This is a delicious and easy Whole30 ground beef casserole recipe that is a healthy take on a big mac! The classic flavors you know and love, all baked together in a paleo, gluten free Big Mac casserole that’s loaded with veggies. It’s great for a family friendly weeknight meal, or for meal prep lunches for the week.
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Big Mac Whole30 Casserole Ingredients
You won’t believe it, but this casserole recipe is under ten ingredients, and most of them are vegetables! It also uses ground beef, so all in all, it’s a pretty budget friendly recipe! Aside from the ground beef, you’ll need 1 cup of diced white onions, 1 diced green pepper, 1 can of diced tomatoes, 2 potatoes, dill pickles, sesame seeds and Special Sauce.
Two important things to note about these casserole ingredients are that first you’ll want to get dill pickles that do not contain additives that aren’t Whole30 compliant. There are many varieties at many different grocery stores, such as Target, Walmart, Whole Foods and more. The second thing is that you will want to make sure you drain both the canned tomatoes and the ground beef really well to prevent too much excess liquid from settling at the bottom of the Whole30 casserole.
Related: Whole30 Compliant Items at Target, Whole30 Compliant Items at Walmart
How to Make this Whole30 Casserole
This Whole30 Big Mac Casserole couldn’t be easier to prep. You’re first going to start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and then browning the ground beef with the onion. While the beef and diced onion mixture is cooking, add the potatoes, peppers, pickles and tomatoes into the casserole dish. When the beef has browned, drain the grease and return it to the pan or a separate bowl, where you’ll mix in the Special Sauce.
Once the beef, onion and sauce is mixed together, add that to the casserole dish with the vegetables. Then, add in the sesame seeds and after that you’ll just give it all a quick mix to combine all of the ingredients. Leave it in an even layer in the dish, cover with foil and bake for an hour, or until the potatoes are cooked through.
Once it’s done, remove it from the oven and add any toppings you may want. If you’re not doing a Whole30 or are not strictly Paleo/dairy-free, you can add some cheese to the top, or over half of the top, in the last half of the baking time to melt it over the top of the casserole. Adding cheese to half is a great option to make it even more family friendly!
You can make your own Whole30 Special Sauce with this recipe!
Whole30 Big Mac Casserole Toppings
When you’re chopping up the veggies, reserve a bit of the diced onion to add as a topping once it’s done baking. You’ll also want some shredded romaine lettuce, extra pickles, sesame seeds, fresh tomato and a bit more Special Sauce to drizzle! You can really make it your own by adding any burger toppings you’d like. Crumbled bacon would be another excellent, and tasty, addition!
Other Whole30 Casserole Recipes You’ll Love:
Chicken and Bacon Alfredo Casserole
PrintBig Mac Casserole: Whole30, Paleo, Gluten-Free
This is a delicious and easy Whole30 ground beef casserole recipe that is a healthy take on a big mac! The classic flavors you know and love, all baked together in a paleo, gluten free Big Mac casserole that’s loaded with veggies. It’s great for a family friendly weeknight meal, or for meal prep lunches for the week.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
- Category: Casserole
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 cup white onion, diced
- 2 russet potatoes, diced (about 4 cups)
- 1 can diced tomatoes, drained well
- 1 green pepper, seeds and stem removed and diced
- 1/2 cup chopped dill pickles
- 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup homemade Special Sauce
For Topping:
- Shredded romaine lettuce
- Additional diced white onion, dill pickles, sesame seeds, diced tomatoes, extra drizzle of Special Sauce
Instructions
- Add the diced white onion and ground beef into a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until the onion is translucent and the beef is browned. While it’s cooking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., and add the diced potatoes, diced green pepper, chopped pickles and diced tomatoes into a large casserole dish
- When the ground beef and onion mixture is done, drain well to remove the grease. Return it to the pan and then stir in the Special Sauce. Add it to the casserole dish with the veggies
- Next, add the sesame seeds, and then stir everything together to combine the meat with the vegetables. Make sure the casserole is arranged in an even layer in the dish and then cover with foil
- Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are able to be pierced with a fork
- Remove from the oven and top with your burger toppings and additional Special Sauce
Notes
- If you’re not strictly Whole30/Paleo/Dairy-Free, feel free to add 1 cup shredded cheese over the top of the casserole in the last 30 minutes of baking, or over 1/2 of it for family or kids who are not dairy-free, leaving the other half Whole30 compliant.
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Nikki says
Delicious! Highly recommend.
paleobailey says
Thank you! So happy you enjoyed!
Mary says
Adding this to the menu plan for next week.
Mary says
We love this recipe in our house, everyone gobbles it up! I’m wondering if you have calorie info per serving on this. Thanks!
Vanessa says
AMAZING!! My 3 picky kids LOVED this. So did I 🙂 I will definitely be making this again. Any idea if this is something you could make ahead and freeze? I want to add it to my meal prep rotation.
Sandy says
This tastes just like a Big Mac from McDonald’s!! Do not wait to make this. This is my second time making it and this is now a weekly staple. The only thing different i do than what the recipe calls for is I make this all right on the stovetop, not in the oven and it comes out perfect. Highly recommend!!!
Kendra S says
This is a family favorite! Thank you for another delicious recipe.
paleobailey says
I’m so glad you enjoy it!! Thank you so much!
Jenn says
Gathering ingredients to make. What size can of diced tomatoes?
paleobailey says
Oh sorry about that! 14.5 ounces!
Corrina says
Hi I can not seem to get to the special sauce recipe, the link does not work for me for whatever reason. Please help.
paleobailey says
Hi! This is the link! https://www.wholekitchensink.com/homemade-special-sauce/
Natalie says
Love this recipe! We were shocked.. it tastes like a Big Mac! But healthy 🙂
Do you think this would freeze well? Or would the vegetables get too mushy?
paleobailey says
So sorry I’m just seeing this! I don’t think it would freeze well. Diced potatoes that have been cooked typically don’t come out all that well when reheated!
Christine says
This is INCREDIBLE- and tastes just like a Big Mac- so yummy!! Thanks Bailey:)
paleobailey says
I’m SO glad to hear this! Thank you so much for giving it a try and taking the time to come back and leave a review!
April Epp says
Made this for dinner, was yummy but next time would not cook the potatoes in the casserole. I would still cut them in a dice but would season and bake like fries and sprinkle on top afterwards. And also added a bit of seasoning to the beef, salt, pepper, garlic, Worcestershire (what we put in our burger patties) Thanks for the recipe, have already passed on to friends.
Amara says
I’ve been on the Whole30 for a few months now and this is definitely my favorite thing I’ve been able to eat. My whole family loved it. Thanks!
Cassie says
My fiance and I were shocked at how much this legit tastes like a freakin big mac – it’s the special sauce for me 🙂 It was a bit watery so next time i’ll make sure to drain the potatoes really well but we’ll definitely make again.
Alana says
I’ve been on the Whole30 diet for a few weeks now and this is by far one of my favorite meals! The whole family loved it. I’m hoping to make a casserole for my sister’s family but she is a vegetarian. Would using a fake meat substitute effect the outcome of the recipe too much? Thanks!
paleobailey says
I’m SO glad you all enjoyed it!! Thank you! As for the vegetarian meat- I wish I was more help here but I’ve never ever used it or cooked it so I don’t have any frame of reference to what it’s like. I would think it would be fine.. the only thing I could see being an issue is if it overcooks more than ground beef does once you brown it and then bake it in the casserole. I’m not sure if it gets tough or whatnot, you know? If you know it does that, you could make it separately and then put it on top of the casserole once it’s done baking but before adding the toppings? Sorry I can’t be more help. I’m just so unfamiliar with that type of product!
Amber says
I made this for the first time tonight. My husband and I loved it! We will definitely be making it again and I’ll be sharing with friends and family. Is there a place I can find the nutritional information?