This Big Mac Casserole is the perfect mix of good-for-you food and fast food flavors, that is on the table in 30 minutes! Ditch the McDonalds. This cheeseburger skillet is packed with ground beef, all your big mac toppings and of course special big mac sauce! This Big Mac Casserole tastes just like a big mac… without having to go through the drive thru.
This Big Mac Casserole is as easy dinner recipe, that screams comfort food and is just SO satisfying! It is made with good-for-you ingredients and high in protein. Basically a win win!
If you love easy weeknight dinner recipes, you’ll love my gluten free orange chicken and my gluten free chili with red beans.
Why you’ll love this Big Mac Casserole
- This cheeseburger skillet uses simple, affordable ingredients, AND a minimal amoutn of ingredients!
- It is ready and on the table in under 30 minutes.
- The best part about this recipe is that it is a one pan meal…which means only one pan to make it and only one pan to clean up! My ideal situation since I hate doing dishes.
- This Big Mac Casserole is allergy friendly. This gluten free cheeseburger casserole is naturally gluten free without any adjustments. You can use dairy free cheese for an easy dairy free recipe!
- It’s an easy freezer friendly meal, which means it is a great option for a meal prep lunches or dinners! I love to have it ready to go when I need to just pull a dinner out of the freezer and heat it up quick.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Meat: I use ground beef in this recipe to help mimic the beef patty on a classic big mac.
Big Mac Sauce: Make sure the sauce is right! You can either buy store bought big mac sauce or make it homemade by mixing together mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, and Thousand Island dressing. You can even swap in ketchup for thousand island dressing if needed.
Big Mac Toppings: On top of this Big Mac Casserole I add shredded lettuce, diced dill pickles, diced white onions and diced tomatoes on top!
How do I make this recipe?
First, I place your large skillet over medium-high heat. I add the beef to the hot skillet, breaking up the beef with a spatula, until browned and cooked through. I drain any excess grease. Always make sure to season beef with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.
Next, I add the cooked rice to the skillet with the browned beef. I stir to combine thoroughly.
After, I sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese (or dairy-free alternative) evenly over the rice and beef mixture. I reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and let the cheese melt, about 2-3 minutes.
In a small bowl, I combine the ketchup and the mayonnaise, mix thoroughly.
Then, I remove the gluten free cheeseburger casserole skillet from the heat. I top the rice and beef mixture with the diced tomatoes, diced white onions, shredded iceberg lettuce, and chopped dill pickles. Last, I drizzle the special sauce over the top of the gluten free cheeseburger casserole and serve.
Expert Tips & Tricks
I love to use any leftover big mac sauce for leftovers the next day, any burgers or sandwiches I make during the week or to dip fries in!
Always season the meat generously! Make sure you don’t skimp on the seasoning. I use salt, pepper and garlic. Minced garlic or garlic powder works great. The seasoning makes sure to elevate your Big Mac Casserole beef from just being okay, to being great!
Make sure the Big Mac Casserole is hot, the meat is cooked and the cheese is melted before taking it off the heat.
I always avoid using frozen veggies in this Cheeseburger Skillet. You really want the fresh veggie toppings just like on a big mac. Using frozen vegetables risks a soggy casserole. Yuck.
Make sure to drain the beef. If you are using a beef with a high percentage of fat there will be a lot of liquid in the pan. Just drain this out before adding your rice.
Can you use other meats besides beef?
OF COURSE! You can use anything from ground turkey, ground chicken, or even shredded chicken for this big mac casserole. I used ground beef but any ground meat works great. Just note the original big mac is made with beef, so beef will keep those same flavors!
Can you make this Big Mac Casserole keto or low carb?
Yes! You can always skip the rice, use brown rice, less rice or cauliflower rice to cut back on the amount of carbs in this gluten free cheeseburger casserole recipe!
Can you make this Big Mac Casserole dairy free?
To make this Big Mac Casserole recipe dairy free just use dairy free cheese. It may not melt as well but the goal is the skip the dairy stomach ache if needed!
How Do I Serve this?
After taking the big mac casserole out of the oven, I always let the casserole cool for a moment before adding toppings. This ensures the lettuce doesn’t wilt. Then, I drizzle the cheeseburger casserole with store bought or homemade Big Mac sauce!
This big mac casserole is great as a whole meal. It has protein, carbs and fresh veggies! It is also great served with french fries, a side salad or even some roasted vegetables.
How do I Store and Meal Prep this recipe?
To store, I let the Big Mac Casserole cool completely before refrigerating in an airtight container for up to four days. The toppings, especially the lettuce, will get soggy if you store the leftovers in the fridge. I always suggest just adding the toppings to each individual serving if you don’t plan to eat it all in one sitting.
For longer storage, I love to portion the Cheeseburger Skillet into freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 2 months.
How can I meal prep this?
To meal prep into individual portions, divide the Big Mac Casserole into separate containers. These individual portions are my favorite for great grab-and-go lunches or quick dinners during the week.
How do I reheat leftovers?
If leftover of the Big Mac Casserole are stored in the fridge, I add to a skillet and warm on medium low heat so it does not burn. Make sure to only heat it until it is warm and not overcook.
If leftovers are stored in the freezer, let thaw overnight. Then, add to a skillet and warm on medium low heat so it does not burn. Make sure to only heat the leftover Cheeseburger Skillet it until it is warm and not overcook.
Looking for more one pot meals?
If you make this recipe and enjoyed it, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok and Pinterest. Purchase my cookbook Easy Allergy Free Cooking. Join my exclusive weeknight meal plan group for 5 weekly 30-minute dinner recipes. The weeknight meal plan also has an accompanying podcast as well! I would love for you to follow along!
Big Mac Casserole (Gluten free)
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 cups rice cooked, or frozen or instant rice
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese or dairy free option
- 1 tomato diced
- 1/4 white onion diced
- 1 cup iceberg lettuce diced
- 1 cup pickles
- 1/4 cup special sauce store bought or ketchup, relish, mayo combined
Instructions
- Brown the Beef: Place your large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef to the hot skillet. Cook, breaking up the beef with a spatula, until browned and cooked through. Drain any excess grease. Season beef with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.
- Add the cooked rice to the skillet with the browned beef. Stir to combine thoroughly.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese (or dairy-free alternative) evenly over the rice and beef mixture.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and let the cheese melt, about 2-3 minutes.
- In a small bowl combine the ketchup and the mayonnaise, mix thoroughly.
- Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Top the rice and beef mixture with the diced tomatoes, diced white onions, shredded iceberg lettuce, and chopped dill pickles.
- Drizzle the special sauce over the top of the skillet.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Love this recipe? You can sign up here to receive easy meal plans, exclusive new recipes and updates!
Leave a Reply