Big Mac Tater Tot Casserole

I had seen a couple of versions of Big Mac casserole floating around IG and decided to give this one a shot.  It was surprisingly good and even if all you take away from it is the homemade Big Mac sauce it's worth a try ;)

Here's What You'll Need for the Big Mac Sauce:

1/4 cup sweet pickle relish

1 cup mayonnaise

2 Tablespoon grated yellow onion (with juices)

1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon yellow mustard

2 teaspoons white vinegar (optional, see notes)*

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Here's What You'll Need for the Casserole:

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 medium onion (diced, about 1 cup)

2 medium cloves garlic (minced)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (plus more to taste)

1 dill pickle (diced small, about 1/2 cup)

1 cup freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese (divided, plus more for topping)**

1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese (divided)**

1 (32 ounce) bag tater tots (64 tots)

Here's What You'll Do...

1) To a small bowl, add the ingredients for the Big Mac sauce and mix until combined. Measure o

ut 1/2 cup of the sauce, and place into a small Ziploc bag (to be used as a garnish at the end

2) Preheat the oven to 350 

3) Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add in the ground beef and cook half way (5 minutes). Add the diced onions and cook until the beef is fully browned (about 5 more minutes). Discard the excess grease from the pan.

4) Add in the minced garlic, pepper, and salt. Mix, and saute until aromatic (about 1 minute).

5) Mix in the pickles, the remaining Big Mac Sauce, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, and 1/2 cup mozzarella.

6) Transfer the beef mixture to a 9x13 casserole dish, and spread out evenly

7) Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar and 1/2 cup mozzarella over the top of the beef mixture

8) Arrange the tater tots in an even single layer over the beef mixture. Bake in the preheated oven until the tots are golden brown (about 45 minutes)

9) Top with the lettuce, tomato, extra cheese, pickles, etc. Cut one of the bottom corners off of the Ziploc that the Big Mac sauce is in, and use it as a piping bag to drizzle the sauce over the casserole.

This was surprisingly yummy and made a TON!  My kids all loved it and Dave especially loved it (Dave LOVES pickles!).  I like that everyone can add toppings to personalize it and it to their liking

HAPPY Thursday, friends!!!