Loaded Burger Bowls

ground beef and air fried butternut squash zig zags in a bowl with lettuce, pickles, diced tomatoes, crumbled cheese, and burger sauce

Crispy oniony beef with roasted butternut squash fries, burger sauce, and all your favorite burger toppings in two massive protein bowls. A kinda healthy "burger and fries" fix.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword air fried butternut squash zig zags, burger bowls, butternut squash fries, cheeseburger bowls, ground beef burger bowls, Trader Joe's butternut squash zig zags

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings Bowls

Calories 595kcal

Author Mason Woodruff

Ingredients

For the Fries

2 packs (12 oz each) Trader Joe's Butternut Squash Zig Zags or hand cut fries with butternut squash, sweet potatoes, etc. (see notes for more swaps)
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1-2 pinches Kosher Salt

For the Burger Beef

1 pound Extra Lean Ground Beef
1 Tablespoon Trader Joe's Onion Salt or a similar seasoning blend
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
¼ cup Beef Broth or Water

For the Burger Sauce

¼ cup Reduced Sugar Ketchup
2 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard
2 Tablespoons Light Mayo
1-2 Tablespoons Water to thin as needed

For Serving

8 oz Cherry Tomatoes halved
4 cups Shredded Lettuce
¼ cup Dill Pickles and Pepperoncini
2 oz Reduced Fat Crumbled Feta or your choice of cheese

Instructions

Make the fries. Toss the butternut squash zig zags in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Air fry for 15-20 minutes at 375ºF, shaking a few times during cooking. Or bake on a parchment lined sheet pan at 425ºF for 30-35 minutes.
Make the burger beef. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the ground beef and cook on one side untouched for 2-3 minutes until a nicely browned crust forms. Flip the beef and do the same to the other side. Once browned on both sides, use a spatula to break the beef apart and fully cook. (I like to leave the beef in small bite-size pieces as opposed to completely mincing.) Add the Worcestershire sauce, onion salt, and broth to the cooked beef and cook until no liquid remains, another minute or so.
Assemble. Mix the burger sauce ingredients together. Add the lettuce to bowls and top with the roasted squash zig zags, burger beef, tomatoes, pickles, cheese, and burger sauce.

Notes

TJ's onion salt has 75mg of sodium per 1/4 teaspoon. It is made with granulated onion and garlic, salt, dried chives and green onion, and minced onion. Any combination of dried/granulated alliums and salt should do the trick as a replacement.

You can swap the zig zags for homemade fries with sweet potatoes, russet potatoes, carrots, or any other potato replacement. Frozen root veggie fries or regular fries are also options but will add some carbs/calories.

Nutrition