You only need a handful of ingredients to make this big mac casserole with tater tots! It's a household favorite and it comes together so easily. It's such an easy dinner recipe, and you get all the comforting Mcdonald's flavors in one pot! Everyone will want seconds of this big mac in a bowl.

This big mac salad casserole is one of my favorite one-pot dishes lately. It's a comforting and flavorful, easy, family-friendly meal. I could literally eat this whole dish by myself!

Overhead view of a bowl of big mac salad with tater tots. A fork in the bowl with sauce on top.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This whole dish is made in one large skillet. Don't have one that's oven-safe? You can easily adapt this by using an additional baking dish.
It truly reminds me of a Big Mac burger but with extra veggies, making it more filling and a bit healthier.
This casserole is so versatile. I like to serve it with a generous amount of lettuce, tomatoes, and onions to essentially turn it into a Big Mac salad. You can serve it with less or even enjoy it on its own.
I love all the fun, differing textures. The tender beef, the melty cheese, and the crispy tater tots all make for a delicious bite.

Ingredients You'll Need

Ingredients needed to make a big mac casserole with tater tots.

oil — I use olive oil.
ground beef — I use ground beef on the leaner side so I don't have to drain my skillet. If you use a fattier ground beef, make sure to drain the fat before adding in the onions.
onions — I add onions to the beef and use onions as a part of the salad!
seasoning — I season the beef with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.
Worcestershire sauce — a couple of splashes of Worcestershire sauce add some extra umami flavor to the beef.
shredded cheese — the more, the merrier hahaha. Feel free to be more generous.
frozen tater tots — I love tater tots and always try to add as much as I can. The skillet I use fits just under one bag, around 60 tots.
homemade big mac sauce — I make my own sauce by mixing ketchup, mayonnaise, and sweet green relish. You can use store-bought if you prefer.
sides — I serve my big mac tater tot casserole with lettuce, onions, and tomatoes. My friend likes pickles but I usually pick mine out.

How To Make This Big Mac Casserole Recipe

Set of two photos showing ketchup, mayonnaise, and relish added to a bowl and mixed.

In a bowl, combine ketchup, mayonnaise, and sweet green relish. Mix well and set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.

Set of two photos showing ground beef and onions added to a cast iron skillet.

Heat oven to 350F.
Heat a large heat-proof skillet over medium heat. Add the oil to the skillet and when hot, add the ground beef.
Using a wooden spoon, cook the beef, breaking it up as you go, until the beef is half cooked, around 5 minutes.
Add the onions and cook for another minute.

Set of two photos showing seasonings and cheese added to the cast iron.

Add the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce and cook until the beef is cooked through.
Take the skillet off the heat and use your wooden spoon to flatten the beef so it's evenly spread across the skillet. Add the shredded cheese evenly across.

Set of two photos showing before and after baking the big mac casserole with tater tots on top.

Arrange the tater tots over the cheese in a single layer and transfer the skillet to the oven.
Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until the tater tots are golden and crispy.
Serve with the toppings of your choice and homemade mac sauce.

Overhead view of big mac casserole with tater tots. A bowl of sauce, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and diced onions on the side.

Recipes Variations

I use shredded cheddar cheese but you can use any melty cheese of your choice. You can use habanero cheese for some heat.
You can swap half of the ground beef (or all of the ground beef) for ground pork, chicken, or turkey.
You can add some diced or shredded carrots to the casserole along with the onions for some extra added vegetables.

Tips and Notes

For extra crispy tater tots, I switch the oven to broil and let the tots get extra crispy.
Lettuce, tomatoes, and onions get soggy if you put everything together, so I suggest keeping them separate until ready to serve. I keep leftovers separate, too, so I can reheat the casserole in the oven to keep the tater tots crispy. I pack the lettuce, tomatoes, and onions in a separate container if I'm bringing this to work.

A bowl of big mac casserole with tater tots with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and big mac sauce. A second bowl in the back and toppings in bowls scattered around.

Recipe

Big Mac Casserole

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 50

Total Time: 1

Servings: servings

Equipment

Cast Iron, 3.5-qt

Ingredients

For the Sauce

¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sweet green relish

For the Big Mac Casserole

½ tablespoon oil
2 pounds ground beef, lean
1 onion, diced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
3 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1½ to 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
60 frozen tater tots

To Serve

2 romaine lettuce, shredded
4 roma tomatoes
¼ onion, diced

Instructions

In a bowl, combine ketchup, mayonnaise, and sweet green relish. Mix well and set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
Heat oven to 350F.
Heat a large heat-proof skillet over medium heat. Add the oil to the skillet and when hot, add the ground beef.
Using a wooden spoon, cook the beef, breaking it up as you go, until the beef is half cooked, around 5 minutes.
Add the onions and cook for another minute.
Add the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce and cook until the beef is cooked through.
Take the skillet off the heat and use your wooden spoon to flatten the beef so it's evenly spread across the skillet. Add the shredded cheese evenly across.
Arrange the tater tots over the cheese in a single layer and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until the tater tots are golden and crispy.
Serve with the toppings of your choice and homemade mac sauce.

Video

Nutrition

Course: One Pot

Cuisine: American

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