So confession. When I was younger I LOVED Big Macs. I was probably the only first grader who could finish a whole one alone. Anyone who’s read this blog probably knows that these days I wouldn’t even go near one, but I think the combination of a burger with special sauce, onions, pickles and lettuce is irresistible…thus was born THE BUG MAC. Two cauliflower patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a challah bun. I was lucky enough to score cauliflower, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and the buns from the farmers market this week. BEHOLD. A glorious sight if you ask me.

First preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Now we’re going to start by making the special sauce. In a small bowl combine mayo (use vegan mayo if that’s your thing), ketchup, pickle juice, and salt and pepper.

Easy as ordering a Big Mac, but of course they want you to think it’s some top secret recipe that you would never be able to make at home. Yeah right! Cover the sauce and put it in the fridge. Letting it sit while you make the rest of the burgers will allow all the flavors to mingle and really become a cohesive sauce.

Next, the star of these burgers: the cauliflower. To make cauliflower steaks, start by removing the outer leaves.

Slice off the outer florets and save for another recipe. With a sharp knife cut two large slices out of the core of the cauliflower. You want to make sure that the florets are still attached to the stem in order to get a steak.

Trim any excess stem or leaves. These steaks are a little big to use as burger patties so cut them in half down the center of the stem to make four smaller steaks.

To impart a little extra flavor, marinate the cauliflower before roasting. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

Gently toss the cauliflower in the marinade to coat. Be careful not to snap off any chunks that could compromise the integrity of the steaks.

Lay the marinaded cauliflower out on a baking sheet and let roast in the oven for 15 minutes.

While the cauliflower is roasting, prep the rest of the burger components. Thinly slice the lettuce, dice the onion, and thinly slice the pickles. Set aside until it’s time for assembly.

Additionally, thinly slice the cheese. I got a quarter pound of cheese from the farmer’s market. Because it is farmstead cheese it doesn’t necessarily prescribe to the normal varieties we’d find in a grocery store. I tried one that was described as similar to a swiss or provolone.

Due to the very thin wedge, this is what my slices looked like. Oops.

After the cauliflower has been roasting for 15 minutes, take it out of the oven and gently flip each steak. When I did this and saw the beautiful color of the cauliflower I actually yelled to my roommate, “I AM A CULINARY GODDESS!”

Let them bake for 8 more minutes, add the cheese, and let them bake for two more or until the cheese is melted.

At last, it is time for assembly. Lay the buns down and top the bottom bun with a spoonful of special sauce.

Layer one cauliflower patty, lettuce, onions, pickles.

Repeat. Top with more special sauce if desired.

Serve immediately and you’ll be lovin’ it!

 

The Bug Mac

Serves: 2

Level: Easy

Ingredients:

For the Cauliflower steaks:

1 head of cauliflower, sliced into two steaks, cut in half

1/8 cup olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 t salt

1/4 t black pepper

For the special sauce:

4 T mayonnaise

2 T ketchup

2 T pickle juice

1/8 t salt

1/4 t black pepper

For the burgers:

2 challah buns

1/4 lb cheese, sliced

1/4 cup lettuce, sliced

1 small white onion, diced

1 half large pickle, sliced

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toss the cauliflower steaks in olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes.

Combine mayonnaise, ketchup, pickle juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set in the fridge until it is time to assemble the burgers.

Flip the cauliflower steaks and roast for 8 additional minutes. Layer each steak with cheese and roast for 2 more minutes.

Assemble the burgers by layering special sauce, lettuce, onions, pickles, and cauliflower. Repeat. Serve immediately and enjoy!