Big Mac Salad, Summerfest Milwaukee & Lena DeLaet Interview. Big Mac Salad is a low-carb/keto take on the classic McDonald’s burger — all the flavors without the bun or fries.
Join host Charlie and Lena DeLaet, Director of Sales for Summerfest and leader of Summerfest Tech, as they discuss Lena’s journey from a small town in Wisconsin to shaping Milwaukee’s biggest events.
Lena shares how Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. operates as a nonprofit, the evolution of Summerfest, and the community impact of Summerfest Tech.
You can also listen to the audio version of this episode here –
In the cooking segment, they prepare a lighter Big Mac Salad, showcasing a tasty, customizable twist on a classic favorite while highlighting the festival’s community-focused spirit and events.
The Core Idea of a Big Mac Salad
You’re essentially deconstructing a Big Mac into a salad bowl: seasoned ground beef, shredded lettuce, cheese, pickles, onion, and tomato, topped with a homemade “Big Mac sauce” dressing.
Big Mac Salad – Key Components
The Base Shredded iceberg lettuce is the most authentic choice — it mimics the texture of the burger’s lettuce. You can mix in romaine for more substance.
The Beef Ground beef (80/20) is seasoned simply with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cook it in crumbles, just like the burger patty broken up. Drain the fat well.
Big Mac Salad Toppings
- Diced dill pickles (essential — don’t skip)
- Finely diced white or yellow onion
- Diced tomato
- Shredded cheddar or American cheese
The Big Mac Sauce (the star). This is what makes or breaks it. A simple version:
- Mayonnaise
- French dressing or ketchup
- Sweet pickle relish
- Yellow mustard
- White wine vinegar
- Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika
Mix and let it sit for at least 15 minutes for the flavors to meld. It should be creamy, tangy, and slightly sweet.
Tips for the best Big Mac Salad
- Serve immediately once assembled — iceberg wilts fast once dressed
- Warm beef on cold lettuce is the classic approach; some prefer letting the beef cool slightly
- Add sesame seeds on top for a fun nod to the bun
- For meal prep, keep all components separate and assemble just before eating
- A little diced bacon is a popular add-on
It’s a genuinely satisfying dish — the sauce really does taste remarkably close to the real thing, and the pickle-to-lettuce ratio is everything.
Big Mac Salad
Materials
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 cups sweet potatoes chopped
- ½ onion diced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast optional, but adds great flavor!
- 1½ tsp onion powder
- 1½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- Lettuce mixes of romaine cabbage and iceberg
- 1 tomato chopped
- Bread and butter pickles chopped
Animal Style Special Sauce:
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp bread and butter pickles finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add avocado oil, and then add the onions and garlic.
- Sauté 2-3 minutes
- Add in the ground beef, mustard, tomato paste, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt.
- Break ground beef apart and cook it until it is no longer pink.
- Meanwhile, mix chopped sweet potatoes with 1 tsp of avocado oil and sprinkle with salt.
- In a separate bowl, mix all of the animal-style sauce ingredients and set aside.
To assemble:
- Add lettuce to your plate
- top with ground beef mixture,
- sweet potatoes, diced tomatoes, chopped pickles
- and add animal-style sauce
Video
Nutrition
Cooking Secrets for Men
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If you like this recipe, Big Mac Salad, you will also enjoy trying our other recipes. This is our recipe for Chilaquiles. Or maybe try Coq Au Vin with Julia Child. Or maybe you would like some Birria Tacos Jalisco Style in the Instant Pot.
Cooking Secrets for Men in the News
We have been fortunate enough to get positive publicity for our website, YouTube channel, and Social Media presence. Here are a few examples:
Our series, Cooking with Milwaukee Community Leaders, is featured in the “Milwaukee Magazine” May 2023 edition, “Civic Gastronomy”. Click here to read the full article.
A few days later, they were discussing me on the radio. It is a local Foodie show, “This Bites” on Radio Milwaukee 88.9, featuring dining critic Ann Christenson from Milwaukee Magazine and Radio Milwaukee’s resident foodie, Tarik Moody. My series, Cooking with Milwaukee Community Leaders, is in the show’s first few minutes.
“Cooking Secrets for Men” is on the list of the Top 20 Men’s Cooking Websites on the Internet. You can read that article here. See where we rank for Men’s Cooking Websites.
Cooking Secrets for Men is now on the list of Milwaukee’s Top 50 Foodie Influencers on Instagram.
More Articles
Here is a recent interview I did with North Shore Family Adventures here in Milwaukee
We were featured in a Redfin article! Check it out here: Designing the Perfect Kitchen for Home Cooks.
Shepherd Express (Milwaukee) article on our Cooking with Milwaukee Community Leaders show – you can read that article here: Massaman Curry
Good Counsel HS (My Alma Mater) Magazine article about Cooking Secrets for Men – you can read that article here.
Meet Charlie DeSando – featured in the “Voyage Tampa” article, available to read here.
CanvasRebel Magazine Interview, available here.
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Very tasty and easy