Finally! McDonald’s Gets It Right With White Cheddar

As someone who's been customizing my fast food orders for years, I nearly jumped out of my seat when I read that McDonald's new Big Arch burger features three slices of white cheddar cheese. This might actually become a reality nationwide, and I couldn't be more excited as you may have heard this morning on Slater and Marjo.

For as long as I can remember, I've been that person at the drive-through asking for white cheese instead of yellow. Every. Single. Time. It's become my signature move – pulling up to the speaker and immediately launching into "can I get that with white cheese instead of the yellow?" The workers probably recognize my voice by now.

Why yellow?

So why do fast food chains default to that bright yellow American cheese anyway? It mostly comes down to consistency, cost, and shelf life. Yellow American cheese melts predictably, stays stable under heat lamps, and that artificial orange color (from annatto) became synonymous with "cheeseburger" in American fast food culture. It's also cheaper to produce at scale. But here's the thing – white cheddar actually tastes like cheese.

The fact that McDonald's chose white cheddar for the Big Arch tells me they're finally listening (my opinion). Real white cheddar has a sharper, more authentic flavor that doesn't taste like it came from a chemistry lab. It elevates the entire burger experience from "convenient meal" to something I'd actually crave - and I do crave double cheeseburgers often.

The reality

Currently, the Big Arch is only available at McDonald's headquarters restaurant in Chicago at 1035 W. Randolph Street, where they test new items before wider rollouts. This burger features two quarter-pound beef patties, three slices of white cheddar, regular and crispy onions, pickles, shredded lettuce, and a brand-new Big Arch Sauce.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this test goes well. -aol.com

If McDonald's makes the Big Arch permanent nationwide, it might finally end my years of Double Quarter Pounder customization requests. White cheddar as the default cheese? Now, I'll only have to ask for it plain!