Big Mac and Cheese

by Sabrina Snyder

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12 Comments

5 from 4 votes
6 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
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Big Mac and Cheese is the best combo of having fast food without leaving home. This Big Mac in a bowl will be a family lunch time favorite!

A bowl of Skillet Mac and Cheese or Bacon Mac and Cheese are a great lunch time meal or Side Dish. This tasty loaded Big Mac and Cheese is going to be your go to for a quick meal or dish to take to a potluck!

Sabrina’s Big Mac and Cheese Recipe

Of all the many, “inventive” ideas that McDonald’s has come up with over the years, it’s shocking that they’ve never rolled out Mac and Cheese. Until McDonald’s comes up with their own version, you and the family can indulge on this amazing one of a kind Big Mac and Cheese! It’s a creative mashup that’s perfect for casual dinners, game days, or when you want something indulgent and fun. Plus, it’s easy to customize with toppings to make it your own.

Recipe Card

Dinner, then Dessert

Big Mac and Cheese Recipe

Big Mac and Cheese is the best combo of having fast food without leaving home. This Big Mac in a bowl will be a family lunch time favorite!
Yield 6 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
A scoop of food and toppings on a spoon
PrintRate

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound elbow pasta
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 8 slices American cheese , unwrapped
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese , freshly shredded
  • 1 cup Big Mac Copycat Sauce , recipe

Toppings:

  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 yellow onion , diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 1 vine ripened tomato , diced
  • 2 cups lettuce , shredded
  • 2 slices American cheese , diced

Instructions

  • Cook pasta two minutes shy of the directions on the box then drain and rinse the pasta. (see note) Add the pasta back to your large pot.
  • On medium heat add whole milk, American cheese, cheddar cheese, big mac sauce to the pot and stir well until creamy.
  • Bring to a simmer, stirring well until the sauce begins to darken in color a little as the dressing cooks, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Pour into a baking dish to serve and top with toppings.

Beef Topping (Make While Cooking Pasta)

  • Add beef, onion, salt and pepper to a large skillet and cook on medium high heat, breaking it apart as you cook, 6-8 minutes.
  • Let beef cool.
  • Add the tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, and beef on top of the cooked macaroni and cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 572kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 1285mg | Potassium: 350mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 899IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 528mg | Iron: 3mg

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Note from Sabrina

The special sauce is the key to the Big Mac and Cheese Sauce. It helps bind the processed American cheese and cheddar cheese together instead of needing a roux and butter. Not only does this make the cheese sauce super simple to make with less ingredients, but adds flavor!

Table of contents

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About This Recipe

A Big Mac and Cheese Bowl is a fun, over the top comfort dish that combines the creamy richness of mac and cheese with the bold, familiar flavors of a classic Big Mac. The copycat McDonald’s Big Mac Sauce, American cheese, and cheddar cheese make this a bowl you will want to make regularly. Add tasty toppings for the full Big Mac experience in every bite. You get creamy, cheesy, tangy, and slightly crunchy all in one bite!

Can this be made ahead of time?

Yes, you can. Prepare the Big Mac sauce, ground beef, and chop the toppings up to 2 days in advance. Then to serve, prepare the pasta, reheat the ground beef, and make the cheese sauce, all in about 15 minutes. Store toppings separately for reheating. Serve Big Mac and Cheese as a side dish for potlucks, BBQs, or whenever the kids are craving fast food.

How To Store

  • Serve: This mac and cheese is best served hot and fresh. Keep at room temperature for no more than 2 hours before storing.
  • Store: Store toppings separately from the pasta and sauce for best reheating. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. To reheat, just add a splash of milk to bring back the creaminess of the sauce.
  • Freeze: Cool pasta and freeze with ground beef only. The other toppings don’t freeze will. Freeze in a sealed container for up to 3 months and thaw overnight before reheating to serve.

Variations

  • Cheese: Swap in other shredded cheese like pepper jack or Monterey jack cheese for the cheddar cheese. Just be sure to shred it yourself for best results. You can use 8 ounces Velveeta cheese (cut into cubes) for the American cheese slices.
  • Meat: Instead of ground beef, you can use other ground meat like chicken or turkey. Top with Grilled Chicken or cut up Crispy Chicken Tenders instead of beef, too.
  • Toppings: Use any of your other favorite burger toppings for Big Mac and Cheese like crumbled bacon, diced jalapeños, or crispy onions.
  • Spices: Season the ground beef with 2 tablespoons (1 packet) of Taco Seasoning or Ranch Dressing Mix for more flavor, or add spices like garlic powder, onion powder, or chili powder.

More Mac and Cheese Recipes to Try!

New pin pic for pasta and cheese with big mac sauce

Photos Used In Previous Posts

A spoon scoop of finished ingredients in a bowl
Finished meal in a baking dish with toppins
Cooked meal in white baking dish with with scoop removed
Closeup of cooked food in baking dish with with scoop removed
Collage of cooked meal on a spoon and on a serving dish

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. Sabrina, this was excellent! I have neighbor’s that are in their 80’s that I try to make dinners to share with them . They LOVED it. Thank you so much for sharing your talent and love for cooking, This is only about 3 comments I have ever written. Thank You
    The sauce is amazing.

    Reply

    1. Yay!! I love when it’s such a hit that it makes you want to come back and let me know. Thanks so much for the 5 stars, Linda.

      Reply

  2. Well THIS is what you call Mac and Cheese! My kids loved it. Especially the big mac sauce. What a great way to serve this classic dish. We’ll definitely have it again.

    Reply

  4. This is a genius idea. Totally tastes like a Big Mac. I’ve never thought of why McDonald’s hasn’t done Mac & Cheese yet?!? Chickfila does!

    Reply

  5. Oh my goodness does this look amazing!! Quick question: can I use American cheese that I get sliced at the deli counter, or should it be something like individually wrapped Kraft or Velveeta singles??

    Thank you 🙂

    Reply

  6. I had a couple of your other recipes at the top of my list to try,but rhis just went steaight ro the top!! Yum. Can’t wait.

    Reply