Deconstructed McDonalds Big Mac Casserole

Best Big Mac casserole recipe you can make with all the same flavors as your favorite McDonald’s hamburger with special sauce lettuce and cheese! Like our ground beef potato casserole this is pure comfort food, a complete meal in a dish you just scoop out and love.

Big Mac Casserole Recipe

I know you have memories of eating this burger when you were younger, or maybe your dad did. 😉 The day I bit into my first it was the era of when you could buy a glass with the Grimace or other characters on it for $1. I had a whole collection of those which I’m sure ended up at the Goodwill but sure wish I had kept them.

Deconstructed casserole recipes are the bomb!! Have a dinner that your family loves to pieces but takes a long time to prepare?? Just use the same ingredients but throw it into a dish to all cook together. We have done this over and over again. With stuffed peppers, linked above, stuffed cabbage rolls, and the list goes on and on.

Big Mac Tater Tot Casserole

If you wanted to add air fryer frozen tater tots to the top you could. I would recommend you cook them first in the air fryer or oven because I do not like them soggy at all. You can then spread under the layer of cheese to incorporate into the dish itself, or I just sprinkle on the very top with the pickles.

Alternatively you could air fry frozen french fries and lay those on top, more of a fast food way of looking at things!

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef or spicy ground sausage
  • sometimes I will use half and half like in our ShipWreck Casserole so the heat is medium to mild
• Olive oil
• 1 small onion diced
• 1/3 tsp salt and pepper
• 1 c cheese cheddar
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 c Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1 c pickles should be dill, sliced is best for being able to slice and serve
• 1/2 c lettuce shredded

Copycat Big Mac Sauce

• 1 tbsp sour cream
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp dijon mustard and Worchestershire sauce
• 1/3 tsp paprika
• 1/3 tsp brown sugar and garlic powder

What size pan should you bake a casserole in?

This casserole dish we used a 9×9″ size but 8×8 would work fine too. If you doubled it would need a 9×13 inch. I would say this feeds about 4 people depending on how hungry your clan is so make as is or double.

Can you substitute ground sausage for ground beef?

As far as meat goes if you want a bit of a kick cook a roll of spicy ground sausage instead, or half and half to make a ground beef mixture with some heat. You don’t want real lean ground beef as it won’t have as much flavor, just sayin.

Now if you didn’t want to go thru the steps of making your own Big Mac sauce yourself for this or our Big Mac Sloppy Joes as we explain below you could use thousand island dressing. If you had to use any sort of store bought close as you can alternative it would be this.

How to Make Big Mac Casserole with Thousand Island Dressing

• Preheat the oven to 380 F. Put a pan over medium high heat and add oil, fry the ground meat with diced onions for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• At the end, add salt and pepper, mix.
• While the meat is cooking, mix the ingredients for the sauce; sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcester. sauce, spices, sugar.
• Add half of the grated cheddar to the skillet.
• Stir and let the cheese melt (1-2 minutes).
• Transfer the meat mixture to a 9×9 or 8×8 baking dish. Whisk together two eggs and heavy cream, pour on top.
• Put the remaining cheese on top of the casserole.
• Put the baking dish in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until nice and golden brown.
• Let the casserole cool slightly, then spread it with big mac sauce.
• Sprinkle the lettuce on top, and then lay out the store bought or homemade pickle slices. Cut into pieces and serve.

OH wait….you can sprinkle sesame seeds on top too since you are skipping the bun. 😉 I mean if you want to go all out and all…… We love this recipe, it’s just so fun to make, eat, and talk about since we have all been to this popular fast food chain.

How can you make cheeseburger casserole better?

These ingredients will amp it up for sure!! You can really load up the lettuce if you want more veggies incorporated. If you really want to go all out on the whole theme, you could make our dill pickle pasta salad to have on the side too!

Once you try it with all the details in the recipe card below you are going to want to try a few of our other creations, for sure. If you have little ones they for sure are going to love our Dorito casserole too!! I mean I’m in my 40’s and it is always a hit over here. We made this one in our pressure cooker but could make on the stove, then pour into a dish and in the oven at 350 to melt cheese on top.

Saving a leftover casserole is a great way to minimize food waste and enjoy a delicious meal for another day. Properly storing and reheating the casserole ensures that it remains safe to eat and retains its flavor and texture. Here’s how to do it;

How to Save Leftover Casserole

1. Allow contents to cool down for about 1 to 2 hours after it’s been cooked. This helps prevent the growth of harmful bacteria during the storage process.
2. If you have a large amount left, consider dividing it into smaller portions. This makes it easier to store and reheat only the amount you plan to consume.
3. Choose airtight containers that are suitable for both refrigeration and freezing. Glass or plastic containers with tight fitting lids work well. You can also use aluminum foil or plastic wrap to cover the casserole if you plan to use it within a day or two.

For short-term storage (up to 3 days), place the cooled casserole in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. Make sure the container is labeled with the date to keep track of freshness.

How to Freeze Leftovers

This is a great option for a longer period (up to a few months), wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, foil, or use freezer-safe containers. For baked casseroles, it’s often better to freeze them before baking rather than after, as this preserves the texture and quality of the ingredients. If freezing after baking, avoid using ingredients that might not freeze well, such as potatoes, as they can become mushy.

How to Reheat

When you’re ready to enjoy the leftovers, you can; Preheat your oven to around 350°F. Place the in an oven-safe dish, cover it with foil, and heat until it’s warmed through. The time will vary depending on the size and type, but it’s usually around 20-30 minutes.

If you’re reheating a single serving, the microwave is a quick option. Place the portion on a microwave-safe plate and heat in short intervals, stirring occasionally to ensure even heating.