Here’s one more popular burger conversion for all fast food lovers. Today we have the Big Mac, but this time heartier, more flavorful and a little bigger. Not to mention “homemade.” The taste is tried, true and bonafide! Sure to satisfy even the most discriminating burgermeister and master!

A little history where it all began: The Big Mac was created in 1967 by Jim Delligatti, who was operating several restaurants in the Pittsburgh area. It was invented in the kitchen of Delligatti’s first McDonald’s franchise.

The Big Mac had two previous names, both of which failed in the marketplace: the Aristocrat, which consumers found difficult to pronounce and understand, and Blue Ribbon Burger. The third name, Big Mac, was created by Esther Glickstein Rose, a 21-year-old advertising secretary who worked at McDonald’s corporate headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois. The Big Mac debuted at Delligatti’s Uniontown, Pennsylvania restaurant in 1967, selling for 45 cents. It was designed to compete with Big Boy restaurants’ Big Boy sandwich; Eat’n Park was the Pittsburgh area’s Big Boy franchisee at the time. The Big Mac proved popular, and it was added to the menu of all U.S. restaurants in 1968.

Today, 46 years later, I provide you with the opportunity to make your own, somewhat healthier version, Big Mac at home: the one that Mr. Delligatti intended 🙂

Sandwich: Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 regular-sized sesame seed bun

1 regular-sized plain bun

2 beef patties (2 ounces each, flattened to bun size)

2 tablespoons Special Sauce (recipe below)

2 teaspoons finely-minced onions

1 slice American cheese

3 dill pickle slices

1/4 cup of washed, shredded iceberg lettuce (drained)

Special Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons French salad dressing

1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish

1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Sauce Directions:

Mix all of sauce ingredients together; blend mixture until smooth. Store in refrigerator for about an hour to allow flavors to blend.

The Stack:

• Cook the beef patties in a medium skillet. Cook to preferred doneness (rare to well done).
• While patties are frying, gently toast buns.
• Sauce one side of toasted buns
• Add lettuce, cheese, and pickles to middle and bottom buns
• Stack each burger patty on top of the condiments
• Top both burger patties with minced onions.
• Place top of the sesame bun on top of the burger