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.
Video
Nutrition
Mara Markzon says
Can I use Skim or 2% milk instead?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Mara, yes you can use either.
Melissa says
I do not like hamburger helper but I liked this my family is going to love it 5 stars!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Melissa, thank you!
Karin says
OMG! This was AMAZING! My favorite meal many years ago was Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni. About 15 years ago, the taste changed and it just wasn’t good anymore. THIS!!! THIS is better than the old HH! This recipe is going into our normal rotation.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome!! I’m so happy to hear that, Karin, thank you!
Kirk Carpenter says
Homemade healthy, thank you for sharing! The kids and I love it for a weeknight quick meal. We do like to use Protein Pasta to try to reduce some carbs. Add 1/2 to 3/4 Cup chopped Hamburger Dill Pickle slices. Brings a tanginess to the flavor profile that is absolutely fantastic and reminiscent of a Deluxe Pub Burger!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you and your kids enjoyed it, Kirk, thank you! And great idea about the dill pickles, I’ll have to give that a try!
Kimberly Morris says
Wonderful
Frank says
If doubling this would you double everything? Including milk and broth?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Frank, yes, double everything. Happy cooking!
Anonymous says
Is it 1 and 3/4 cups broth or 3/4 cups?
Merry White says
Very tasty and very easy!
Samanthalynn says
Can u use tuna instead of hamburger ?will it still taste good cuz I’m hungry but I only have tuna
Heidi says
Have a question. Can this recipe be made and frozen in individual servings? It looks delicious and just what I was looking for, but I would need to freeze the leftovers. Thank you.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Heidi, yes it can be frozen but pasta can be tricky to freeze – it should be cooked just until it’s al dente otherwise it can turn mushy when it’s frozen and reheated.
Kelly says
I made this a few months ago and loved it, forgot to write a review until I decided I wanted to make it again today. This is SO good. Tastes better than the boxed version, which is more important to me than preservatives, ha! :) Thank you for such a great recipe! I had told my sister about this and sheās been requesting it, so youāll probably have another raving review from her after we make it today!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s fantastic, Kelly, thanks so much and thanks also for passing the link on to your sister! :)
Vince Zecchinelli says
Every time my wife goes on a trip to visit her daughter for a few days I always try and have a different “special” meal for her when she gets home. I peruse the internet looking for ideas and am very glad I stumbled across your recipe. This was a major hit. Thanks so much for sharing.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad it was a hit, Vince, thank you! And what a lovely tradition you have creating nice meals for your wife upon her return – well done!
Jenna says
Hello I am making this right now and I used quinoa and chickpea noodles and itās very watery :( the flavor is delicious though! Any tips on how to thicken this up without loosing the wonderful flavor? I prefer to use the noodles I mentioned maybe thatās a factor in why it isnāt thickening.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jenna, you can thicken it with cornstarch dissolved in a little water. Yes, it’s most likely the noodles not absorbing as much water as wheat noodles or GF rice noodles do.
Nichole says
Very good. I used ground Turkey meat, and organic chicken broth. I also shredded my own cheddar cheese from block cheese. This type of cheese has Less ingredients then bagged cheese. This was so good. Clean eating yummy dinner.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Nichole, thank you!
Femke says
I’ve made this so many times, amazing recipe!