Big Mac Tater Tot Casserole has all the flavors of that iconic burger combo complete with hamburger, special sauce, pickles, and melted cheese. It’s topped off with crispy tater tots for an easy weeknight dinner your whole family will love!
It’s almost that time of year again! The beginning of school and fall schedules always seem to make the most simple days as hectic as possible.
At the end of these crazy days often the last thing I want to do is deal with a complicated recipe that will require lots of dishes and cleanup in the kitchen. This easy dinner recipe is more kid friendly than most (keep reading to find out why) and is an easy way to keep your family full and satisfied!
It can be so easy to give in and take your picky kids to a fast food chain just to avoid the hassle. But why go out and spend too much money on greasy food when you have the same ingredients in your kitchen?
This Big Mac Casserole recipe is an easy weeknight dinner that will leave your family full of a homemade Happy Meal without the hassle of a messy kitchen! This ground beef recipe is as kid friendly as you can get, and it is filled with fresh and classic flavors.
Tater tot casseroles can often become a family favorite! Here are some more recipes to inspire you:
- Shepherd’s Pie with Tater Tots, featured below
- Pulled Pork Tater Tot Casserole
- Chili Cheese Tater Tot Casserole
What makes this recipe different?
The details set this Big Mac Tater Tot Casserole from other recipes. Most recipes call for an entire chopped onion, but in my experience, that does not lead to a very kid friendly dinner. For those picky eaters, I like to use dried minced onion. This allows you to keep that special onion flavor without being surprised by a mouthful of onion pieces.
I have also seen similar recipes that call for diced dill pickles. However, the classic Big Mac does not come with chopped pickles, so I’m not taking the time to chop mine either!
What do I need to make this recipe?
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 cup Thousand Island dressing
- 3 Tablespoons mayo
- 2 Tablespoons dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried ground mustard
- 1 cup hamburger dill pickle slices: So much easier! Also, if you have some picky eaters against pickles, just leave these slices off of a small part of your casserole.
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 32 oz of frozen tater tots
- To serve:
- Shredded iceberg lettuce
- Thousand Island dressing
Step by Step Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, breaking up any large chunks as it cooks. Once the beef is browned, remove from the heat and drain off any excess grease.
2. Add the thousand island dressing, mayo, dried minced onion, paprika and ground mustard to the beef and stir well to combine.
3. Spread the ground beef mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Evenly place the dill pickle slices over the beef.
4. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the dill pickle slices.
5. Arrange the tater tots over the top of the cheese and place the baking dish in the oven.
6. Bake the casserole for about 45 minutes or until the tops of the tater tots are golden brown.
7. To serve, sprinkle each serving with a bit of shredded lettuce and a drizzle of thousand island dressing.
Any time lettuce is added as a topping to a casserole, I like to add it to individual servings as it is dished out. That way if there are any leftovers it’s easier to reheat without shriveled and wilted lettuce to pick off.
Storage Solutions
If you have any leftovers be sure to refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Big Mac Tater Tot Casserole is also freezable as long as it is stored in an airtight container!
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Big Mac Tater Tot Casserole
Big Mac Tater Tot casserole has all the flavors of that iconic burger combo complete with hamburger, special sauce, pickles, and melted cheese. It’s topped off with crispy tater tots for an easy weeknight dinner your whole family will love!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. lean ground beef
- 1 cup Thousand Island dressing
- 3 Tablespoon mayo
- 2 Tablespoons dried minced onion
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp dried mustard
- 1 cup hamburger dill pickle slices
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 32 oz frozen tater tots
To Serve
- shredded lettuce
- Thousand Island dressing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, breaking up any large chunks as it cooks. Once the beef is browned, remove from the heat and drain off any excess grease.
- Add the thousand island dressing, mayo, dried minced onion, paprika and ground mustard to the beef and stir well to combine.
- Spread the ground beef mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Evenly place the dill pickle slices over the beef.
- Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the dill pickle slices.
- Arrange the tater tots over the top of the cheese and place the baking dish in the oven.
- Bake the casserole for about 45 minutes or until the tops of the tater tots are golden brown.
- To serve, sprinkle each serving with a bit of shredded lettuce and a drizzle of thousand island dressing.
Notes
Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 833Total Fat: 53gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 155mgSodium: 1313mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 46g
