Big Mac Casserole

If the Golden Arches and a Minnesota hot dish got together and had a baby, it would be Big Mac Casserole. We’re talking about browned ground beef in a gravy that tastes just like a Big Mac topped with melty cheese and tater tots then baked to bubbly, crispy tater tots topped perfection.

This delicious meal the whole family will love is served with your favorite burger toppings like fistfuls of shredded lettuce, diced onion and dill pickle, and drizzled with “special sauce” or thousand island dressing. And while this twist on classic comfort food might sound weird, it is a great family dinner. 

I know… a Big Mac is supposed to have a sesame seed bun, but we forego that in lieu of sesame seed topped crispy tater tots. Think of it as adding fries to your Big Mac main dish.

My husband went a little crazy over this insanely easy dinner recipe. He said “I wasn’t even hungry when I started eating this! I can’t stop!”

This casserole reheats beautifully if you have leftovers. Just put a heat-proof bowl of it into your air fryer, microwave, or moderate oven until heated through.

Big Mac Tater Tot Casserole

Let’s look at our ingredients and equipment lists before we get started on the recipe so you know what to gather. Don’t let the length of the ingredients list stand in the way of making this. They’re all simple ingredients that you’re likely to have in your kitchen already. 

Ingredients

1. Frozen Tater Tots
2. Lean Ground Beef
3. Pickle Juice
4. Cornstarch
5. Ketchup
6. Worcestershire Sauce
7. Granulated Garlic or Garlic Powder
8. Granulated Onion or Onion Powder
9. Black Pepper
10. Kosher Salt
11. American Cheese
12. Sesame Seeds
13. Shredded fresh Lettuce (iceberg or romaine lettuce)
14. Dill Pickles
15. Onions (Yellow onion, sweet onion, red onion, or green onion)
16. Homemade Burger Sauce or thousand island or French dressing

Let’s get cheesy! Slices of American cheese are the most authentic choice for a Big Mac hamburger, so it’s what I went with here. If you’d like to switch it up a little, you can sub in shredded cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese.

I have used both mini and standard sized tater tots or puffs in our Big Mac casserole recipe, and I can confidently say they’re both delicious. I imagine it’d be delicious made with about any frozen potato puff you can find including sweet potato puffs!

Use whichever your family prefers. It’s hard to go wrong with frozen potato puffs!

You can even get a head start on making your casserole. Make the beef mixture up to two days ahead of time, spread in a casserole dish, and top with tater tots before baking.

You can use sliced pickles if you like, but I prefer chopping my pickles up into smaller pieces so it’s easier to get a little bit of pickle in each bite. 

I also use homemade Big Mac sauce (Burger sauce) or Thousand Island dressing for the “special sauce” Big Mac component. It’s basically a copycat Big Mac sauce. If you want a faster solution, you can use Chick Fil A sauce for a similar look and taste. 

Equipment

1. Oven
2. Skillet
3. Ground Beef Chopper (or Sturdy Spoon)
4. Measuring Spoons
5. Measuring Cups
6. Small Whisk or Fork 
7. 9” x 13” casserole dish or baking pan

Can you make crock pot Big Mac casserole? Yes. Absolutely.

Be aware, though, that your tater tots will not get crispy like they would baked in the oven. If you’re okay with this, sally forth and layer your saucy ground beef mixture in a crock pot or slow cooker followed by a single layer of your tater tots.

Set your slow cooker to low, and let ‘er rip for at least 4 hours or until the saucy beef is bubbly and the tots are hot through. Top as recommended.

If you’re big on the Big Mac theme, try out our Big Mac Tacos and Big Mac Pizza!

Big Mac Tater Tot Casserole

Crumble the ground beef into a medium skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle the teaspoon salt and pepper over it and break it up as you brown it. 

If there is a large amount of fat, you can drain excess grease. Don’t pour it all off, though!

Any fat in the neighborhood of 2 tablespoons or so can remain in the pan to bring more flavour to the party. Stir in the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, granulated garlic, and granulated onion. 

In a small bowl or jar, stir or whisk together the pickle juice and cornstarch to make a slurry. Pour this mixture over the ground beef and stir well, over medium-high heat, until the sauce thickens and is glossy. 

Spread the Big Mac mixture in a 9”x13” casserole dish. Layer American cheese slices in a single layer on top of the beef mixture.

Arrange the tater tots in a single layer over the cheese and ground beef mixture. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the meat mixture is very bubbly and the tots are golden brown and crispy on top. 

Put the casserole dish on a trivet on the table with bowls of lettuce, pickles, and onions. Top each serving individually as desired with the toppings, a drizzle of burger sauce, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds just before eating. 

Big Mac Tater Tot Casserole

Rebecca Lindamood

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

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Big Mac Tacos: bringing “the golden arches” to an irresistible and comforting casserole made with seasoned beef, crispy tots, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions. It’s Big Macs; but even more comforting and delicious.

Equipment

• oven
• Skillet
• Ground Beef Chopper (or Sturdy Spoon)
• measuring spoons
• Measuring Cups
• Small Whisk or Fork
• 9” x 13” casserole dish or baking pan

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup ketchup plus 2 tablespoons
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon granulated onion
• 1/4 cup dill pickle brine
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 32 ounce bag frozen tater tots or tater puffs
• 9 to 12 slices American cheese or mild cheddar
• 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1 cup chopped dill pickles
• 1 cup chopped sweet onions or green onions
• ½ cup Burger Sauce or more to taste
• Sesame seeds

Instructions

 

• Heat the oven to 375ºF.
• Crumble the ground beef into a medium skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over it and break it up as you brown it.
• If there is a large amount of fat, you can pour it off. Don’t pour it all off, though!
• Any fat in the neighborhood of 2 tablespoons or so can remain in the pan to bring more flavour to the party. Stir in the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, granulated garlic, and granulated onion.
• In a small bowl or jar, stir or whisk together the pickle juice and cornstarch to make a slurry. Pour this mixture over the ground beef and stir well, over medium-high heat, until the sauce thickens and is glossy.
• Spread the Big Mac mixture in a 9”x13” casserole dish. Layer American cheese slices in overlapping rows over the meat.
• Arrange the tater tots in a single layer over the cheese. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the meat mixture bubbles up around the edges and the tots are golden brown and crispy on top.
• Put the casserole dish on a trivet on the table with bowls of lettuce, pickles, and onions. Top each serving individually as desired with the toppings, a drizzle of burger sauce, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds just before eating.

Nutrition

Calories: 464kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 18gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 1321mgPotassium: 553mgFiber: 2gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 361IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 208mgIron: 2mg

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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