This Big Mac Casserole brings all the comforting, savory flavors of the burger into an easy homemade dinner made with simpler, healthier ingredients. Layers of seasoned ground beef, crispy potatoes, melted cheese, tangy pickles and a rich, creamy burger sauce all come together into one warm, satisfying dish that tastes just like your favorite fast-food burger, but better.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email below & we'll send it to your inbox. Plus get great new recipes from us every week!
The whole family will love the familiar flavors, and with how easy this casserole is to make ahead, you'll have a simple, filling meal ready in no time. Quick, simple, and full of flavor, this recipe is sure to become a new weeknight favorite!
Don't know what to serve with your casserole? Try this refreshing Ultimate Chopped Salad or these Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries. If you're looking for another dinner casserole, try this Hamburger and Potato Casserole or this Air Fryer Green Bean Casserole. And if you're a fan of this ground beef recipe, try these delicious Homemade Smash Burgers or these easy Ninja Foodi Burgers.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- A healthier twist: This recipe offers a lighter, homemade take on a classic Big Mac. It's all the flavors you love, in a delicious home-cooked casserole!
- Perfect weeknight meal: It's quick, easy, and satisfying, making it ideal to feed the whole family on busy weeknights.
- Versatile: It's super simple to adjust the ingredients and make swaps with different proteins, cheeses, toppings, and sauces.
- Better than takeout: A tasty alternative to fast food takeout that you can make right at home.
Ingredients
Gather the ingredients below to make this Big Mac Casserole with special sauce!
- Ground beef - The higher the fat content of your beef, the more flavorful and juicy your casserole will be. Lean beef works, but you may lose a bit of that rich, classic burger taste.
- Frozen diced hash browns - These create the hearty base of the casserole. No need to thaw beforehand, they'll cook perfectly in the oven and soak up all the flavors.
- White onion - For that true Big Mac flavor, stick with fresh white onion instead of yellow onion or frozen onions.
- Olive oil - Used to sauté the beef and onions, helping everything cook evenly and adding a subtle richness.
- Yellow mustard - Adds the signature tangy burger flavor.
- Colby Jack cheese - Melts perfectly and gives a creamy, slightly sharp flavor that pairs well with the beef.
- Mayonnaise - Forms the creamy, rich base of the burger sauce.
- Ketchup - Adds a hint of sweetness and acidity to the sauce.
- Diced dill pickles - Mixed into the sauce for a tangy, briny flavor.
- Dill pickle juice - Thins out the sauce while adding a slight sour tanginess.
- Tomato, diced - Adds freshness and a juicy crunch to the casserole.
- Shredded iceberg lettuce - A must have for the authentic Big Mac feel.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Potato options: In place of frozen potatoes, you can switch up the flavor and use sweet potatoes, russet potatoes, or even tater tots. Just be sure to dice them into small, even pieces for cooking.
- Cheese swaps: Substitute Colby Jack for cheddar cheese, or use a blend of your favorite cheeses.
- Protein choices: Ground turkey, ground chicken, or shredded chicken can all be used in place of ground beef.
- Extra toppings: Top with a sprinkling of sesame seeds, crispy bacon bits, additional burger toppings, or try different sauces to switch up the flavor profile.
- Sauce shortcut: Feel free to use a store bought sauce such as Thousand Island dressing as a quick substitute for the homemade sauce.
How to Make Big Mac Casserole
Once you've gathered all your ingredients, preheat the oven to 375ºF and follow the steps below to make this Big Mac casserole with hash browns.
- Step 1: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add diced hashbrowns, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes until lightly browned.
- Step 2: In a large skillet, cook ground beef and onions (reserving some onions for topping) over medium heat, season with salt and pepper, and cook until browned with no pink remaining, then drain excess grease if needed.
- Step 3: Add mustard, garlic powder, and onion powder to ground beef. Stir well.
- Step 4: Combine the cooked hashbrowns and ground beef mixture, stir well, and transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Step 5: Sprinkle shredded cheese over top, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.
- Step 6: Make Big Mac sauce by combining mayonnaise, ketchup, diced dill pictures, and pickle juice in a small mixing bowl.
- Step 7: Mix well until evenly combined.
- Step 8: Remove the casserole from the oven, drizzle with the prepared sauce, then top with diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, sliced dill pickles, and onions before serving.
Helpful Tips
- Cover while baking: Don't skip covering the baking dish with aluminum foil, as it's the key to preventing the casserole from drying out in the oven.
- Wait to add lettuce: Lettuce can get soggy pretty fast, so it's best to add it right before serving, or add it to individual portions to keep it crisp.
- Make-ahead option: You can prepare the potatoes and beef ahead of time, refrigerate it for up to 3 days, and then bake when ready.
- Cook hash browns until lightly crispy first: This helps prevent them from getting soft or mushy and gives the casserole a better overall texture.
- Drain excess grease well: Removing extra grease from the beef keeps the casserole from becoming heavy or soggy. I love this strainer that fits over cans and jars!
- Let it rest before serving: Allow the casserole to sit for 5-10 minutes after baking so it sets up and is easier to serve.
Recipe FAQs
You can substitute diced potatoes, tater tots, or even cauliflower for a lower-carb option.
The easiest way to prevent a soggy casserole is to drain excess grease from the beef and avoid adding your fresh ingredients until after you're done baking. Letting the casserole rest for 10 minutes after baking also helps it set.
I can't promise it will taste exactly like the classic burger from McDonald's, but it's very similar. The combination of beef, cheese, pickles, white onion, and the homemade burger sauce are meant to closely resemble the flavor profile of the Big Mac, in casserole form.
Yes! This recipe is perfect for preparing ahead of time. Simply make the potatoes and beef base, store it in the refrigerator overnight and then add the cheese and bake when you're ready! Then, add your fresh toppings and sauce right before serving.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
Storage Instructions
To store leftovers, keep the casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. For best results, keep the lettuce separate and add it to the casserole fresh after reheating.
Freezing Instructions
You can tightly cover and freeze this casserole without the fresh toppings for up to 3 months. Then, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in the oven or microwave.
More Casserole Recipes You'll Love
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Did you try this recipe?
If you decide to try this Big Mac Casserole recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and let me know how it went in the 💬 comments below! I'd love to hear from you!
Big Mac Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 32 ounces frozen diced hash browns
- 1 white onion (diced (reserve a handful for topping))
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cups Colby Jack cheese (shredded)
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup dill pickles (diced)
- 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
- 1 tomato (diced)
- 1 cup iceberg lettuce (shredded)
- ½ cup dill pickles (sliced)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- In a large skillet, add olive oil and diced hashbrowns. Season with salt and pepper according to your preference. Cook over medium heat until lightly browned. This will take about 10 minutes.
- In another large skillet, add ground beef and onions (reserve a handful for topping). Season with salt and pepper according to your preference. Cook over medium heat until no pink remains. Drain grease off if needed.
- Add mustard, garlic powder, and onion powder to ground beef. Stir well.
- Combine cooked hashbrowns and ground beef mixture. Stir well.
- Transfer mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Sprinkle shredded cheese over top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.
- While hashbrowns and ground beef are baking, make Big Mac sauce by combining mayonnaise, ketchup, diced dill pictures, and pickle juice in a small mixing bowl.
- When ground beef mixture is done baking, pour sauce over top, followed by diced tomatoes, lettuce, sliced dill pickles, and white onions. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Cover while baking: Don't skip covering the baking dish with aluminum foil, as it's the key to preventing the casserole from drying out in the oven.
- Wait to add lettuce: Lettuce can get soggy pretty fast, so it's best to add it right before serving, or add it to individual portions to keep it crisp.
- Make-ahead option: You can prepare the potatoes and beef ahead of time, refrigerate it for up to 3 days, and then bake when ready.
- Cook hashbrowns until lightly crispy first: This helps prevent them from getting soft or mushy and gives the casserole a better overall texture.
- Drain excess grease well: Removing extra grease from the beef keeps the casserole from becoming heavy or soggy.
- Let it rest before serving: Allow the casserole to sit for 5-10 minutes after baking so it sets up and is easier to serve.
Leave a Reply