Big Mac and Cheese

Easy Big Mac and Cheese is a creamy, tangy, cheesy pasta unlike any other! Loaded with special sauce, ground beef, and toppings. The best Big Mac in a Bowl!

Just like Baked Mac and Cheese, this tasty loaded Mac and Cheese is a comforting Side Dish that’s going to be a family favorite!

Big Mac and Cheese scoop on spoon

BIG MAC AND CHEESE

Of all the many, 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. Pizza, hot dogs, and chicken fajitas? Check, check, and check. But creamy, delicious pasta with cheesy Big Mac Sauce, ground beef, and all the fixings hasn’t made it the their menu yet. Perhaps this recipe will inspire them!

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! The copycat McDonald’s Big Mac Sauce, American cheese, and cheddar cheese make an ultra rich, smooth, tangy, and creamy Mac unlike any other. Then it’s topped with ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and onions for the full Big Mac experience in every bite.

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 of flour and butter. Not only does this make the cheese sauce super simple to make with less ingredients, but adds so much flavor! If you keep Big Mac sauce on hand (and you should!), the sauce comes together in minutes.

Big Mac and Cheese in baking dish with with scoop removed

Big Mac and Cheese is best served hot and warm, but leftovers can be reheated with a splash of milk to bring back the creaminess of the sauce. To make Big Mac and Cheese ahead, 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.

Serve Big Mac and Cheese as a side dish for potlucks, BBQs, or whenever the kids are craving fast food. Leave off the ground beef and serve it with Homemade Beef Meatballs or Classic Beef Meatloaf. You can also serve this as a quick weeknight dinner with a side of Roasted Broccoli and some Dinner Rolls, topped with sesame seeds optional.

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Big Mac and Cheese in baking dish

VARIATIONS ON BIG MAC AND CHEESE

  • 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.

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HOW TO STORE BIG MAC AND CHEESE

  • Serve: Big 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 Big Mac and Cheese for best reheating. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate mac and cheese for up to 4 days.
  • Freeze: Cool Big Mac and Cheese 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.

Big Mac and Cheese in baking dish with with scoop removed

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Big Mac and Cheese

Easy Big Mac and Cheese is a creamy, tangy, cheesy pasta unlike any other! Loaded with special sauce, ground beef, and toppings. The best Big Mac in a Bowl!
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Keyword Big Mac and Cheese
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 572 kcal
Author Sabrina Snyder

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

  1. 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.

  2. On medium heat add whole milk, American cheese, cheddar cheese, big mac sauce to the pot and stir well until creamy.

  3. Bring to a simmer, stirring well until the sauce begins to darken in color a little as the dressing cooks, about 3-4 minutes.

  4. Pour into a baking dish to serve and top with toppings.

Beef Topping (Make While Cooking Pasta)

  1. 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.

  2. Let beef cool.

  3. Add the tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, and beef on top of the cooked macaroni and cheese.

Recipe Notes

Note: Make the beef topping below while you're cooking your pasta.

Nutrition Facts
Big Mac and Cheese
Amount Per Serving
Calories 572 Calories from Fat 342
% Daily Value*
Fat 38g58%
Saturated Fat 15g94%
Cholesterol 91mg30%
Sodium 1285mg56%
Potassium 350mg10%
Carbohydrates 33g11%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 23g46%
Vitamin A 899IU18%
Vitamin C 4mg5%
Calcium 528mg53%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Big Mac and Cheese collage

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.

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. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. 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.

    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.

  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.

  3. 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!

  4. 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 🙂

  5. 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.