Big Boy Casserole
Big Boy Casserole is a fun copycat of the iconic Frisch’s Big Boy sandwich, layered into an easy casserole. A flaky crescent roll crust, topped with tangy tartar sauce, seasoned ground beef, dill pickles, shredded lettuce, and lots of melty cheddar. It has all that classic burger flavor without the bun, and the tartar sauce is the surprising secret. Perfect for potlucks or a busy weeknight, it comes together in about 35 minutes and serves 9.
I’m going to tell you the secret ingredient up front and you’re going to have a reaction. It’s tartar sauce. But stay with me.
Frisch’s Big Boy special sauce is tartar sauce based, and if you’ve ever taken a bite of that sandwich and thought “what IS that,” now you know.
It’s the tang. It’s the thing your brain can’t name but keeps chasing. And once you know, you can’t unknow it, which is honestly the best part of copycat recipes.
So here’s the sandwich, deconstructed into a casserole and stripped of its bun. Flaky crescent crust on the bottom, that sauce, seasoned beef, tart pickles, and enough cheddar to make the whole thing worth it.
It’s fast, it’s cheap, and it turns burger night into something you can scoop. If you’re into copycat recipes that make people ask questions, I have a few to try, any if you want more casseroles, I got those too.
More Ground Beef Casseroles
- Grandma’s Ground Beef Casserole – layered classic ground beef bake
- 4 Ingredient Hamburger Casserole – simple weeknight dinner
- Chili Dog Casserole – chili cheese and hot dog comfort bake
- Salisbury Steak Casserole – hearty ground beef in mushroom gravy
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
Crescent Roll Dough – The dough sheets make this easier because you skip the whole pinching-the-seams-together ritual. Individual rolls work, you’ll just be doing arts and crafts for a minute. Pie crust subs in a pinch if that’s more your speed.
Tartar Sauce – Yes, really. Use a whole jar and don’t overthink it. If you truly can’t get past it, Thousand Island or Big Mac sauce will work, but you’ll be making a different casserole and we both know it.
Ground Beef – Lean, so the whole thing doesn’t turn into a grease situation. Ground turkey works. Drain it well either way.
Pickles – Dill slices, and be generous. This is a burger casserole and pickles are part of the framework. Well drained relish works if that’s what’s in the fridge.
Lettuce – About 1 cup, shredded. Adding lettuce to a hot casserole feels wrong and it absolutely is not. It’s what makes it taste like the sandwich.
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How To Make Big Boy Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and spray a 9×13 dish with cooking spray. Spread the crescent roll dough across the bottom. Bake the dough for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown, then remove and set aside.
- Pour the tartar sauce over the baked dough and spread it into an even layer.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium high heat until no longer pink, then drain.
- Spread it over the dough.
- Top with the pickle slices and shredded lettuce, then spread the cheese over everything.
- Bake 5 to 7 minutes, just until the cheese is melted. Serve warm.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat: Microwave or a 350°F oven until heated through. The lettuce will have given up by then, which is fine and expected.
Freezer: Leave the lettuce off before freezing. Lettuce does not survive the freezer, and I’d rather tell you now than have you find out later.
Make Ahead: Assemble the beef and sauce layers ahead, then add the fresh lettuce and cheese and bake when you’re ready.
Variations
Crescent Top: Want a top crust? Add a second layer of dough, but bake it without cheese first so the dough actually cooks, then add a thin layer of cheese and melt it. Cheese on raw dough is how you get sad dough.
Different Sauce: Thousand Island or Big Mac sauce if tartar sauce is a bridge too far.
Different Protein: Ground turkey for a lighter version.
Full Burger Mode: Add diced onion, tomato, or a drizzle of ketchup and mustard. At some point you’ve just made a burger in a dish and that’s a fine place to end up.
Different Seasoning: Season the beef with a little onion powder or my Homemade Onion Soup Mix for more depth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because Frisch’s Big Boy special sauce is tartar sauce based, and it’s the exact flavor that makes the sandwich taste like THE sandwich. It sounds strange until you taste it, and then it makes complete sense.
Yes. Add a second layer of crescent dough, but bake it without cheese first so the dough cooks through, then add a thin layer of cheese just to melt.
Absolutely. Assemble the beef and sauce layers ahead, then add the lettuce and cheese and bake when you’re ready. It’s a great potluck move.
Yes, but leave the lettuce off. Frozen lettuce comes back as a wet disappointment. Add it fresh when you reheat.
Thousand Island or Big Mac sauce. Both are good. Neither tastes quite like a Big Boy, which is sort of the point of the recipe.
About 1 cup shredded. Add it after baking if you want it crisp and green instead of wilted.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Bake the crescent dough first. Raw dough under a wet sauce layer never recovers.
- Drain the beef well unless you want a greasy casserole, and you don’t.
- Add the lettuce after baking if you like it crisp.
- Leave the lettuce off any portion headed for the freezer.
- Give the tartar sauce an honest chance. It’s the entire reason this works.
This Big Boy Casserole recipe is cheesy, tangy, and all your favorite burger flavors in one scoopable dish. Make it for your next potluck and enjoy watching people try to figure out the sauce!
Big Boy Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces crescent roll dough sheet or rolls
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef cooked, drained
- 8 ounces tartar sauce use your favorite brand
- 20 dill pickle slices 20 – 30 depending on the size
- 16 ounces cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Spray a 9×13 dish with cooking spray. Spread the crescent roll dough out.
- Cook the crescent roll dough for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove and set aside.
- Pour tartar sauce over dough and spread out.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. Remove from heat and drain.
- Spread cooked/drained ground beef over cooked dough.
- Top with pickle slices and shredded lettuce.
- Spread cheese over the top and bake for 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Remove and serve!
Notes
- Bake the crescent dough first. Raw dough under a wet sauce layer never recovers.
- Drain the beef well unless you want a greasy casserole, and you don’t.
- Add the lettuce after baking if you like it crisp.
- Leave the lettuce off any portion headed for the freezer.
- Give the tartar sauce an honest chance. It’s the entire reason this works.
Nutrition
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