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. Â And I’m grateful for a mom who took the time to cook healthy, wholesome meals for her family. Â I now do the same. Â But on those rare occasions we certainly enjoyed those quick, less-than-healthy meals. Â Let’s face it, they taste pretty good. Â I specifically recollect those moments of eating Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni and Tuna Casserole. Â 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. Â 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. Â 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!
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
Foodiewife says
It was chilly, a couple days ago, so I made your recipe. The only thing I did, was to add some Worcestershire sauce. Wow! This was super duper easy to make, and my husband loved it. It brought back childhood memories for both of us. It was even better, then next day, as my work lunch. Thank you for such a great recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so sorry for the delayed response, your comment somehow ended up in spam. I’m thrilled that you both enjoyed this, thanks you!
Meagan says
I started making homemade hamburger helper a while ago and I will never go back! I love your recipe! I added diced red and yellow peppers, some smoked paprika, and cumin. I also omitted the sugar. It was so delicious and provides so much more food than the box. Thanks for the great recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Meagan, thank you!
Sara says
Had to thank you as I make this at least once a month. The recipe doubles very well to feed my five growing boys and my hamburger helper loving husband. It’s fast and easy to make which helps this busy mom out a lot. I try to always have these staples on hand so I can whip this up on nights that are hectic. The meal goes a long way for the cost. That it is healthier as well is icing on the cake!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Sara! I’m happy to hear this has become a family favorite, thanks so much for the feedback!
Valerie says
Thanks so much for a great home made recipe of a childhood favorite! We’ve made a few small changes and it was oh so tasty and very filling! We didn’t have avocado oil and omitted oil entirely (we never brown our ground beef with oil as it always produces enough while cooking). I always like to add more veggies in a recipe wherever I can so we added some finely chopped celery and yellow pepper to the meat at the same time as the onion, and also added some baby spinach that we had left in the fridge when it was time to add the cheese (we used old cheddar). Our onion powder was beyond expired so we simply didn’t add any but just used a larger fresh onion instead.
Love the flavours of the seasoning, and loved that we were able to control the salt and sugar in this recipe (as opposed to the boxed Hamburger Helper). Thanks again! This is now bookmarked in our favorites! :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Valerie, thanks so much for the feedback!
Lisa says
I made this:) it was great. The seasoning blend was perfect. I’ve never had hamburger helper but so I can’t compare however, this is a great comfort food that kids will like. I didn’t have a whole pound of ground beef so I used half crimini mushrooms put through a processor. I omitted the sugar and a tablespoon flour and it was still great and flavorful. I also used a cup of mozzarella and a cup cheddar. Just because that’s what I had. With the variations it was awesome so you can still make this without having to run to the store for certain ingredients
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s awesome, Lisa, thanks so much for the feedback! Agreed, this recipe is very conducive to substitutions and the ground mushrooms were a nice call.
Wendy says
Do you have to use avacodo oil? I have everything but that.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Wendy, no that’s definitely not a must. I just personally use and recommend it because it has the highest smoke point for frying. You can use any oil you like. Happy cooking!
Trixie says
I made this recipe in my Instant Pot. The advantage to using the electric pressure cooker is a shortened cook time. Totally delish and simple!! I shared leftovers with my co-workers and they enjoyed it as well!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, thanks so much for the feedback, Trixie!
teresa says
Hi Trixie, how many minutes did you set your instant pot for? did you use the same amount of liquids that the recipe calls for? thank you kindly!
Brenda says
Made this tonight for my crazy picky 14 month old. He didn’t throw it all at the dog, so this counts as a win in my book! Thanks for sharing!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Brenda, I don’t know how I missed your comment but I’m glad I finally saw it – thank you! I’m so glad it passed your little one’s inspection :)
Gayle says
I made this recipe this evening. It came out a little bland. The instructions don’t call for draining the hamburger – I did. Is that where I went wrong? Any suggestions for spicing it up? Thank you.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Gayle, the fat is where a lot of the flavor is, yes, but draining it wouldn’t make the dish less spicy. If you prefer your food spicier you’ll need to add something like cayenne pepper or hot sauce.
Cherry Fraser says
The best ever! Made this gluten free. So good! Thank you for sharing!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
You’re welcome, Cherry, I’m so glad you liked it, thank you!
Sara says
Love this! This tastes spot on to what I remember eating as a kid! Best part is, my son loves it too! Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, thank you, Sara!
Jada says
Is the cheddar cheese used for this; sharp, medium or mild?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jada, any of them will work equally well, it just comes down to personal preference. I like strong cheeses so I usually keep my fridge stocked with sharp cheddar.
Lisa says
I came across your recipe on Facebook, made it for the family and they LOVE it! Now I am having to double the recipe so the husband and kids can have leftovers for lunch the next day! Everyone loves it right down to my 2 year old grandson.
One thing my daughter and I did notice was that when you double this recipe the noodle stay more the correct size unlike the boxed version when you try to cook two boxes the noodle get all funky.
Great recipe, thank you so much!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s terrific, Lisa, I’m thrilled to hear it, thank you!
SKH says
When substituting turkey for the ground beef, should I replace the beef stock with water or chicken stock?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Chicken stock. Happy cooking!
Nancy says
There are other homemade hamburger helper recipes out there but your photos and easy recipe got me hooked in and this was such comfort food for everyone. Kiddies absolutely love it and my three year old loves to help with seasoning and the cheese part. Thanks!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s terrific, Nancy, and it’s really awesome that you’re involving your kids in the cooking – thanks for the feedback!