Big Mac Casserole with layers of seasoned beef, potatoes, veggies, gooey cheese, and Greek yogurt Big Mac sauce. All your favorite burger flavors in this 28 grams protein-packed dinner!
I love a good burger! I don’t eat fast food, but I still love the taste so I made this Big Mac casserole that tastes just like a Big Mac minus the bun and the drive-thru. And yes, it’s healthy!
This is a foolproof recipe and here’s why. The first time I made it my kids loved it, however they mentioned they don’t love burgers. But the second time, once I perfected the recipe, particularly those perfectly seasoned and cooked golden crust potatoes, they were all over it!
I also added extra veggies and used a lighter sauce so it’s the healthiest Big Mac casserole recipe on the web!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make: It’s a simple, hassle-free casserole recipe that doesn’t require much hands-on time.
- Hidden veggie boost: Adding a bag of cauliflower rice blends right in without anyone noticing.
- Signature taste: This casserole brings together all the layers, really capturing the flavors of the McDonald’s Big Mac!
- Lighter Big Mac Sauce: I swap out most of the mayo for Greek yogurt turning it into a healthy dinner that’s high in protein!
Ingredients for Big Mac Casserole
We create the perfect combo by layering the meat, veggies, cheese, and sauce with crispy potatoes instead of fries.
- Ground beef: I chose extra lean ground beef to keep the dish lighter and lower in fat. You can also use ground turkey or ground chicken for an even leaner option, check out the variations below.
- Onion: Use white onion if you can to capture the classic taste of a McDonald’s burger. If you don’t have white, red onions are the next best thing.
- Potatoes: I went with russet potatoes because they most resemble French fries. You can swap in sweet potatoes or golden potatoes.
- Cauliflower rice: I snuck in a bag of frozen cauliflower rice with the beef, onion and potatoes to bulk it up with extra veggies. You can also make your own cauliflower rice, if you’d like.
- Cheddar cheese: I recommend shredding cheese from the block for better melting, but pre-shredded cheese works too.
- Vegetables: Shredded lettuce, I like iceberg or Romaine lettuce, and chopped tomatoes.
- Dill pickles: A must-have for an authentic touch.
- Healthy Big Mac sauce: Plain Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, and a splash of dill pickle juice.
- Spices: Salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning are divided to season both the meat and the potatoes.
- Avocado oil: For frying.
How to Make Big Mac Casserole
This recipe may look long, but the prep is super simple and you’ll be enjoying the healthiest Big Mac in just an hour!
Preheat your oven to 425 F and set a large 9×13 baking dish aside.
- Cook the ground beef: Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the ground beef. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring and breaking it into small pieces until it’s no longer pink. Stir in the Italian seasoning and salt, then saute for another 30 seconds. Transfer to the baking dish.
- Saute the onion: Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil and saute the onion for 2–3 minutes, stirring so they don’t burn. Then transfer them to the dish with the ground beef.
- Cook the potatoes: Return the skillet to medium heat and add remaining oil. Toss in the potatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes until they’re semi-soft and golden brown.
- Combine and bake: Add the potatoes to the ground beef mixture, pour in the cauliflower rice, then stir to combine. Level it with a spatula, sprinkle with cheese, cover, and bake for 30 minutes.
- Make Big Mac sauce: While the casserole bakes, whisk together Greek yogurt, mayo, ketchup, mustard, and pickle juice in a bowl. Set aside.
- Finish and serve: Remove the casserole dish from the oven, drizzle with sauce, and top with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles. Enjoy!
Tips for Best Results
Here are my tops tips for the perfect Big Mac casserole!
- Don’t drain fat from ground beef: The excess grease adds true burger flavor, plus I didn’t find there was a lot of fat, just juices.
- Cut potatoes into small pieces: Potatoes take a long time to cook, so the smaller the chunks the quicker they will cook.
- Cook potatoes covered: Otherwise they won’t cook through.
- To save time: Use 2 skillets and cook the ground beef and potatoes at the same time. A bit more cleanup, but totally worth it when dinner’s on the table faster!
- Adjust Big Mac sauce to your taste: Big Mac sauce is literally a combination of all sauces and flavors you have on a burger, so add more or less of whatever you like to taste.
Variations
- Ground turkey or chicken: A lighter option than beef that still brings plenty of protein and flavor, but you’ll miss a bit of that classic Big Mac taste.
- Sweet potatoes: Keep the skin on for even more nutrients.
- Onion: I recommend to use white onion for the topping to resemble the Big Mac, but you can also use red onion. To saute with ground beef, you can use any color onion but generally I just like to grab a giant white onion and work with it.
- No mayo: If you use a higher fat percentage yogurt you can omit mayo altogether. I like a touch of mayo because it adds authenticity, but sauce will taste great any way.
- Relish in the sauce: You can add a bit of sweet pickle relish to the Big Mac sauce. I don’t usually buy relish or have it on hand so that’s why I didn’t, and I didn’t want to complicate the recipe.
How to Store
Store: Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Our leftovers were gone the next day but they will keep for 3 days.
Freeze: Cook it fully, cool completely, and store in the freezer without toppings for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, reheat in the microwave or at 375 F for 10 minutes, then add toppings before serving.
FAQs
Pre-cook the ground beef, onion and potatoes, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Pre-shred cheese, prep vegetables for toppings and store in the refrigerator too. When ready to make, simply assemble and bake as per recipe.
This casserole is a full meal on its own, however it’s still lighter, so 1/6th of the recipe looks like a big portion, but it’s a lot of veggies. For a more filling meal, serve it with a side of garlic bread, a fresh green salad, or roasted veggies.
Yes, and maybe you can find healthier ones like organic or sweet potato ones. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the tater tots are golden brown, and the rest stays the same as per recipe.
More Casserole Recipes to Try
- No boil pasta bake
- Ground turkey pasta bake
- Salmon sushi bake
- Salsa Fresca chicken bake
- Ground turkey quinoa casserole
Healthy Big Mac Casserole
Ingredients
For the Ground Beef:
- 1 pound ground beef extra lean
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the Potatoes:
- 1 large white onion finely chopped
- 1.5 pounds potatoes diced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil for frying
For the Casserole:
- 12 ounces bag cauliflower rice frozen
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 3 cups iceberg or Romaine lettuce shredded
- 2 large tomatoes chopped
- 5 baby dill pickles sliced
- 1/2 white or red onion chopped
For the Big Mac Sauce:
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons mayo
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and get large 9×13 baking dish ready.
- Preheat large non-stick skillet on medium heat and add ground beef. Cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes, constantly stirring and breaking into small pieces. Add Italian seasoning and salt, saute for 30 more seconds. Transfer to previously prepared baking dish.
- Return skillet to medium heat and add 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Add onion and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to the dish with ground beef.
- Return skillet to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add potatoes, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir, cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until semi soft and some are golden brown, stirring occasionally.
- Then transfer to the baking dish with ground beef and onion, add cauliflower rice and stir to combine. Level with spatula, sprinkle with cheese, cover and bake for 30 minutes.
- While casserole is baking, make Big Mac sauce by whisking in a medium bowl Greek yogurt, mayo, ketchup, mustard and dill pickle juice. Set aside.
- Remove casserole from the oven, drizzle with the sauce and top with lettuce, tomatoes, white onion and pickles. Serve hot.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely and freeze without the toppings in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in a fridge overnight. Reheat in a microwave or in the oven at 375 F for 10 minutes. Then add toppings before serving.
