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!
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
Rita Tellier says
Would you please tell me if there is ANY beef anything in the Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni? I cannot have any beef at all and I have a recipe for turkey & broccoli using the cheeseburger macaroni. Thanks so much.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Rita, are you talking about the store-bought boxed stuff? No, that has no beef it in, the ground beef needs to be purchased separately. You might want to the check the list of ingredients though to see if there is any beef broth powder in it.
Clarissa says
Wow. I searched for different imitation recipes of hamburger helper but I am so glad i chose this one. I knew it would taste good but I didn’t know it would be this good! Thanks so much. Also, I did half regular cheddar and the other half a spicy cheddar recommended by my cheese guy and it was awesome. I love how workable this recipe is.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
So awesome, Clarissa, thank you!
Lisa G. says
This was delicious and so easy to make! I had all of the ingredients on hand. I agree that this tastes so much better than the box version but has enough similarity to it so that you can recognize what the recipe is modeled after. The healthy part is a great bonus! Thanks for posting such a great recipe and I will definitely be adding this to our family meals!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Lisa, thanks so much!
Jessica E Schmitke says
I don’t know how many times I have used this recipe, but it’s a fav in our household. My mother used to make us “goulash” which is the same, except she cooked the pasta separate, then mixed together. I love doing it all in one pot though. As long as the pasta to liquid ratios are the same, the flavour combinations are endless.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Jessica, thanks so much!
Mamaof4 says
This is awesome!Kids and hubby love it! I added a couple things which is another reason I love it…so versatile! I siced up a red pepper and added cilantro and Worcestershire sauce. Amazing!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Mama, thanks so much!
Judy Halvorsen says
This was excellent! Easy and so delicious, will be making this again!
Mad Ethel says
I didn’t find this recipe expensive because I had everything in my kitchen already and just needed a way to utilize it all. Tastes great! 👍🏽
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Ethel, thank you!
Cristina Daniels says
I would like to try this but with whole wheat pasta. Would I need to make any changes to the recipe? Also would 2% milk work?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Christina, yes to both and no other changes are necessary.
Annie L. says
Would you believe I’ve made this twice in the last week, lol? My family keeps requesting it! Thanks for such a delicious recipe!
Trisha Fjord says
We love this recipe so much, it’s become a family favorite!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Trisha, thank you!
Katie Wise says
My eight year old boy loves this recipe so much – he always asks for it. We use gluten-free noodles, gluten-free flour and we use a homemade cashew milk made with cashews that have been soaked, and Brewers yeast and coconut milk which actually makes the whole thing non-dairy except for the grated cheese which we love and can’t resist.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Katie, I’m so glad he enjoys it and thanks for the info on the substitutions!
Mary Beth Elderton says
OMGoodness! This is so good! I had to make a modification this time—I used all beef broth rather than milk, just because I am out of milk. It is slightly different, but still wonderful! Thank You!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Mary Beth, thanks so much!
Frank Trapanese says
I love this! I have used this recipe many times and it is just wonderful. Thank you so much!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Frank!
sue hilinski says
perfect. thank you!
Delaney says
Can I freeze this to heat up at a later date for dinner?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Delaney, yes you can!