Name: Vegetarian Big Mac Grilled Cheese
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: ½ cup mayo; 2 tbsp sweet relish; 1 tsp sugar; 2.5 tsp yellow mustard; ½ tsp white wine vinegar; ¼ tsp paprika; ⅛ tsp garlic powder; ⅛ onion powder; 2 brioche buns (or other white hamburger buns); ½ cup Gardein beefless ground; 2 slices cheddar cheese; pickles; lettuce (shredded); 3 tbsp butter (melted)

The cheese, the pickles, the lettuce, the SAUCE…it’s got everything you love in a Big Mac except it’s vegetarian and it’s GRILLED CHEESE!!! That’s right, for this month’s grilled cheese recipe, I give you a Vegetarian Big Mac Grilled Cheese on an inside-out bun!

I’m no stranger to the McDonald’s drive-through. Over the last seven years or so since I’ve been vegetarian, I’ve been known to order a Big Mac without meat when I go.

Yes – I’m serious! It’s so good because it’s still got all the best parts of the burger!

Just like the recipe you’re about to read!

With the help of Gardein Beefless Ground (or your other favorite meat substitute) we get all the best elements of a Big Mac but turned into a grilled cheese.

And I will warn you now: it’s a messy sandwich!

There will be beefless ground falling out of the sides and sauce dripping down your hands while you enjoy it. But it’s all part of the experience!

Now, before we dive into the recipe, let’s cover one important point:

Why the inside-out bun?

Calling this a grilled cheese might be a stretch to begin with. But when you use an inside out bun, you can actually get the crispy outside we know and love from a grilled cheese sandwich! Otherwise, it would just be a burger. But this step is really the game changer in this recipe.

Jump to Recipe

Big Mac Sauce

There are all kinds of recipes for homemade Big Mac sauce out there, and while they’re all different, they tend to have certain things in common:

They’re mayo based
They might have thousand island dressing in them but that’s NOT the exact same as Big Mac sauce
They usually have relish and mustard
A bit of vinegar
Seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika

I’ve tested a bunch, and here’s what you need for the homemade Big Mac sauce recipe I like best:

Mayonnaise (vegan mayo works great!)
Sweet relish
Sugar (just a bit!)
Yellow mustard
White wine vinegar
Paprika
Garlic powder
Onion powder

Now, for the rest of the Vegetarian Big Mac Grilled Cheese

This recipe is actually really straight forward!

Make your sauce first and set it aside.
Heat a small pan on medium heat. Add a splash of olive oil. Cook your frozen Beefless Ground for 5-7 minutes, or until heated thoroughly. Set aside.
Next, you’ll cut a big white burger bun in half. I use brioche buns for this!
On the INSIDE of both pieces of the bun, slather with some melted butter.

Then, on the opposite side of the bottom piece, add about two tablespoons of the Big Mac sauce.

Saucy!

Then, add shredded lettuce, pickles, and cheese, in that order.

Heat a large sauce pan on medium heat for about five minutes.
Place the buttered side of both pieces down on the pan. Cover, and let cook for about 4-7 minutes, or until the bread is toasty and the cheese has started melting.

I could not get a good picture of this for the life of me! But you get the idea!

Then, set the bottom half of the sandwich on a plate. Add the Beefless Ground on top of the cheese, using your hands to try to push it into place – but some will fall out! Kind of like a sloppy Joe.
Add the other half of the bun, upside down, of course, to complete the sandwich!

Press the sandwich together and dig in!