Chef notes
1100 CALORIES—that’s what a typical Bacon Cheeseburger in a restaurant will cost you. By the way, that’s not including the greasy side of fries.
Instead, try my slim-style version for a fraction of the calories (just 425!), fat and sodium. Trust me, it provides the same fantastic flavors—juicy beef, crispy bacon and melty cheese—without any of the lousy aftermath.
Ingredients
- 4 whole-grain hamburger buns
- 1 pound lean ground sirloin or turkey (at least 90 percent lean)
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 chopped onion (optional)
- 4 slices turkey bacon
- Four slices reduced-fat cheese, any variety
Preparation
Toast the buns.
Combine the turkey (or beef), ketchup, mustard, garlic powder, and onion, if desired, in a small bowl. Divide the mixture into 4 equal-sized portions and shape them into burgers. Set aside.
Coat a skillet with nonstick oil spray and warm it over medium heat. Add the turkey bacon and cook until crispy, following package directions. Set the bacon aside on a paper towel to drain.
Reapply nonstick oil spray to the skillet and cook the burgers about 5 minutes per side. When the burgers are done, top each with 1 slice of cheese. Cover the skillet to allow the cheese to melt. Add 1 slice of cooked turkey bacon (split into two pieces) to the top of each burger.
Layer the bottom buns with lettuce, tomato, bacon cheeseburger, pickles, chopped onion and a squirt of ketchup and/or mustard. Add the top bun and dig in.
NUTRITION: 425 calories, 36 g protein, 28 g carbs (3 g fiber), 17.5 g fat (6 g saturated)