Super Easy Big Mac Burgers

Have you seen the cost of fast food burgers these days? Wow! A family of four just might need to take out a second mortgage! Guess that’s what happens when the Governor of our fair state gives fast food workers a huge raise without thinking about the overall impact.

First of all, fast food jobs were originally designed for High School Kids as a summer job, not a career flipping burgers. These days some of those jobs are going to our seniors just as a way to make ends meet, which is a whole other rant. Then there are the unskilled needing a job. Why not do a better job educating and training folks so that fast food isn’t the only career choice? Higher wages aren’t the answer. The cost of doing business is just passed on to the consumer. Don’t you get it? Make minimum wage for flipping burgers $200 an hour, and that Big Mac is going to cost $1,000,000 which means the person at the bottom of the wage barrel has no more buying power than before. Okay, so this is a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea. Call it corporate or company greed if you want to, but the whole point of going into business is to make money. From the big corporations to the mom and pop market, the end goal is the same. Anyway, that’s my rant for the day.

Besides, today is National Fast Food Day. If you can’t (or won’t) run to McDonald’s for your fast food fix, why not cook up those classic burgers at home? Home cooking is always the best because you are in control over the ingredients, and no fast food place can add that special ingredient – love – to their burgers.

I know I’ve shared my Big Mac Recipe before, complete with the Secret Sauce. Today we’ve revised that recipe, making it so much faster. After all, their secret sauce is really Thousand Island Dressing with a few extras added. Here’s to hoping you enjoy this super easy Fast Food Favorite.

Revised Better than a Big Mac Burgers
1 cup shredded Iceberg Lettuce
4 Hamburger Bun Bottoms
1 lb Ground Beef
1/4 cup Onion Flakes
2 tablespoons Beef Stock
4 tablespoons Butter
4 Sesame Seed Hamburger Buns
8 tablespoons Thousand Island Dressing
2 tablespoons Ketchup
1/2 teaspoon Yellow Mustard
1-1/2 teaspoons Miracle Whip
3 tablespoons Sweet Pickle Relish
16 Hamburger Pickle Chips
4 slices American Cheese

Stack about 4 or 5 lettuce leaves, roll tightly to create a cigar. Slice the rolled lettuce to create shredded leaves. Toss gently to separate. Set aside. With 4 hamburger bottoms, create the middle bun for a Big Mac by trimming the bottom, creating two sliced sides. Set aside.

Place onion flakes in a small bowl. Add beef stock, microwave for 15 seconds to soften flakes. Let cool.

Place Thousand Island Dressing in a small bowl. Whisk in Ketchup, Yellow Mustard and Miracle Whip. Add pickle relish. From the rehydrated onion flakes add 1/4 teaspoon of flakes to the Thousand Island mixture. Taste and adjust as desired.

Divide ground beef into eight 2-ounce balls. Shape into hamburger patties. Place waxed paper between patties. Wrap in plastic wrap, chill well until ready to grill.

Heat griddle. Place a small amount of butter on the griddle, toast top, middle and bottom buns. Wrap in foil to keep warm.

Note: Middle bun needs to be toasted on both sides.

Place burger patties on the griddle and cook 2 minutes per side. Once cooked, scatter onion flakes on each patty along with salt and pepper to taste. Now it’s time to create the home-version signature Big Mac.

To Assemble:
Bottom Bun
Thousand Island Dressing
Lettuce
Cheese
Hamburger Patty
Middle Bun
Thousand Island Dressing
Lettuce
4 Pickles per burger
Hamburger Patty
Top Bun

These are great served alongside Fast-Food Style thin French Fries and an ice cold beverage.

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to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.