BEST Homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni
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This homemade cheeseburger macaroni recipe is made with whole, clean ingredients, tastes better than the boxed stuff and is ready in 20 minutes! It’s both a family favorite and a favorite among our readers. We’re confident you’ll love it as much as we do!
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. And I’m grateful for a mom who took the time to cook healthy, wholesome meals for her family. I now do the same. But on those rare occasions we certainly enjoyed those quick, less-than-healthy meals. Let’s face it, they taste pretty good. I specifically recollect those moments of eating Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni and Tuna Casserole. 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. 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!
Cheeseburger Macaroni Recipe
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. 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.
Enjoy!
For a fun and tasty variation for autumn, try our Pumpkin Mac and Cheese!
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BEST Homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni
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 quality 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.
Video
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet February 19, 2016
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
you should specify whether or not it is 2 cups of pasta (16 oz) by weight or by volume. I added the whole box and it was way too much. It didn’t ruin the dish, but it sure would be alot better if i knew how much pasta to actually add.
2 cups is 8 oz
2 cups is not 8 oz.
2 cups is 16 oz.
:-)
2 cups is the amount by volume. I don’t understand why you would confuse whether it was by weight or volume. The recipe is quite clear.
I NEVER actually comment …but this recipe was so good that I had to. Yeah sure, it’s not, you know, broccoli and asparagus healthy but if you’re wanting something like hamburger helper, this is way better for your family than the preservatives in the box food. I had everything I needed in my pantry except avocado oil but I just omitted it because my beef cooked down with plenty of oil which I then drained off. The flavor is amazing!!! (I used a home made chili powder without preservatives also.)
I didn’t have enough cheddar cheese so I tried a portion of it mixed with cheddar cheese (and I like that better). To finish the whole recipe I added some monterey jack, which was delicious also and made it more like homemade mac and cheesey. I preferred the tartness of the sharp cheddar only, but both have their place.
Will use again and share!!
Home-made cookin mama approves!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Andrea, and appreciate the feedback – thank you!
I searched all the google images for DIY hamburger helper and yours looked the best! My husband is currently preparing this while I read the recipe to him. I love to cook and I can tell this is going to be a winner already, and my kids are soooo excited! As a mom with celiac disease, I really appreciate the gluten-free ingredient swaps. Instead of the corn starch to thicken we used arrow root, which I think can be used one to one to replace corn starch. I do still use corn starch at times, though, because it’s much cheaper. Thanks for the great recipe!
Wonderful, Kate, thanks so much for the feedback and I hope your family enjoys dinner tonight!
My family is currently in England and it’s raining and kind of cold…in June, so I was feeling terribly homesick. This will surely hit the spot tonight. Thank you for sharing.
Funny thing, Julie, we’re in England right now as well on our family vacation :) Today was going to be a beach day for the kids but the weather made a 180 and it’s been rainy, cold and windy all day. This cheeseburger macaroni would definitely have hit the spot for us, too :)
Very good, I had to use a little spaghetti sauce in the can instead of tomato paste because I didn’t have any, along with extra sugar and a little extra water (I doubled the recipe and I think I put too many macaronis lol so I needed more liquid. After doubling, I realized I probably didn’t need to, since it’s so much I can probably end starvation in third world countries lol… Great recipe thank you! I wish I would have had the ingredients to make it exactly the same!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Tanya, thank you!
Wow this was great! Eating it now :) Found this recipe last week and have been looking forward to making it and it did not disappoint! Way better than boxed hamburger helper (I should know, I ate tons as a kid). This is ridiculously good. I had to add salt at the end, but I may not have added all the salt I was supposed to while cooking. Thank you SO much – it’s crazy how someone I’ll never meet fed me such an awesome dinner :)
Lol, Kelly, it was my pleasure :) I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
I love hamburger helper, but I hate its long, complicated list of ingredients. I figured this recipe would be a good substitute/alternative to the boxed stuff, but this is soooo much better! It has way more flavor, better texture, and a much better (not artificial) taste. I’ll never go back to the boxed kind again!
Hi, can I use the whole box of pasta?
Hi Amy, the liquid and spices in this recipe are calculated for 2 cups of pasta. If you use more pasta you’ll have to adjust the liquid and seasonings accordingly.