Homemade Cheeseburger macaroni is just about as easy as the boxed mix with lots of cheesy homemade flavor. Best of all, it’s on the table in less than 30 minutes!
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights For Cheeseburger Macaroni
- Flavor: On the table in less than 30 minutes, the homemade version of Hamburger Helper has an easy seasoned cheese sauce.
- Recipe tip: Once the pasta is cooked, remove it from the heat before adding the cheese. This keeps the cheese from separating.
- Recommended tools: I love this meat chopper for cooking ground meat.
- Budget tip: Add extra pasta and sauce to stretch it even further. This recipe can also be made with less meat.
- Time-Saving Tip: Pre-shredded cheese can be used in this recipe, the sauce will not be quite as smooth, but still delicious.
Ingredients for Cheeseburger Macaroni
- Ground Beef – Choose lean ground beef and drain off any fat after cooking. Substitute with ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Sauce – The pasta is simmered with seasonings in chicken broth and milk until tender. Beef broth can be substituted, but we find chicken broth to give the best flavor.
- Cheese – Once the pasta is tender, stir in the cheese. A bold cheese like sharp cheddar cheese adds the most flavor. Try any cheese, but be sure at least one has a sharp, bold flavor.
Variations
- Swap the milk for light cream for extra creaminess or stir in a little sour cream or Greek yogurt before serving for a little tang.
- Change up the seasonings with a tablespoon of tomato paste or 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard.
- Add fresh vegetables like onion, celery, or tomatoes.
Serving Suggestions and Storage
There are a variety of flavors of Hamburger Helper; this version is a copycat cheeseburger macaroni recipe. I like to serve it with a simple and colorful side dish to complement the cheesy, meaty richness. Try steamed broccoli or peas and carrots.
- Cheeseburger macaroni will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Add a little bit of milk when reheating if needed.
- Store for up to 4 months in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.
Easy One Pot Ground Beef Dinners
Did your family enjoy this Homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ cup finely diced onion or 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cups milk
- 1 ¼ cup chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups elbow macaroni
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ¾ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, garlic powder, sugar, salt, paprika, and pepper. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the ground beef and onion, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains. Drain any excess fat.
- Add milk, broth, and uncooked elbow macaroni to the beef. Stir the cornstarch and spice mixture. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to a gentle boil, cover and cook for 9-12 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through, stirring occasionally. If needed, add more broth or water.
- Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted. Serve hot.
Video
Notes
- Depending on the brand of pasta and the size of the pan, you may need a little bit more or less liquid. Add extra broth or water as needed.
- Mild cheddar doesn’t have enough flavor for this dish.
- Remove the skillet from the heat before adding the cheese.
- For a little extra kick, add a dash of hot sauce, or some red pepper flakes.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Casserole, Dinner, Entree, Lunch, Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
This looks delicious and can’t wait to try! I can’t have corn starch – is there a substitution? I’m assuming the corn starch is to thicken the sauce? Would a flour/water slurry work?
The cornstarch does thicken so a flour slurry should work in place. You will need 2 tablespoons of flour to replace 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Let us know how it goes!
Thank you Holly for all your wonderful recipes! Especially this one! I prefer no tomato anything
and this obviously fills the bill. Keep up the good work. Even when I am searching the web I usually end up on your site.
Ruth H.
So happy you enjoyed it, Ruth! Thank you for supporting our recipes
After making this as other comments found it bland and in need of more seasoning. Other comparable recipes have added tomato paste which I’ll try next time.
Sorry to hear you didn’t love this recipe as much as we do, Jeff!
Being from south Louisiana, I am used to flavor. This was very bland, even after adding red pepper as the author suggested. It’s a very easy recipe to follow, but if you like your food to have some flavor, add some Tony Chacherie’s creole seasoning and velveeta queso cheese. It comes out great with these additions!
You added the queso in the end? How much?
I would add it in step 5 and would measure with my heart! ❤️ You can keep adding in more queso until you get the consistency you like.
Wow! This recipe is delish! I love Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Mac BUT I don’t like the whopping sodium level and other ‘stuff’ that those boxed dinners have in them. Absolutely perfect, as is, but next time I’ll add some sautéed sweet peppers and chopped tomatoes too! Thank you for this keeper!
Loved this Recipe as a base after tasting though I did add a little more seasoning and added a few Tbl of tomato paste.
Great recipe and it makes a lot. I added the 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard which gave it a extra flavor
THis was so good! We tasted it before mixing in the cheese, and was really yummy as well! We will have it again soon. Nice weekday filling dinner.
Absolutely delicious! I used gluten free elbows, onion powder instead of onions (for my kids), and added half a can of petite diced tomatoes. This was really delicious and my picky boys ate it and liked it!
Love this. I have made it before following the recipe. Today, I used queso cheese. Wow, my family loved it even more.
Quick and easy and the kids loved it. Doesn’t get better than that.
Hollie, this is the first time ever I’ve commented. I subscribe to your recipes and they are definitelyNd consistently the best home cooking which should be within the reach of most home cooks.
I’ve been cooking since first started making supper at fourteen years of age because my mom had a day job. I’m now 77 yrs hold and have basically cooked every meal, every day, raising a large family on our dairy farm.
Meanwhile, back to the cheeseburger Mac and cheese. This is a Classic! How can anyone go wrong? Taste and check for seasonings as you go. If it’s too bland , add seasonings. If it’s too dry, add liquid, if it’s too wet add a more pasta or whatever!
But for heavens sakes folks, please don’t criticize Hollies recipes simply because it’s not seasoned to your liking. Nobody has the same tastes. I do believe she has the patience of a saint considering some of the criticism heaped her way.
And as for the lady whose son spit it out after tasting a mouthful, I do hope she has left him to his own devices when it comes to meal prep. Shameful way to treat a mom!
Hi Grammie, I’m so happy to hear that you’re loving this homemade hamburger helper recipe! You’ve got plenty of great cooking experience, and it means a lot to me. Thank you for your comment.
Thank you Grammie! So sick of the negative /rude remarks. You are spot on- add something to make it to your liking and hush the remarks!
I am 60 4 kids- learned what to make it work along the way!!!
I read the remarks and get so mad sometimes!
We need to Lighten up world!!! ✌
I had one pound of ground beef I didn’t know what I wanted to do with. Got this recipe in my e-mail today so I made it. It was so good and easy. Love this.
This sounds good!
My husband and I really like this one Holly. Thank you for the comfort food!
Made this for the first time tonight. It was delicious, we did find we had to add just a little salt and pepper, which really brought out the flavor of that sharp cheddar! The kids said it is definitely something I need to make again!
I’m speaking for my own stove and pans here. This was so good. I did have to add another cup of broth. I did not use sugar. I added probably 2 tablespoons ketchup and 30 dashes (who is counting !!) Worcestershire sauce with the milk and broth. Added green pepper and fresh garlic . It took about 1/2 hour on the stove, stirring occasionally. Topped with the cheese. It was yum yum. Ate too much lol ! Love your recipes and ideas!
Cathy, since you did not follow the recipe, all you did was leave a comment about your own recipe.
I for one am glad you posted your changes because that is one of the reasons, I read the reviews. Gives me ideas and I like what you did so I will be trying it your way.
easy enough recipie but desperately needs more seasoning in the way if garlic powder, more salt, ect…will make again but will definitely adjust the seasonings.
Ah ha! In the end, i did do it with mushrooms, and it came out pretty good!
Did Daly get left out of this recipe?
Definitely needs some, at least a half teaspoon.
Good quick dinner for busy evening.
what is ‘Daly’?
I was wondering the same thing. I’m assuming she meant “salt” looking at the QWERTY keyboard, she just I guess doesn’t ever proofread what she types.