Homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni is a perfect simple and filling meal. A kids classic turns into a culinary masterpiece that everybody is going to love.
Add a little kick and a little flavor to it and you have yourself the perfect dinner for the pickiest eaters.
I found this macaroni and cheese recipe over at Kevin & Amanda and it has quickly become one of our family’s favorite meals- mostly because my kids devour it.
It is easy to prepare- only takes about 20 minutes- and tastes amazing.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground beef
- Taco seasoning mix packet
- Diced tomatoes with green chilies (we used this Rotel)
- Beef broth
- Elbow macaroni
- Butter
- Flour
- Milk
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt
- Pepper
How to make Cheeseburger Macaroni
- Get out your large pan and brown up the ground beef until it is done. Then drain the grease and return the meat to the pan.
- Next, stir in the taco seasoning, tomatoes, beef broth, and uncooked macaroni noodles (no need to cook them ahead of time) and bring everything to a boil in the pan.
- Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat and cover the pan with a lid. Let it simmer for about 12-14 minutes or until the macaroni is tender.
- In another small saucepan, melt the butter.
- Once the butter has melted completely, add the flour and whisk it into the butter, continuing to cook and whisk it for another 4-5 minutes. It should become a light brown color.
- Now the butter and flour are brown, whisk in the milk, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Continue to whisk the butter and milk mixture until it begins to thicken up and is smooth. Then remove it from the heat.
- After you take the mixture off the heat, stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and stir it until the cheese is completely melted and combined.
- Then add in the salt and pepper to the cheese and mix everything together.
- Now, take the cheese sauce and pour it over the hamburger macaroni mixture and carefully stir everything together until it is combined well.
- Lastly, serve it and enjoy it!
Storing and FAQ’s
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave.
When browning ground beef, you will want to use a nonstick skillet or spray a skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Add the uncooked beef to the pan and cook over medium-high heat.
Use a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula to evenly break up the meat as it cooks. You could also use a spatula to break of the meat into small, evenly sized, pieces.
Cook until there is no pink left in the meat. Browning ground beef usually takes about 10-15 minutes.
Depending on the taco seasoning and the green chiles you buy, this could get a little spicy. We have found that to cool the spice, we mix in a little sour cream.
If you are looking for a healthier alternative, you could also use Greek yogurt.
If you have a few family members that don’t particularly love tomatoes, you could blend them up or use a little tomato sauce.
We recommend using sauce because it comes a little more flavored and salted than paste.
You could also use a little marinara sauce. However, changing up the ingredients might effect the consistency.
We recommend adding extra noodles or meat when leaving out the tomatoes and using a tomato substitute.
Serving Suggestions
Cheeseburger Macaroni
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning, or about 1 ounce
- 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis, (10 ounce can of Rotel)
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup elbow macaroni
Cheese Sauce
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp flour
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- Brown ground beef and drain grease.
- Stir in taco seasoning, tomatoes, beef broth, and macaroni and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover pan. Simmer 12-14 minutes until macaroni is tender.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
- Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking for 2-3 minutes until it becomes fragrant and starts to turn a light brown color.
- Whisk in the milk and bring to a boil. Whisk until smooth and mixture starts to thicken. Remove mixture from heat and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese until melted. Add the salt and pepper to the cheese sauce.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the hamburger mixture. Stir gently to combine.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
Thanks for linking to a Round Tuit!
Hope you have a great weekend!
Jill @ Creating my way to Success
http://www.jembellish.blogspot.com/