Big Mac Casserole

Here’s your new favorite ground beef hot dish! Big Mac Casserole is made with browned ground beef in a sweet sauce that’s topped with American cheese and mini tater tots. It’s baked until hot and bubbly throughout and served with the delicious Big Mac “special sauce” we all know and love!

BIG MAC CASSEROLE RECIPE

HOWDY! CHEF ALLI HERE. LET’S GET YOU COOKIN’…. SHALL WE?? 🙂

I’m always on the lookout for good ground beef recipes! This recipe for Big Mac Casserole fits the ticket just perfectly – it’s pure comfort food that any American family will relate to and enjoy. Everybody loves a Big Mac, right?

Tex Mexican Taco Pie (Low Carb!) is a family favorite that I make often for my guys, and so is Fiesta Ground Beef and Noodle Skillet. If you’ve a lover of Cuban flavors like I am, I hope you’ll try Classic Cuban-Style Picadillo Over Rice – it’s an unusual blend of flavors that is hands-down delicious.

AN EASY GROUND BEEF TATER TOT CASSEROLE TO MAKE

Serve this Big Mac Casserole with your favorite burger toppings, just like they do at McD’s. Shredded lettuce, sweet chopped onions, and chopped dill pickles…topped off with a good slather of “special sauce” – heck yea!

WHAT TO LOVE ABOUT THIS EASY DINNER RECIPE

1. Put the Big Mac Twist on a classic comfort food!
2. Such an easy weeknight dinner your family will love.
3. Assemble this 9×13 casserole ahead and bake it fresh when you need it.

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

• Ground beef
• Ketchup
• Worcestershire sauce
• Granulated onion
• Granulated garlic
• Mini tater tots (may substitute regular tater tots or tater puffs
• Dill pickle juice (aka dill pickle brine)
• Cornstarch
• Sliced American cheese
• Shredded iceberg lettuce
• Chopped dill pickles (I used sliced hamburger dill pickles to make it easy)
• Green onions, optional
• Special sauce (aka burger sauce)
• Sesame seeds

TIPS FOR MAKING THIS CASSEROLE THE BEST IT CAN BE

• Always bake tater tot casserole uncovered so the tater tots can get deep golden brown.
• Just before popping the casserole into the oven, spray the tater tots with a light coating of nonstick baking spray so they can get extra crispy.
• Assemble this casserole when it’s convenient, then refrigerate until you’re ready to bake.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING BIG MAC CASSEROLE

**PRINT THE FULL RECIPE FROM THE RECIPE CARD AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST

Place all the sauce ingredients into a bowl, stirring to combine; reserve in refrigeration until time to serve the Big Mac Casserole.

Place a large skillet over medium high heat; when the pan is nicely hot, add the ground beef, crumbling the beef as it cooks.

When the beef is fully cooked and well crumbled, tip the pan to one side, moving the ground beef towards the top of the skillet. This allows the fats from the meat to drain down towards the bottom side of the skillet. Crumple paper towels and place them into the hot fat; when the fats are absorbed, carefully remove the paper towels to the trash. **Reserve 1-2 Tbs. of the fats in the skillet to proceed with the recipe for added flavor!

Add the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, granulated garlic, and granulated onion. Over medium heat, combine the added ingredients with the crumbled ground beef, stirring until nicely combined and hot throughout. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a jar with a tight fitting lid, shake the pickle juice and cornstarch together to make a slurry. Pour the prepared slurry into the warm ground beef mixture, stirring well, until the sauce thickens and the mixture is glossy.

Spread the prepared Big Mac mixture in a 9”x13” greased casserole dish; layer the cheese slices in overlapping rows over the top.

Lastly, cover the slices of cheese with a single layer of tater tots.

Bake the Big Mac casserole, uncovered, on the center oven rack for about 40 minutes, or until the meat mixture bubbles up around the edges and the tots are golden brown and crispy on top. **A fully baked and ready to eat casserole should be 165 degrees F. at the center.

To serve, spoon helpings of the Big Mac Casserole into bowls, then top with lettuce, pickles, and onions; drizzle with the prepared Big Mac Burger Sauce, followed by a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Enjoy at once!

ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS ASKED ABOUT THIS RECIPE

WHICH TOOLS ARE HELPFUL FOR MAKING BIG MAC CASSEROLE?

Kitchen shears are slick for cutting up the green onions. I like kitchen shears that come completely apart so they are easier to wash and keep sanitary.

Use a good, heavy-duty skillet for browning the ground meat. I love my Lodge 12-inch cast iron skillet and use it constantly.

For cutting the lettuce and pickles, I always want my 8-inch chef’s knife in my hand and a large wooden cutting board.

You can use a metal 9×13 baking pan, but I truly prefer a glass 9×13 baking dish. Ceramic 9×13 baking dishes are a good bet, also.

Use an instant-read meat thermometer to test the casserole for doneness towards the end of the baking time. It should be 160-165 degrees F. at the center to be hot throughout and safe to eat.

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN A CASSEROLE IS HOT AT THE CENTER?

Super great question! Use an instant-read thermometer to test the internal temperature at the very center of the casserole towards the end of the cooking time. When the temperature is 160-165 degrees at the center, it’s hot and safe to enjoy.

WHICH OTHER TYPES OF GROUND MEATS CAN BE USED TO MAKE THIS CASSEROLE?

Because we raise cattle for a living, I typically use ground beef. However, because my sons are hunters, I have often used ground venison in this casserole and it’s delicious. Ground bison, turkey or chicken work well, too.

MORE FAVORITE RECIPES TO ENJOY –

• BUBBLE UP TACO CASSEROLE
• TACO RICE CASSEROLE
• BEEFY SHEET PAN QUESADILLAS
• ROTISSERIE CHICKEN AND POTATO CASSEROLE
• TACO MEAT LOADED BELL PEPPERS

PRINTABLE BIG MAC CASSEROLE RECIPE

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LET’S GET YOU COOKIN’,
CHEF ALLI

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