I am not ashamed to admit that I have a not-so-secret guilty pleasure: a gooey, messy Big Mac from McDonald’s. There. I said it. I know, we’re all supposed to eschew fast food establishments (especially McD’s), but whatever. A few times a year I indulge in this treat and feel no need to apologize. But what about when I have that craving, but don’t want all the grease? Easy: I make my own version.
A number of years ago I bought a cookbook called Fast Food Fix by Devin Alexander. It features a number of made-over fast food meals. Not only does it show how to make them healthier, but obviously it instructs you how to make them at home.
I’ve adapted her recipe to suit my own tastes. I cut down the sugar even further and I think the difference is barely noticeable. And let’s be honest: I rarely measure the onions and pickles. I just eyeball the amount and mix them into the sauce. So now you can enjoy that signature McDonald’s taste at home, but using better quality ingredients. That’s the best of both worlds!
Copycat Big Mac Sauce
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tsp. chopped dill pickles (or dill pickle relish)
- 2 tsp.ketchup
- 2 tsp. yellow mustard
- 1 Tbsp.+ 1 tsp. finely chopped white onion
- 1 tsp sugar
Combine all ingredients in a jar and stir well. Can be refrigerated for up to 1 month.
I seriously cannot wait until it warms up and we can grill on a regular basis. Despite cold temps and snow flurries on Saturday night, we fired up the grill to make these burgers. And it was totally worth the freezing fingers!
I’m linking up with Sandra at Diary of a SAHM
because it’s Cooking Thursday!
Here’s my conundrum; I LOVE Big Mac’s and making the sauce at home has always been my “Holy Grail”. But….I DESPISE the look, feel and stench of mayo. For me, part of the “secret sauce” allure is fooling myself into thinking the ingredients are indeed a secret — and that “maybe” mayo isn’t even in there at all. Making it (and acknowledging the mayo) is a whole different beast. I guess what I’m saying is that I’m intrigued, yet scared.