McDonald’s: Big Mac Revised!

INGREDIENTS 3 oz. 96% lean ground beef (approximately 1/3 cup) 2 pinches salt 3-1/2-diameter inch sesame seed bun + 1 additional bun bottom (we didn’t use the extra bun) 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. + 1 Tbsp. Big Mac Sauce (see below) 1 tsp. minced white onion 1/3 cup shredded iceberg lettuce 2 dill pickle rounds 1/2-oz. slice 2% milk yellow American cheese Big Mac Sauce 1/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise ( both Dianne and I preferred Miracle Whip light as opposed to Hellmann’s) 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. freshly minced white onion 2 tsp. dill relish 2 tsp. ketchup 2 tsp. sugar (with Miracle Whip, didn’t need the sugar) 2 tsp. yellow mustard DIRECTIONS Divide the beef in half. On a sheet of waxed paper, shape each half into a 4-inch-diameter patty. (Each patty will be only 1/4-inch thick). Transfer the waxed paper to a plate and place the plate of patties uncovered in the freezer. Prepare the Big Mac Sauce. Big Mac Sauce: In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients. Cover and refrigerate it until it is ready for use. Yield: 4 2-Tbsp. + 1 tsp. servings. Preheat a large non-stick frying pan to medium-high heat. Remove the burgers from freezer and season both sides with salt. Add them to the hot pan and cook them 1-2 minutes per side or until they are cooked through. At the same time, toast the bun tops and bottoms by placing them in the pan with the insides down (you do not need to add any oil or fat). If the pan is not large enough to hold the burgers and the buns, cook 1 burger with the bottom bun first then start assembling the sandwich while the others cook. Just before the burgers are done, add the cheese to 1 burger. Finally assemble the sandwich by placing 1 tablespoon of the sauce on one of the bun bottoms. Next add the burger with the cheese so that the cheese is on the bottom. Next add another teaspoon of the sauce to the bottom of the second bun bottom. Place that on top of the burger. Top that with the remaining tablespoon of sauce, followed by the remaining onion, then the remaining lettuce, the pickles, the remaining burger, and finally the bun top. Serve immediately. Yield: 2 1/2-burger servings Drive-Thru: It’s easy to throw together a Big Mac-like burger in minutes once you have the sauce made. So to save time, make a batch of the sauce, omitting the onions (they are the only ingredient that will spoil quickly); multiply the recipe times ten and store it in your refrigerator in a plastic container. When you’re ready to enjoy a burger, simply add the onions to the sauce you’re about to use and assemble the remaining ingredients. Revised: 380 Cals., 25g Protein, 19g Fat, 32g Carb. Original: 540 Cals, 25g protein, 29g Fat, 45 Carb. Recipe compliments of Devin Alexander from Fast Food Fix (Rodale 2006). For more on Devin, go to www.devinalexander.com