This Big Mac Grilled Cheese is everything you want in an epic sandwich and more. With savory ground beef, melty cheese, fresh vegetables, and a special tangy sauce all stuffed between toasty slices of pumpernickel bread this a truly leveled-up grilled cheese sandwich. Perfect for using leftovers.
Ingredients
This Big Mac grilled cheese sandwich is the perfect way to use up leftover ground beef from other recipes. If you don’t have leftover ground beef, cooking fresh ground beef also works perfectly, but you don’t need a lot of beef per sandwich, so plan on having extra beef or making a lot of sandwiches!
The sauce recipe also makes a little more than you need for 1 or 2 sandwiches depending on the size of your bread, but I love having extras in the fridge for Big Mac quesadillas, Big Mac fries, or Big Mac nachos!
See the recipe card for exact ingredient amounts.
- bread: I use pumpernickel for this sandwich, which is a dark, slightly sweet, hearty bread that gives a good structure for this sandwich. Use your favorite grilled cheese bread.
- beef: I usually use Beyond Beef, but ground beef works perfectly in this recipe also.
- lettuce: adds a fresh crunch – I like romaine lettuce. Iceberg lettuce would be great also.
- tomato: for juicy sweetness. Use whatever you have on hand whether it’s Roma, garden tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes.
- pickle: for a tangy kick that’s characteristic of a Big Mac burger. You’ll use some on the sandwich and in the burger sauce.
- onion: adds a sharpness. Dice them finely.
- cheese: holds everything together and makes a grilled cheese what it is. I like Havarti, mozzarella, or cheddar and I shred them myself.
- Big Mac sauce: A homemade version made with mayo, ketchup, mustard, vinegar, salt, sugar, and chopped pickles. This sauce brings it all together and gives it the Big Mac vibes.
Substitutions
- bread: Use your favorite bread. A sturdy bread toasts nicely and holds together better with all of the fillings.
- cheese: I like shredded cheese but cheese slices will work too.
Burger Sauce Tip
Make extra sauce and keep it in the fridge for the week to use on more burgers, sandwiches, and wraps!
Instructions
Prep Tips
This sandwich is very easy to make. Once you have the ground beef cooked and the sauce made, the sandwich takes only a few minutes to cook.
- Add all of the sauce ingredients to a small bowl.
- Stir to mix. Set aside.
- Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread.
- Stack the bread buttered sides together to add the fillings.
- Spread the sauce.
- Add shredded cheese.
- Next add the cooked ground beef.
- Sprinkle on some onion.
- Add sliced tomato and pickle.
- Next add lettuce and more cheese.
- Finish with more sauce.
- Place the topped slice of bread butter side down in the skillet.
- Top with the other slice of bread, butter side up.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
Slice in half and serve the sandwich hot.
Tips for making the best Big Mac grilled cheese sandwiches
- Drain any excess fat from the beef before using it in the sandwich so the sandwich isn’t greasy.
- You can prep the sauce and fillings and store them in the fridge until you are ready to make sandwiches.
- Cook the sandwiches over medium heat so the cheese melts and the bread toasts nicely.
- Use two cheese layers, both touching the bread so that the sandwich stays together a bit better and the cheese melts well.
- Use a sturdy bread. Using an overly soft loaf means the bread may just fall apart or get soggy before it’s fully toasted. This is a stuffed sandwich!
What to Serve with a Big Mac Grilled Cheese
Serving these at a get-together? Try pairing them with garlic parmesan fries or air fryer smashed potatoes!
Storage
Grilled cheese doesn’t store well in the fridge once cooked so I recommend making them fresh. The sauce and filling can be prepped ahead of time and stored in the fridge. The sauce will last for a week or two in the fridge.
More Burger and Sandwich Recipes
Big Mac Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
For the Sandwich
- 4 slices bread I used pumpernickel
- 340 grams beyond beef you'll need about half a package, or 1/2 lb. ground beef
- ½ cup shredded cheese I like havarti, mozza, or cheddar
- ¼ small onion finely diced
- 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
- 8 cherry tomatoes sliced
- 1 pickle sliced
Big Mac Sauce
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons chopped pickles
- splash pickle juice
- splash vinegar
- pinch salt
- pinch granulated white sugar
Instructions
- Start by browning the beef or beyond beef in a small skillet. This takes about 8-10 minutes to cook. Drain off extra grease and set aside. I season this just with salt and pepper, but you could add garlic powder and onion powder if you want to.
For the Sauce
- Mix all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set side.
For the Sandwich
- Preheat a skillet over medium heat.
- Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter. These are the outsides of the sandwich. Stack the bread, butter sides together to make it easy to fill and avoid butter on the counter.
- Spread sauce on the inside of the top slice of bread. Next add cheese, beef, onions, sliced pickles and tomatoes, lettuce, and then more cheese, and sauce.
- Add the top slice of bread with all of the fillings on it, into the skillet. Add the remaining slice of bread on top of the fillings, butter side up.
- Cook the sandwich for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown. Flip the sandwich and cook for another 3-4 minutes until golden brown on the second side. Slice in half and serve hot.
Video
Notes
Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used. Read our full Nutrition Disclaimer.
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