whole) in a saucepan and cover with water. Cook on medium-high and gently boil/simmer until they are knife-tender (it’s better to err on the side of over-soft). This is usually 15-25 minutes.
Drain and cool slightly until you can handle them. You can also put them in the fridge until you need them. When ready to use, smash them using the bottom of a glass (I do mine on parchment paper).
Spray lightly with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a bit of paprika. Air fry for 7-12 minutes, until they become crispy and golden (you can also do this in the oven at 425 F, it will take longer).
How to make your own healthy cheeseburger bowls
Cook the ground beef on medium, breaking it into small chunks. Season well with salt. When the beef is cooked through and starting to develop nice browning and a bit of crisp, add the beef broth, tomato paste, and mustard and stir together. Cook for another minute or two, then remove from heat.
While the beef is cooking, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Taste and adjust as needed. I make the sauce a serving at a time and I eyeball amounts and taste to adjust. I’ve given you a starting place but find the flavor balance that works best for you–I like tangy creamy umami.
Chop or prep any other fixin’s as needed.
To assemble your cheeseburger bowls, put the smashed potatoes at the bottom of the bowl, top with the hamburger mixture, then add whatever your heart desires. Finally, drizzle with the sauce. Eat while hot!
Other easy, healthy bowl meals you’ll love:
- Pineapple & Honey Beef with Coconut Rice
- Healthy Honey Sesame Chicken Meal Prep Bowls
- Viral Tiktok Hot Honey Beef Bowl
- Chetna’s Easy Chicken Curry
- Salmon & Quinoa Power Bowl with Lemon Feta Avocado Salsa
- Roasted Vegetable Barley Salad With Lemon Tahini Dressing
Pin for later!
Healthy Cheeseburger Bowls with Smashed Potatoes
These healthy cheeseburger bowls are a super easy weeknight meal that's flexible for all types of tastes and dietary restrictions. You can whip it up in a very short time (especially if you boil the potatoes ahead and keep them in the fridge), and it feels indulgent while being packed with nutrients. A winner weeknight meal!
Ingredients
- BOWL COMPONENTS
- 1 lb of ground beef
- 1/4 cup of beef stock or beef bone broth
- 1 heaping tablespoon of tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon of mustard (either yellow or dijon)
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Baby potatoes (yukon gold)
- Seasoning for the potatoes: salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, olive oil
- Cheese of choice
- Whatever fixin's your heart desires...lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles (blech), etc
- BURGER SAUCE (see notes)
- 3-4 tablespoons of kewpie mayo (regular would work too)
- 1/2 teaspoon of dijon mustard (yellow works too)
- 1/2 teaspoon of ketchup
- ,1/2 teaspoon of BBQ sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray's)
- A bit of caper brine or pickle juice
- A shake of granulated garlic, onion powder, and paprika
Instructions
- Make the smashed potatoes: You can do some of this ahead of time if you want. Place the potatoes (whole) in a saucepan and cover with water. Place over a burner on medium-high and boil/simmer until they are knife-tender (it's better to err on the side of over-soft). This is usually 15-25 minutes.
- Drain and cool slightly until you can handle them. You can also put them in the fridge until you need them. When ready to use, smash them using the bottom of a glass or other flat surface (I do mine on parchment paper).
- Spray lightly with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a bit of paprika. Air fry for 7-12 minutes, until they become crispy and golden (you can also do this in the oven at 425 F, it will take longer).
- Make the hamburger and sauce: Cook the ground beef on medium, breaking it into small chunks. Season well with salt. When the beef is cooked through and starting to develop nice browning and a bit of crisp, add the beef broth, tomato paste, and mustard and stir together. Cook for another minute or two, then remove from heat.
- While the beef is cooking, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Taste and adjust as needed. Chop or prep any other fixin's as needed.
- Assemble your bowls: Put smashed potatoes at the bottom of the bowl, top with hamburger mixture, then add fixin's and drizzle with sauce. Eat while hot!
Notes
- I make the sauce a serving at a time (since I live alone) and I eyeball amounts and taste to adjust. I've given you a starting place but find the flavor balance that works best for you--I like tangy creamy umami.
- If you don't feel like doing the smashed potatoes, air fryer tater tots are AMAZING as a base for this dish.
