Craving a McDonald's Big Mac, but not all the fast food calorie guilt? Big Mac Casserole has all that great, savory flavor you love without all the saturated fat and calories. This ground beef tater tot casserole features creamy thousand island dressing, crunchy dill pickles, and sliced cheddar cheese to recreate the taste of America's favorite burger in a kid-friendly, easy to make, one dish meal.
Because I have an obsession with tater tot casseroles (see Cowboy Casserole and Cracked Hamburger Hash), I decided it was about time to branch out and create one that embraced the flavors of a McDonald's Big Mac, but with a few key (dare I say health conscious?) changes.
This copycat recipe uses lean ground beef, low fat thousand island dressing and low fat mayonnaise.
Sure, it has slices of cheddar cheese (and full fat cheese is best here for melting purposes), but even though it's loaded with Big Mac textures and flavor, I promise that after you enjoy it, there will still be plenty of room for dessert--some soft serve vanilla, perhaps? 😉
The crispy tater tots that are baked on top give this family friendly meal a nice crunch, and almost make you think you're eating fries with your Big Mac!
Top it with some shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, more onions, pickles and dressing before serving, and your entire family will be lovin' it! Ba da ba ba ba!
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👪Why you'll love it
| Easy recipe- Cook the ground beef and onions, add the dressing and seasonings, and layer it in a casserole dish with pickles, cheese and frozen tots. Then bake it in the oven and dinner is done. Great Big Mac flavor without the fast food grease and drive thru- Enjoy a healthier Big Mac taste from the comfort of your kitchen--one dish style! Perfect for busy nights- You can brown the meat and assemble the casserole ahead of time (minus the tater tots). Simply add the tots just before baking. Within 40-45 minutes, dinner will be ready! |
🥘Ingredients
- lean or extra lean ground beef- I recommend 85% or above
- white onion- for a more authentic Big Mac taste, stick with white (Vidalia is a good choice)
- light thousand island dressing- Ken's Steakhouse is my preferred; you can cut out even more fat and calories by using Kraft's fat free (though I don't find this option as thick and flavorful)
- reduced fat mayo- I like Hellmann's or Duke's
- paprika and dry mustard- dry seasonings to imitate ketchup and mustard
- kosher dill pickle chips or ovals- these jarred, shelf stable pickle options are the best because they are flat for easy layering, plus they look similar to Big Mac pickles
- cheddar cheese slices- use orange cheddar for a more authentic look; you can buy these prepackaged; I like Sargento's
- frozen tater tots- do not defrost these ahead of time; layer them in single file fashion on top just before baking
See recipe card for quantities.
🔪Instructions
For complete instructions, see the printable recipe card below.
- Step 1: Cook the ground beef and onions; remove from heat, drain, and mix with the dressing, mayo and seasonings.
- Step 2: Place the beef mixture into a casserole dish; add the pickles on top.
- Step 3: Cover with cheddar cheese.
- Step 4: Layer frozen tater tots on top and bake for 35-40 minutes.
Hint: It isn't necessary to overcook the meat in the skillet since it will be baking more in the oven. Cook it until it's a light brown and no longer pink.
🥣Substitutions
- Meat - ground turkey or chicken can be used instead of beef
- Dressing - you can use burger secret sauce instead of thousand island; readers have shared that Great Value's secret sauce comes close to McDonald's Big Mac sauce; just know this option has more fat and calories
- Mayo - swap out the mayo for Greek yogurt
📖Variations
- Spicy - add a diced jalapeño to the ground beef and onions in the skillet
- With carrots - add 1 cup shredded carrots when you add in the dressing and spices
- With bacon - cook 2-3 strips of bacon; crumble and use as an extra topping when serving
Can't get enough of tater tot casseroles? Try our Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole, which has all those savory flavors from everyone's favorite sandwich! For South of the Border flavor, try Taco Tater Tots--another family favorite.
🍽Equipment
- large frying pan with lid
- meat chopper
- mixing spoon
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 3 quart casserole dish or 9x9 pan
- serving spatula
🍶Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate. Enjoy within five days.
Reheating instructions: Bake covered at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until the tater tot casserole is heated through.
You may also freeze leftovers for up to 2 months. Thaw completely and then bake covered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until heated through.
***You can also assemble this casserole earlier in the day (minus the tater tots), refrigerate and bake later (add the tots just before baking). Please note that the casserole usually bakes for close to 45 minutes if you chose this option.
💭Top tip
Arranging the tater tots in a single file on top ensures that all of them will bake evenly. They can be touching each other, but do not overlap them.
🗨️FAQ
While they are very similar, authentic Big Mac sauce typically uses French dressing or a specific blend of mayo, relish, and mustard without ketchup. However, Thousand Island dressing is the most popular 'shortcut' because it captures that signature creamy, tangy flavor perfectly.
Yes! You can brown the beef, mix in the seasonings/sauces, and layer it in your dish with the cheese and pickles up to 24 hours in advance. To keep the tater tots crispy, do not add them until right before you're ready to pop the casserole in the oven.
The secret to crispy tots is two-fold: First, ensure you drain the grease from your ground beef thoroughly. Second, bake the casserole uncovered (as directed) so the tater tots can crisp up rather than steam.
To make this low-carb, simply swap the tater tots for roasted cauliflower florets or radishes, and ensure that you use a sugar-free Thousand Island dressing.
🥄Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
🍴Pairing
These are my favorite salads to serve with Big Mac Casserole:
📋Recipe with step-by-step instructions
Big Mac Casserole
Equipment
- large frying pan with lid
- meat chopper
- mixing bowl
- mixing spoon
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 3 quart casserole dish or 9x9 pan greased
- serving spatula
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean or extra lean ground beef (85% or above)
- ½ cup white onion, chopped (Vidalia is a good choice)
- ½ cup light thousand island dressing (Ken's Steakhouse recommended)
- 1 tablespoon reduced fat mayo (Hellmann's or Duke's)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ cup kosher dill pickle chips or ovals
- 6 slices cheddar cheese (I like prepackaged Sargento's)
- 3 cups frozen tater tots (do not defrost these ahead of time)
Instructions
- Cook ground beef and chopped onions in large skillet until meat is no longer pink; drain.
- Place the drained meat and onions in a mixing bowl. Add the dressing, mayo, paprika and dry mustard; mix well.
- Place the meat mixture into the bottom of a greased 3 quart casserole dish.
- Layer the pickles on top of the meat.
- Place the cheese slices on top of the pickles. (You may need to slice a few in half so there isn't much overlapping; aim to cover all the meat mixture.)
- Arrange the frozen tater tots on top in a single file. The tater tots should be touching each other, but not overlapping.
- Bake, uncovered, at 350℉ for 35-40 minutes, or until tots are golden crisp and the cheese is slightly bubbling. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate. Enjoy within five days. See above post for reheating and freezing instructions.
Maggie M. says
This was a hit with my kids. They really liked the pickles in it.
Kitchen Ready Betty says
That's my favorite part in this Big Mac copycat recipe too!
Barbara says
This does sound like a quick and easy meal to make. Thanks.
Kitchen Ready Betty says
It's so easy, and so much better for you than the actual thing!