Craving a juicy cheeseburger but not the mandatory nap that comes with it? This cheesy, saucy, veggie-packed burger bowl is your solution. To make this easy bowl, I skip the carb-coma-inducing potato bun and swap it for a bed of fresh romaine lettuce topped with everything you’d find on a classic American diner cheeseburger—tangy dill pickles, thinly sliced red onion, juicy tomatoes, smoky bacon, cheddar cheesy ground beef, a drizzle of burger sauce, and of course a few golden crispy fries. These bowls are just as versatile as an actual burger, meaning the sky is truly the limit when it comes to toppings. You can mix and match just like you would for your favorite take out burger meal. Keep reading for tips on how to swap out each ingredient.

Ground beef – Instead of the classic burger meat, try ground turkey, ground chicken, or even your favorite plant-based meat.

Cheddar cheese – Almost any of your favorite cheeses will work here. Try a spicy pepper Jack, crumbled blue cheese, nutty shredded Swiss, or even a slice of classic American. Stick with softer cheeses to make sure you get all of the melty goodness you deserve.

Bacon – I love the added smokiness and meatiness from bacon, but feel free switch it up with chopped pancetta, crumbled chorizo, or even sautéed mushrooms.

Romaine Lettuce – Just like with any bowl, you can get a whole new meal by simply switching up the base. Try peppery arugula, chopped kale, or even shredded cabbage for the base of your burger bowl.

Cherry Tomatoes – Cherry tomatoes are especially awesome in the summertime, but you can really use any tomato variety you want. If you’re not a fan of tomatoes, swap them for something equally refreshing like fresh cucumber or bell pepper.

Red Onion – I left these raw for extra texture and oniony bite, but you can swap these with caramelized yellow onion, scallions, or shallots for a more mild onion flavor.

Dill Pickles – Pickles are all about the briny tang so you can really experiment here. Of course there are bread and butter pickles, but you can also try pickled jalapeños for extra heat or pickled onions for a little extra sweetness.

French Fries – Use your favorite freezer-aisle crispy starch! Tots, sweet potato fries, or even onion rings would be a genius swap.

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When it comes to dining al fresco, a picnic at the beach is perhaps our favorite way to do it. We don’t know quite why this is true, but food eaten near the ocean always just tastes so much better? It’s easy to see how the salt, sand, and sun from a day at the beach can make you work up quite the appetite. But you shouldn’t have to compromise on what you bring along in the cooler, or lose your prime spot to head to the snack bar. No need to sweat, though; these 25 packable recipes for your beach cooler will keep you well-fed all day long (and go perfectly well with a cheeky beach cocktail too!).

Packing food for the beach can be a little tricky, though. After all, you’ve got a bunch of different factors to consider with beach foods like the heat, cooler space, whether you actually feel like packing utensils, and sand, which has the amazing ability to end up, well, everywhere. Wraps, like our turkey lavash wraps or our buffalo chicken nugget burritos, are our go-to sandwiches for packing for the beach since they are so easy to eat, without getting sand where you don’t want it. We also love freezing Prosecco grapes for a cheeky afternoon treat, mixing up a non-mayo based pasta salad, and packing plenty of snacks, like our sushi popcorn. Packing them all securely in your favorite sturdy food containers (rather than plastic bags) will help keep your snacks safe and sound, too.

We are never too far from anything sweet, and your beach day should be no different. Brownies and blondies (especially our brown sugar Pop-Tart blondies) are great packable desserts, since there’s no risk of melting and they don’t need to be chilled. Whatever you choose, we have tons of easy cooler hacks to help you keep you (and your beach foods) cool all day long.

delish!

Burgers and fries might be a culinary power couple, but if you’re already using the grill for burgers, you can’t go wrong with these grilled potatoes. Cooked until lightly charred, and drizzled with a bright green herb sauce, these simple spuds will make you wish every night was a cook-out.

While these potatoes are great on their own, I highly recommend drizzling them with this bright, herbaceous sauce. Inspired by Italian salsa verde, it provides a great contrast to the potato’s smoky meatiness—plus it comes together in just a few minutes in the food processor. If you have leftover sauce, it’s also great spooned over steak or chicken or served with raw veggies.

How To Make Grilled Potatoes

Unlike more delicate vegetables such as asparagus, zucchini, or eggplant, potatoes are too dense to cook completely from raw on the grill. Boiling them in salted water before grilling jump-starts the cooking, ensuring that they reach perfect tenderness in the same amount of time it takes them to char on the grill. While I experimented with parcooking in the microwave, I found that the salted water was key to ensuring the potatoes were seasoned from the inside out. Potatoes that were microwaved tasted noticeably flatter, no matter how much salt I sprinkled on after the fact. Turns out sometimes you just can’t shortcut flavor!

INGREDIENTS

• Yukon Gold Potatoes: These all-purpose potatoes are ideal, since their moderately waxy texture helps prevent them from falling apart on the grill.
• Kosher Salt: I prefer to use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, since the size of the granules make it easier to season evenly without overseasoning. If you have Morton, I recommend using about the half the amount called for in the recipe.
• Basil: Fresh finely chopped basil forms the backbone of the herby green sauce that accompanies the potatoes. Pack the basil tightly into the cup when you measure it—you don’t want to skimp on it!
• Parsley: Make sure to pick the parsley leaves off the stems before adding to the food processor. Unlike cilantro stems, which have tons of flavor, parsley stems are NOT delicious.
• Garlic: A bit of fresh garlic sharpens the fresh, herby sauce. Roughly chopping the clove before adding it to the food processor will ensure it breaks down fully in the sauce.
• White Wine Vinegar: The delicate acidity of white wine vinegar adds the perfect amount of zing to the herb sauce. If you don’t have white wine vinegar, you can also use apple cider.
• Capers: These add brininess and also a bit of zing to the sauce. I love the tiny capers, labeled “non-pareil,” but any size caper will work great.
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Since most of this oil is going into the herb sauce, it’s especially important to use an olive oil you love the flavor of. If you don’t like it on its own, you won’t like it when it’s in the sauce.

delish!