TikTok's Viral Big Mac Casserole Will Make Any McDonald's Fan Swoon
If you can't get enough of McDonald's Big Macs, TikTok has just what you're looking for. A content creator on the food-friendly platform shared a recipe for Big Mac casserole that has proved quite popular among fast-food fans. The recipe calls for ground beef, to which ground mustard, onion powder, garlic, and chopped and minced onions are added. Next comes dill relish and Thousand Island dressing (to mimic the classic Big Mac sauce). The ground mixture is stirred and then transferred to a casserole dish, where it's topped with shredded cheddar cheese and tater tots.
@justthebells10 This big Mac tater tot casserole turned out amazing. And yeah I was kind of talking to myself as I was cooking 😂😂 #bigfamilycooking #bigfamily #familygoals #easymeals #easyrecipes
After baking at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 to 45 minutes, the casserole is removed from the oven and topped with even more Thousand Island dressing, as well as a smattering of lettuce and sesame seeds. Most commenters appear to be on board with the creation, and some even offer their own alternate versions of the famous McDonald's burger in casserole form, including Big Mac sloppy Joes. While this recipe hews closely to the real thing, some dispute whether Thousand Island dressing is a worthy substitute for McDonald's special sauce. Fortunately, you can easily make your own Big Mac sauce at home.
How to make your own Big Mac sauce
The real star of Big Macs is the sauce, the recipe for which McDonald's keeps pretty close to its vest. While the chain does occasionally offer the sauce in bottles at retail stores, as well as offering it as a dipping option, most people won't be able to procure it outside of ordering a Big Mac at the restaurant. The good news is that it's relatively easy to make your own variation of the sauce if you're not a fan of Thousand Island dressing.
Per the McDonald's website, Big Mac sauce consists of ingredients like sweet relish, onion and garlic powder, sugar, distilled vinegar, soybean oil, egg yolks, and other components. This Big Mac sauce recipe replicates the iconic flavor of the original thanks to the inclusion of relish, ketchup, mayo, mustard, and sugar. Of course, some Big Mac diehards aren't satisfied with replications and demand that their casserole contains the real thing. This fervent desire led to one truly unhinged casserole recipe that's not for the faint of heart.
Putting the Big Macs in Big Mac casserole
Instead of incorporating standard Big Mac ingredients into a casserole and cooking it, one recipe instead uses the real thing, i.e., Big Macs fresh from McDonald's. In this case, a layer of literal Big Macs lines the bottom of a casserole dish. Next comes French fries, then maple syrup, tomato sauce, shredded cheese, and bacon. The recipe also features a layer of McChicken patties sans bread, as well as additional tomato sauce, bacon, and cheese on top.
This Frankenstein's monster of a meal supposedly requires baking for 40 minutes in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven, even though the components are already fully cooked. And like some TikTok food offerings, the recipe may have been developed primarily for shock value (although some of the weirder recipes on the platform turn out to be unexpectedly delicious). Whether you go the conventional casserole route or decide to throw caution to the wind and make the "true" Big Mac casserole, it's neat to know there are multiple ways to enjoy this beloved fast-food offering.