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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!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 2 -3 servings (scalable)

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

  1. 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.
  2. If you don't feel like doing the smashed potatoes, air fryer tater tots are AMAZING as a base for this dish.