Big Mac Casserole
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Aug 31, 2026 
This big mac casserole layers seasoned ground beef and roasted potatoes under melty cheddar, then finishes with a homemade big mac sauce and all the classic cold toppings right before serving!
5 star review
“Everyone in my family loved this! (That never happens!) I doubled the sauce and it would not have been unreasonable to triple it.”
– Meg
Big Mac Casserole with Homemade Sauce
Okaaaay, I sure am excited to share my take on a big mac casserole, which has quickly become a family favorite casserole in my house! For my version of this fast food classic turned homemade meal, I like using diced russets roasted at high heat until crispy, then loaded them up with seasoned beef and a full blanket of sharp cheddar that goes bubbly in the oven. This way every bite has that hot, cheesy, savory layer underneath the cold toppings that actually makes it taste like the burger.
The homemade big mac sauce is a five-ingredient stir-together that takes about two minutes, and it’s the part I’d never skip. Mayo, mustard, ketchup, sweet relish, and a splash of pickle juice give it that tangy, creamy, slightly sweet flavor that store-bought sauce never quite gets right. My teen loves it so much I actually have to double the sauce, so if you have a sauce lover in your house, consider this your sign to make extra!
The cold toppings go on right before serving so the lettuce stays crisp and the tomato stays fresh, and that contrast of hot casserole and cold crunch is honestly what makes this dish. And for another weeknight dinner that puts the ground beef and potato combo to work, my ground beef and potatoes is a stovetop version worth keeping in rotation. And if you love a hearty beef and potato bake, my beef potato casserole is another easy one-dish dinner that hits the same cozy notes!
Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make this Big Mac Casserole!
Robyn’s Testing Tips for Big Mac Casserole with Potatoes
- Don’t skip the Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste in the beef. When I tested without them the meat tasted flat and one-dimensional, but together they add a savory, umami depth that makes the beef taste like a real burger patty instead of just seasoned ground meat!
- Make the big mac sauce first and let it sit while everything else cooks. Even five minutes of resting lets the flavors meld, and the sauce tastes noticeably more balanced than when it goes straight from bowl to casserole.
- Add the cold toppings to each serving individually rather than spreading them over the whole casserole. Lettuce wilts fast on a hot dish, so topping to order keeps everything crisp and fresh through seconds.
- Leftovers reheat best with the toppings and sauce stored separately in the fridge. I warm the beef and potato base in the oven or microwave, then add the fresh toppings and a fresh drizzle of sauce right before eating.
Big Mac Casserole
Ingredients
For the Casserole
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, cut into ¾-inch dice (no need to peel)
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons granulated garlic, divided
- 1½ teaspoon onion powder, divided
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, divided
- 1¼ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth (or chicken broth)
- 1½ cups shredded sharp yellow cheddar cheese
For the Burger Sauce and Toppings
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice
- 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- 2 medium Roma tomato, diced
- ½ medium white onion, diced
- 1 cup dill pickle chips
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease or spray a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Prepare the Potatoes: Dice the potatoes into ¾-inch pieces, then toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1 teaspoon of the granulated garlic, 1 teaspoon of the onion powder, ½ teaspoon of the smoked paprika, ¾ teaspoon of the salt, and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper until evenly coated.
- Spread in a single layer in the baking dish and roast for 25-30 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until just cooked through.
- Cook the Beef: While the potatoes roast, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil, the ground beef, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook for 5-6 minutes, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, until browned and almost cooked through.
- Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of the onion powder, ¼ teaspoon of the smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon of the pepper, the tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for 2 minutes more, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and coats the beef.
- Add the broth and simmer 1 more minute, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, allowing to reduce slightly. Remove from heat.
- Assemble: Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. Add the beef mixture and half the shredded cheddar to the potatoes, carefully stirring to combine. Spread into an even layer, and sprinkle the other half of the cheese over the top.
- Bake: Transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling at the edges. Remove from the oven.
- Make the Big Mac Sauce: While the casserole finishes baking, combine the mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, yellow mustard, ketchup, and pickle juice in a small bowl. Stir well.
- Finish: Top the casserole with the shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomato, diced white onion, and dill pickle chips. Drizzle generously with the sauce and serve.
Notes
- Roast the potatoes until they’re fully cooked and have some color on them before adding the beef. They won’t cook further once the casserole assembles and goes back in the oven, so I always taste one before moving on.
- I love using a vegetable chopper to get all the potato pieces the same size so they’ll cook evenly and to make fast work of the chopping. It’s totally doable with a kitchen knife, too.
- You can make a high-protein burger sauce and cut a bit of the fat by subbing low-fat Greek yogurt for the mayo. This adds less than a gram of protein per serving, however, so I prefer the mayo version myself.
- For gluten-free, be sure to use a gf Worcestershire sauc.
This sounds delicious! Quick question though– could it be made for meal prep? If so would you just leave the toppings off/to the side? Would you wait to add the sauce? Thanks!
Hi Jacquelyn, yes, this casserole works beautifully for meal prep, and I like to prep it through step 8. You can also prep the sauce ahead and store both separately, covered. Then, when ready to serve, simply reheat, prepare the toppings, top, and drizzle with the sauce. Know how it goes!
This would be a perfect weeknight dinner and so much better than firing up the grill for burgers when it’s so hot out! Could you sub frozen hashbrowns or tator tots for the potatoes to make it even easier? If so, would you just cook those according to the package directions and then add the ground beef mixture and cheese?
Betsy, yes, I think frozen hash browns or tater tots would be a lovely shortcut on this one. If you use tater tots, I’d probably add them to the top of the ground beef rather than the bottom, just for crispiness. I would make the beef and add it to the bottom of the casserole dish. Top the tater tots and bake until the tater tots were done, and then add the toppings. If you do frozen hash browns, you could probably bake those off in the oven until cooked, and then proceed with the recipe. If you try either one, let me know how it goes!
I made it with the frozen hashbrowns and it was so easy and delicious! It was an easy swap when I didn’t have fresh potatoes on hand. I’m going to actually make some of the Big Mac sauce for our burgers this weekend!
Betsey, wonderful to hear this cheeseburger casserole worked with frozen hash browns! And yay for the burger sauce pulling double duty. Thanks so much for sharing your notes and for leaving a review!
Everyone in my family loved this! (That never happens!) I doubled the sauce and it would not have been unreasonable to triple it.
Meg, I LOVE it when that happens! And I agree about the sauce, you can never have too much. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts and for leaving a review!
Husband commented on how good this was! I agree! I have diabetes and am limiting my carbs so would like to try this recipe with less potato and more ground beef If I double the beef but not the potatoes should I double everything else.?
Hi Sherry, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed. Yes, I think you could definitely do fewer potatoes and more ground beef. You could double the beef and keep the potatoes the same, or double the beef and half the potatoes. In that case, you would want to use half the spices on the potatoes and double the spices on the beef. Otherwise, you can keep the toppings exactly the same unless you’d like to add more veggies or more sauce. Totally up to you. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes!