Homemade Big Mac

Anyone who knows me even a little bit knows that I LOVE Big Macs!  I don't ever try to justify getting one, because with the calories and fat involved...there's really no justification!  :-)  I just try to keep my eating them to a minimum, some days are better than others. :-)  While I was cruising through Pinterest one day, I found a recipe that said it had a recipe for the Mac Sauce that was just like McDonald's.  Of course I had to give it a try!  Our family LOVES homemade hamburgers, so I knew if the sauce didn't turn out we'd still enjoy a yummy meal of burgers.

I altered the recipe from Dollar Store Deals a little bit and I'll explain why as I go along.  

I started with a couple of pounds of 85%/15% ground beef.  I've learned through my hamburger making that this is the perfect beef/fat ratio.  It's fatty enough to keep the burgers together without crumbling and lean enough that the burgers don't shrink up to a button swimming in grease.  I made my patties MUCH thinner than I normally do.  Big Macs are double decker burgers, so I didn't want the burger to be too tall to eat.  I always just season my patties with salt, pepper and garlic. :-)

While my patties were cooking I prepped my Mac Sauce.  I started with Dollar Store Deals recipe...

1/2 cup of mayonnaise

1.5 tablespoons of sweet relish

1 tablespoon of yellow mustard

1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1.5 teaspoons paprika

1.5 teaspoons onion powder

1.5 teaspoons garlic powder

After mixing all that together and tasting it seems too salty/oniony to me.  I had Josh taste it and he felt also that the spices were too strong.  Keep in mind that we are not spice people, so if you love spices the recipe above might be right up your alley!

To mild the spices a bit for us I added about another 1/4 cup of mayonnaise and 3 tablespoons of Thousand Island Dressing.  Even after that, I would probably cut the spices down to 3/4 of a teaspoon of each.  Blend all of your ingredients together and set aside.

By now your burgers should be done.  If you choose to, have your griddle heated so you can toast your hamburger buns.  I omitted that step because my kids were getting super hungry. :-)  Take one full bun and the top half of another one.  Using a bread knife, cut off the top of one of the top buns to make it flat for your middle one (the bottom half of the bun can be used for another middle bun).

See, pretty easy! :-)

Now spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons of you Mac Sauce on the bottom bun.  Next add some pickles (if you like pickles!)

Add some shredded lettuce...

Next add your first hamburger patty with a slice of American Cheese on top.

Now because I like Mac Sauce, I smeared a little bit on both sides of the middle bun.

On top of the middle bun, repeat the pickles, lettuce, burger and cheese.  Then add another 1 1/2 tablespoons of Mac Sauce to the top bun of your burger.

Isn't it beautiful!? :-)  Now if you normally ask for "light sauce" on your Big Macs or your just not a saucy person, you can definitely lighten the load of sauce on your burger. :-)

The final verdict?  It was delicious!  I mean seriously delicious.  Would be a replacement when I get a Big Mac Attack?  No.  But this is one amazing burger that I would definitely eat again and again.  I would make this sauce to put on my regular, single layer burgers every time. :-)  A big THANK YOU to Dollar Store Deals for putting this recipe out there for me to find!  If you give this recipe a try or know of an even more exact Mac Sauce recipe, let me know!  I'd love to know what you think of the sauce and I'm definitely willing to give another Copy Cat Big Mac a try! :-)  Enjoy!