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If you love the classic iconic flavors of a Big Mac but crave something cozy, cheesy, and perfect for sharing with the whole family – this Big Mac Tater Tot Casserole is just what you need. It takes everything you adore about the iconic burger – seasoned beef with onions, signature Big Mac sauce, melty cheese, fresh crunchy lettuce, and tangy pickles – and transforms them into a hearty, family-friendly tater tot casserole.
Want more delicious twists to the iconic Big Mac fast-food burger? 🍔 Make my Big Mac Sloppy Joes or Big Mac Hot Dogs.
Big Mac Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
This Big Mac casserole recipe is the ultimate comfort food mashup of fast-food nostalgia and cozy home cooking the whole family can enjoy for dinner.
Complete with the signature Big Mac sauce, seasoned beef, sesame seed “bun” (the crispy tater tots), melty cheese, fresh crunch from shredded lettuce, and tangy pickles.
Whether you’re feeding a hungry family or just looking for a creative twist for a fun dinner, this Big Mac tater tot casserole brings big flavor to the table – no drive-thru required.
What Makes It “Big Mac” Style?
The magic is in recreating those signature flavors 🍔
- Seasoned ground beef cooked with onions
- Creamy special sauce (a tangy blend of mayo, mustard, pickles, and thousand island dressing)
- American cheese slices
- Fresh crunch from crisp lettuce
- Dill pickles for that unmistakable bite and tangy crunch
- Crispy tater tots instead of the classic sesame seed bun
Why You’ll Love This Casserole Recipe
- It’s comfort food at its best. Warm, cheesy, beefy layers with crispy potatoes on top – what’s not to love?
- Family-friendly and picky-eater approved. The familiar burger flavors make this an easy win at the dinner table.
- Great for busy nights. It comes together with simple, pantry ingredients that you probably already have (dried seasonings, condiments, etc), and minimal prep.
Ingredients Needed
Creamy Big Mac Sauce Ingredients
- Mayonnaise
- Thousand Island Dressing
- Finely Diced Dill Pickles
- Pickle Juice : From the jar of dill pickles.
- Yellow Mustard
- White Vinegar
- Granulated Sugar
- Paprika
Cheesy Ground Beef Ingredients
- Olive Oil : I use extra-virgin ‘light tasting’ olive oil.
- Lean Ground Beef : I use 93/7.
- Finely Diced Yellow Onion
- Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Kosher Salt, Black Pepper : The dried seasonings needed.
- American Cheese Slices
- Frozen Tater Tots : A 32-ounce bag of frozen tater tots.
Toppings For Serving
- Shredded Iceberg Lettuce : Buy this already shredded and ready-to-use, or buy a head of iceberg lettuce and cut it into really small, fine pieces.
- Dill Pickles : Either use sliced dill pickles or finely chopped dill pickles.
- White Sesame Seeds : This is a dried seasoning to mimic that iconic sesame seed bun from a classic Big Mac.
How To Make Big Mac Casserole Recipe With Crispy Tater Tots (Printable Recipe Card)
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, thousand island dressing, diced pickles, pickle juice, mustard, white vinegar, sugar, and paprika until smooth and creamy. Reserve 1/2 cup of the special sauce for the ground beef mixture, and set both portions aside for later.
In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the ground beef and finely diced onion, and cook and crumble the beef until it’s no longer pink. Drain excess grease from the skillet.
Add the onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper into the cooked ground beef, then stir and cook for 1 minute to incorporate and activate the seasonings.
Stir in the 1/2 cup reserved special sauce to the ground beef mixture. Gently stir to coat the meat. Spread this into an even layer inside the prepare baking dish.
Lay the slices of American cheese over top the beef layer. You may have to cut a few pieces into strips to fit your dish and to cover the meat layer completely.
Evenly arrange the frozen tater tots in a neat, single layer over top the cheese. Make sure to cover the surface evenly.
Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until the tater tots of crispy golden brown, the cheese underneath is fully melted, and bubbling around the edges.
Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Drizzle a small amount of the remaining special sauce over top of the tater tots. Then sprinkle the shredded iceberg lettuce over it, then the pickles, then the sesame seeds, and finish by drizzling the remaining special sauce over top of everything. Or you can reserve the sauce for dipping or as an extra garnish that people can use if they want it saucier. Another option is to serve the toppings all on the side and then everyone can top their own serving how they want.
How To Store Leftovers, Reheat, and Make Ahead Instructions
Store leftovers inside the baking dish, or transfer to an airtight container, covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, microwave individual portions until heated through. Add the fresh lettuce, and pickles after reheating for the best texture. If you know you will have leftovers, I would either serve the toppings on the side or only top a certain portion of the casserole with the toppings.
To make ahead, assemble the ground beef layer, sauce, and cheese; cover the dish tightly with a lid or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Add the tater tots before baking, and bake according to the recipe instructions.
Pro Tips From The Test Kitchen
- Letting the casserole rest for 5 minutes, before adding toppings and serving, keeps the sauce from sliding off and helps the layers set, resulting in cleaner portions.
- Use American cheese as it creates a smooth, stretchy melt that most closely mimics the texture of the famous Big Mac cheeseburger.
- For the best rich, creamy, and thick flavor in the special sauce; use full-fat mayonnaise. Of course you can substitute with your favorite version of mayonnaise (there is lots of them out there) but full fat will give the best flavor.
- If you want extra crispy tater tots, broil the casserole at the end of the cook time for 1-2 minutes. Watch it very carefully to make sure the tater tots don’t burn!
- Serve the toppings as a side (that way everyone can customize their own), or serve them on top of the casserole as directed in the recipe.
- Once you make the sauce, measure out 1/2 cup of it to mix into the ground beef later. The remaining sauce can stay in the bowl because you will use that for the topping and for serving once the casserole has cooked.
More Must Try Tater Tot Casserole Recipes
- Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole
- Taco Tater Tot Casserole
- Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole
- Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole
- BBQ Beef Tater Tot Casserole
- Pepperoni Pizza Tater Tot Casserole (Ground Italian Sausage)
Big Mac Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
Big Mac Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup thousand island dressing
- 2 tablespoons finely diced dill pickles
- 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice (from the pickle jar)
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Ground Beef & Cheesy Tater Tot Layer
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef (I use 93/7)
- 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion (about 1 small onion)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 slices american cheese
- 1 bag (32 oz) frozen tater tots
Toppings & Garnish
- 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
- finely chopped dill pickles OR dill pickle slices
- white sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all of the special sauce ingredients until smooth and creamy. Set the sauce aside for later.1 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup thousand island dressing, 2 tablespoons finely diced dill pickles, 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, ½ teaspoon paprika
- In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the ground beef and finely diced onion, and cook and crumble the beef until it's no longer pink. Drain excess grease from the skillet.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 pound lean ground beef, 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
- Add the onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper into the cooked ground beef, then stir and cook for 1 minute to incorporate and activate the seasonings.1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Stir 1/2 cup special sauce into the ground beef mixture. Gently stir to coat the meat. Spread this into an even layer inside the prepare baking dish.
- Lay the slices of American cheese over top the beef layer. You may have to cut a few pieces into strips to fit your dish and to cover the meat layer completely.8 slices american cheese
- Evenly arrange the frozen tater tots in a neat, single layer over top the cheese. Make sure to cover the surface evenly.1 bag (32 oz) frozen tater tots
- Bake uncovered for 35 minutes or until the tater tots of crispy golden brown, the cheese underneath is fully melted, and bubbling around the edges.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Drizzle a small amount of the remaining special sauce over top of the tater tots. Then sprinkle the shredded iceberg lettuce over it, then the pickles, then the sesame seeds, and finish by drizzling the remaining special sauce over top of everything.*Serve any remaining sauce for dipping or as an extra garnish that people can use if they want it saucier. Another option is to serve the toppings all on the side and then everyone can top their own serving how they want.1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce, finely chopped dill pickles OR dill pickle slices, white sesame seeds
Notes
- Letting the casserole rest for 5 minutes, before adding toppings and serving, keeps the sauce from sliding off and helps the layers set, resulting in cleaner portions.
- Use American cheese as it creates a smooth, stretchy melt that most closely mimics the texture of the famous Big Mac cheeseburger.
- For the best rich, creamy, and thick flavor in the special sauce; use full-fat mayonnaise. Of course you can substitute with your favorite version of mayonnaise (there is lots of them out there) but full fat will give the best flavor.
- If you want extra crispy tater tots, broil the casserole at the end of the cook time for 1-2 minutes. Watch it very carefully to make sure the tater tots don’t burn!
- Serve the toppings as a side (that way everyone can customize their own), or serve them on top of the casserole as directed in the recipe.
Nutrition
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