This homemade cheeseburger macaroni recipe is made with whole, clean ingredients, tastes better than the boxed stuff and is ready in 20 minutes!
Sometimes it’s those simple comforts that hit the spot best.
I grew up in health-conscious home where things like Hamburger Helper were only served on very rare occasions. Ā And I’m grateful for a mom who took the time to cook healthy, wholesome meals for her family. Ā I now do the same. Ā But on those rare occasions we certainly enjoyed those quick, less-than-healthy meals. Ā Let’s face it, they taste pretty good. Ā I specifically recollect those moments of eating Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni and Tuna Casserole. Ā Probably because it was so infrequent.
So here is a version of it you can eat and enjoy without any worry about of the nasty ingredients that typically accompany pre-prepared foods.
Like this ingredient list below from Hamburger Helper’s Cheeseburger Macaroni – you don’t have to worry about any of those items I’ve emphasized in bold:
“Enriched Macaroni (wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Corn Starch, Salt, Enriched Flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Sugar, Ricotta Cheese* (whey, milkfat, lactic acid, salt), Tomato*, Monosodium Glutamate, Maltodextrin, Citric Acid, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Modified Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Paprika, Spice, Color (yellow lakes 5 & 6, yellows 5 & 6), Mono and Diglycerides, Cheddar Cheese* (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), Yeast Extract, Enzyme Modified Blue Cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), Cream, Whey, Enzyme Modified Cheddar Cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), Butter Oil, Nonfat Milk, Blue Cheese* (milk, salt, cheese cultures, enzymes), Sodium Caseinate, Silicon Dioxide (anticaking agent), Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Calcium Caseinate, Enzymes.*Dried”
Now compare that with our ingredient list:
“Macaroni, beef, onions, tomatoes, avocado oil, spices, sugar, flour, milk, beef broth, cheddar cheese”
And that’s including the out-of-box ingredients of beef, milk and broth.
With a clean list of ingredients you can feel good about what you’re feeding your family. Ā Our kids love this cheeseburger macaroni and I don’t have to worry about what’s in it.
Ready for the table in 20 minutes, there simply is NO good reason to every buy the packaged stuff again!
Ready to get cooking?
Let’s get started!
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef until no pink remains.
Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste and add the seasonings and flour.
Add the milk and beef broth and stir.
Stir in the macaroni.
Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low.
Cover and simmer 10-12 minutes or until the macaroni is done. Ā I prefer mine a little al dente and check after 9 minutes.
Add the cheese.
Stir until the cheese is melted.
For serving you can garnish it with a little chopped fresh parsley if you like.
Dinner is served.
Enjoy!
PIN ME!
For a fun and tasty variation for autumn, try our Pumpkin Mac and Cheese!
BEST Homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni (Hamburger Helper Copycat)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 small onion ,finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour (Gluten Free: dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in the beef broth)
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 3/4 cup natural non-MSG beef broth
- 2 cups dried whole wheat elbow macaroni pasta
- (Gluten Free: Use GF Macaroni)
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef until no pink remains. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, seasonings and flour. Pour in the milk and broth and stir. Stir in the macaroni.
- Bring to a boil then reduce to medium-low, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the macaroni is done. For al dente check after 9 minutes.
- Stir in the Cheddar cheese until melted.
- Serve immediately garnished with some chopped fresh parsley if desired.
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Tamara says
This recipe is delicious and tastes just like Hamburger Helper only much better. This is a great comforting dish that’s perfect anytime. This is definitely a new favorite.
Kimberly Killebrew says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Tamara, thank you!
Mel says
Tasted just like hamburger helper from the box :(
Mike says
Wow. So easy and so good. I was shocked to see how good it looked, smelled and tasted even without the cheese. Great recipe.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Fantastic, Mike, thank you so much!
Gloria W says
Glad I tried your recipe!! I didn’t have all of the ingredients so I used BBQ sauce instead of tomato paste and omitted the sugar. Instead of chili powder I doubled the paprika. I can’t cut up fresh onions because my eyes are too sensitive. So I used 3 generous tablespoons of dried onion and omitted the powdered onion. Replaced broth with water. I used a package of gluten free mac and cheese mix from Aldi which had just a cup of dried pasta, so I added another cup of dried GF pasta. Cooked as you directed although the boxed pasta took longer to cook so I had to add two cups extra of water. Added the package of soft cheese from the mix and about 2/3 cup of shredded sharp Cheddar. Even with all of these changes it was quite tasty. You wouldn’t have known there was BBQ sauce in it. We had seconds.
Kathi says
Loved this recipe thank you. I am really glad I found it.
I had cheese. Pasta. And ground beef I had to cook by today and I was really not sure what to make. I went through a lot of recipes and decided on yours. I am really glad I did. I had to use chicken broth because I didnāt have beef so I think it would have been āricherā if I had, but thatās because of me.
So I look forward to making it again next time with beef broth :)
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you so much, Kathi, I’m happy you chose this and enjoyed it!
Irene says
I forgot to rate the recipe in my review (posted a moment ago). Definitely 5 stars! My husband and I loved how this turned out. It was delicious!
Irene says
I made this for dinner last night and served it with a green salad. I followed your recipe to the letter; I even added the sugar even though I normally omit it. This turned out so good. My husband and I enjoyed it immensely. It brought back childhood memories for for both of us. I’ll be making this again! Thank you for sharing your recipe. It really is a winner!
Kimberly Killebrew says
I’m so glad, Irene!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave feedback!
Meg Kelly says
I made this dish for family..We all loved it, so delicious. Thank you very much. Looking forward to all other recipes. Regards Meg
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thanks so much, Meg, I’m happy it was a family hit!
Anonymous says
Just made this and it is phenomenal. Grown up comfort food.
Elle says
Thank you for this recipe! My kids gobbled it up! I think Iāll cut the sugar a little bit since it was a bit sweeter than Iād like but other than that, itās a keeper! I like I know exactly what went into it instead of those ultra-processed box kits. A dash of Tabasco on my portion and it was good for mom too :)
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thanks so much, Elle, I’m happy it was a hit!
Jennifer says
SO GOOD! Easy to make, and my son loved it. He had it for lunch 3 days in a row.
Kimberly Killebrew says
YESSS!!! That brings a smile to my face knowing your son loved it so much :) Thanks so much for the feedback, Jennifer!
Kathi says
I haven’t been able to eat Hamburger Helper for over 20 years because they use MSG. I was happily surprised to see that you use a non-MSG bouillon beef base. Loved this dish, but cut it in half since there is only me. As one of the other reviewers said – this is comfort food at it best. And with a green salad and garlic bread – a complete meal. Thanks so much for posting.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you so much for the feedback, Kathi, I’m thrilled that you made and enjoyed it! <3
Anonymous says
Boyfriend loved this recipe. I served with green beans and the whole meal was a hit. Love how simple this was to make, this will be a staple moving forward. Very cost effective and can feed a large crowd.
Corinne Zawadzki says
I have an easier way that Iāll be sticking too.
Nancy says
Was that comment really necessary? She is kind enough to show us her recipe, just thank her. Sheesh!
Anonymous says
How about you elaborate
R Ehrke says
Made this for dinner tonight. I followed the recipe and didnāt substitute anything. It was really good, Iāll definitely make this again.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you so much! :)