Here's a Big Mac copycat recipe. Make it at home - but make it a pizza.
I try to avoid eating fast food as much as possible, but who hasn't been on a road trip absolutely starving (or bored!), so you stop at McDonald's and grab a Big Mac. 

I'll admit to that and so I definitely am familiar with the taste of a Big Mac burger with special sauce.

Two All-Beef Patties, Special Sauce...

Furthermore, who as a kid didn't sing the quintessential jingle, "Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun..." (and yes, you're welcome for that ear worm that will now torment you for the rest of the day!)

I can't remember the last time I actually had a Big Mac though... 

But anyway, a couple of weeks ago one of the production assistants on the set of Welcome to my Farm (where we're busy shooting season two) handed me the lunch menu, which happened to be from a local pizzeria here in Maine.

A few of the other crew members were ordering something called a Big Mac Pizza. I had never heard of a Big Mac Pizza, much less tasted one, but it sounded interesting, so I ordered one as well.

I'm not sure if it's possible for a pizza to change one's life, but if it is, this one did. I loved it. (Incidentally, it was just as good cold the next morning for breakfast.)

When I got home from the shoot, I went on a mission to recreate the Big Mac Pizza recipe myself. 

I started with my favorite Bobby Flay pizza dough recipe (honestly, so easy if you've never tried making your own pizza dough, but feel free to use a storebought dough instead).

Then I rooted around in our kitchen junk drawer to find the recipe for the McDonalds Special Sauce that I had scribbled on a scrap of paper a few months back after watching a video a former McDonalds chef had shared. 

Spoiler alert: there is NO ketchup and NO Thousand Island dressing in McDonald's Special Sauce

I was off to a good start. 

Big Mac Pizza Recipe

Success! My final recipe tastes exactly like a Big Mac! And kind of looks like one too! And it definitely takes care of a Big Mac craving. 

I love that it's made with all fresh ingredients, and no preservatives or weird stuff in it, so it's (a little bit?) healthier than eating out at a fast food restaurant... 

Side Note: According to my non-scientific research, a Big Mac contains 550 calories. The pizza contains around 2600 calories, so 325 calories/slice. Not much better calorie-wise than a Big Mac, but at least you can control the amount of salt in it and there are no preservatives or other weird stuff and you know what kind of meat is in it!

Try my recipe and see what you think!

Big Mac Pizza

Makes one 12" pizza

To Make the Crust |

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/8 teaspoon instant dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup warm water (110F -115F degrees)
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for the bowl

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the bread hook attachment, mix the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt until combined. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the water, then add the oil. 

Continue to mix on medium speed until the dough is nice and smooth and forms a ball. (Add more flour, a spoonful at a time, if the dough is too sticky.)

Brush a large mixing bowl with olive oil and add the dough ball. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm location (next to the wood stove or by a sunny window is perfect) until the dough has risen and doubled in size, about an hour. 

To Make the Special Sauce |

1/2 cup mayonnaise, store bought or homemade
2 tablespoons sweet relish, chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Whisk the sauce ingredients in a small bowl, then refrigerate for several hours to let the flavors combine.

To Assemble the Big Mac Pizza |

Cornmeal, for dusting
1 ball pizza dough, store bought or homemade
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 cup Special Sauce
1/2 cup diced white onion
7 slices yellow American  cheese
1 egg, whisked
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1/2 cup sliced dill pickles
1 heaping cup finely shredded iceberg lettuce
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Put your pizza stone, pan or a cookie sheet on the middle rack to preheat along with the oven. 

Cut a piece of parchment paper into a 14" circle, dust it with cornmeal and roll or stretch out the dough to a 12-inch circle on the paper. Let the dough rest while you prepare the toppings.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef, garlic and onion powders, salt and pepper, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or just until most of the pink is gone. Drain the fat.

Brush the crust with olive oil, then spread a thin layer (about 1/4 cup) of the special sauce over the crust, leaving a 1/2" border around the edges. Arrange the meat over the crust. Top with the diced onion, then arrange the cheese slices in a single layer over the top. 

Brush the edges of the crust with the whisked egg and sprinkle with the sesame seeds, pressing them so they adhere to the crust.

Remove the heated pan from the oven and slide the pizza and the parchment onto the pan. Bake for 13-15 minutes until the crust is puffed and golden, and the cheese is melted.

Remove from the oven and slide the pizza out of the pan onto a cutting board. Top with the pickles and lettuce, then drizzle with the remaining sauce. (Thin the sauce out with a bit of water if it's too thick to drizzle.) Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut into 8 slices. 

Serve warm and enjoy any leftovers cold for breakfast the next day! 

(scroll down for the printable recipe card)

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