The Internet Is Disturbed By A DIY McDonald's Casserole
If you've ever found yourself deep within the rabbit hole called social media, you have likely encountered some pretty strange food concoctions. After all, this is where many of the most bizarre 21st century culinary trends are born, even the weird ones. Especially the weird ones!
Some of you may remember a YouTube video way back in 2009 that featured Charles Phoenix's new creation, the cherpumple, nicknamed the "Monster Pie-Cake" — a dessert trifecta of apple pie, pumpkin pie, and cherry pie all nestled into three shades of cake. Sure, that was a mind-blowing concoction at the time. However, as the years have passed, we've grown used to the idea of a cherpumple. After all, TikTok has introduced the world to Janelle & Kate's sink mac and cheese, Michael Ligier's viral Kool-Aid Fried Chicken, and Angelo Coassin's strange espresso and orange juice combo. But, just when you think you've seen it all, the internet slaps you in the face with another seemingly inedible eat.
This is exactly what happened when Padma Lakshmi encountered a mega-caloric fast food casserole on Twitter.
This casserole is likely your heart's worst enemy
When Padma Lakshmi encountered Ben Palmer's tweet about a bizarre casserole, she simply had to retweet it, saying she was "disturbed, concerned, upset, unwell," adding that she couldn't watch the video to the end. Who could blame her, though?
The video starts with a "chef" — this term is used loosely — covering the bottom of a foil roasting pan with an army of Big Macs which are then covered in a layer of McDonald's french fries. Mm, nutritious. The chef then smothers this in a layer of pancake syrup, followed by tomato sauce and two whole pounds of shredded cheddar cheese, and presses it all down. But this chef is nowhere near finished, though. After adding strips of regular bacon, rounds of Canadian bacon, more syrup, and a layer of McChicken sandwiches without the buns — apparently, you must use the lettuce and sauce, though — more tomato sauce, they then add a topping of processed cheese slices. The entire mess goes in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. So how does it taste? No one knows. The video doesn't say. But one thing's for sure: this DIY McDonald's casserole is definitely not healthy.
With each Big Mac boasting 550 calories and 30 grams of fat and the McChickens having 400 calories with 21 grams of fat (via McDonald's website), this casserole isn't exactly a healthy choice. Add the two types of bacon, the sugary syrup, and all that cheese, and you've got an artery-exploding dish unfit for human consumption. No wonder Lakshmi was shocked.