This hamburger mac and cheese is a weeknight staple in our house. Cheeseburger macaroni is a delicious, easy, and hearty recipe that adults and kids both love. Homemade Hamburger Helper is a great meal to make with pantry staples, and I’m sure your family will love it as much as mine does!
Hamburger Mac and Cheese
This hamburger mac and cheese casserole is totally giving me cheeseburger on a plate vibes. Creamy cheeseburger macaroni is so delicious and so easy to make, even on busy weeknights.
It’s made with tender macaroni pasta that’s tossed through a meaty, cheesy sauce, and coated in melty cheese on top. There’s tons of flavor thanks to the ketchup, Dijon mustard, sauteed onions, and fresh garlic. The sauce gets its creaminess from a combination of whole milk and sour cream, which really brings the flavor to the next level.
This recipe is quick and easy to get to the table, and my family devoured it. The leftovers would also make a great school lunch!
Ingredients
Macaroni: This shape of pasta holds onto sauces really well, which makes every single bite deliciously creamy and flavorful.
Ground Beef: I prefer using lean ground beef in this dish because it adds flavor and protein, but it’s low enough in fat that it doesn’t make the dish overly rich, greasy, or fatty.
Onion and Garlic: These aromatics add depth of savory flavor and a hint of sweetness to this dish.
Cheddar Cheese: Sharp cheddar cheese melts beautifully, which makes it great for dishes like this one. It also has a little bit of a tangy flavor, which helps the flavor of this dish feel more balanced and not too rich.
Whole Milk and Sour Cream: These two ingredients combine to give the sauce a creamy base. Using milk makes the sauce pourable, while adding in sour cream adds a little bit of tang and richness to the sauce. The two work together to make the perfect creamy sauce.
Ketchup, Dijon Mustard, and Worcestershire Sauce: The combination of these three condiments give the sauce the perfect flavor balance between sweet, tangy, savory, and umami.
Salt, Pepper, and Paprika: Salt enhances all of the other flavors in this dish, the spice in pepper helps balance out the richness in the dish, and paprika adds a warming flavor.
Alternative Ingredients
- Meat: Feel free to swap ground beef for ground turkey or chicken. Crumbled crispy bacon bits sprinkled on top would also add a delicious flavor.
- Cheese: Instead of sharp cheddar, you could try pepper jack for a little extra heat, smoked gouda for a richer flavor, or pizza mozzarella for a milder flavor.
- Pasta: Elbow macaroni is the classic pasta choice for this dish, but shells, rotini, or even orzo will also work.
How To Make Hamburger Mac and Cheese
Boil Pasta: Bring salted water to a boil and cook the elbow macaroni until al dente. Drain and set aside. (See the recipe card below for the full printable instructions.)
Brown Beef: Heat a Dutch oven on the stove, then add ground beef, and break it into crumbles as it cooks. Drain any excess fat once it’s nearly browned.
Add Onion and Garlic: Stir in chopped onion and saute until softened. Add minced garlic and saute briefly until aromatic.
Make Sauce: Mix in most of the cheese, plus the milk, sour cream, ketchup, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper, and paprika into the beef mixture until fully combined.
Add Pasta: Fold in the cooked macaroni, coating it evenly.
Simmer: Keep the heat low and stir occasionally until the cheese melts and the sauce is creamy. Add a splash of milk or extra sour cream if needed.
Finish: Remove from the heat, top with the remaining cheese, and let it rest before serving. See the recipe card below for the full written instructions, including ingredient amounts, cooking times, and helpful tips, etc.
Pro Tips
- Brown The Meat Thoroughly: This lets the beef develop a deeper flavor before adding the other ingredients.
- Use Freshly Shredded Cheese: It melts more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese does, which makes the sauce velvety smooth.
- Adjust Consistency As Needed: If the sauce looks too thick, stir in a splash of milk or an extra spoonful of sour cream until it’s creamy.
- Let It Rest: This both gives the flavors a chance to develop and settle, and makes it easier to serve.
What Meat Goes Best In Mac and Cheese?
My two favorite options are salty, crispy bacon and browned ground beef. They both add tons of flavor and pair so well with the flavors of mac and cheese. Using bacon would give it a bacon cheeseburger vibe, while ground beef gives it a homemade Hamburger Helper vibe.
Plenty of other meats also work really well though. Leftover diced holiday ham or even hot dogs adds a tasty, smoky flavor. Shredded rotisserie chicken is a really easy way to add lean protein. You could even use pulled pork, though that will give it a bit of hearty, barbecue-inspired vibe.
What Are The 3 Best Cheeses For Mac And Cheese?
- Sharp Cheddar: Cheddar cheese melts very smoothly, which gives you the perfect, creamy, cheesy texture you expect in mac and cheese. It also has a tangy taste that really amps up the “cheesiness” of the flavor.
- Gruyere: This cheese also melts smoothly, but the flavor complements the tangy cheddar by adding a sweet, salty, and nutty element.
- Gouda: While I wouldn’t use Gouda as the sole cheese in mac and cheese, it adds an incredibly delicious element when it’s paired with cheddar and Gruyere. It melts into a smooth, velvety consistency, and it adds a delicious, nutty, creamy flavor.
What Kind of Milk Is Best For Mac And Cheese?
I prefer using whole milk because it’s rich enough to add flavor, without being so heavy that you have to worry about the sauce being too thick. If you’d like the sauce to be a little lighter, you can use 2% though. Or if you’d like the sauce to be more decadent, you could replace some of the milk with either half-and-half or heavy whipping cream.
What To Serve With Hamburger Mac And Cheese
This homemade hamburger helper is really a meal in and of itself, but I still love serving it with an easy side dish. Some of my favorites are air fryer garlic bread, a simple microwave baked potato, some delicious Cajun rice or some seasoned rice if you like a milder flavor, a quick and easy veggie recipe like this frozen peas recipe, or these Italian green beans.
Storing, Freezing, And Reheating Leftovers
To store leftovers, let them cool completely and then transfer them to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat leftovers in a skillet over low heat, stirring frequently, and adding a splash of milk if needed to loosen it up or if it looks dry.
Alternatively, you can store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw the leftovers in the fridge overnight, then follow the stovetop reheating instructions above.
Keep In Touch
I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime
Pasta Recipes
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out all of our other mac and cheese recipes. Some reader favorites are:
- How To Make Kraft Mac and Cheese Better
- Baked Mac and Cheese with Velveeta
- Cheese Sauce for Mac and Cheese
- Velveeta Mac and Cheese
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Crockpot Mac and Cheese
- Mac and Cheese without Milk
- Over the Rainbow Mac and Cheese (Patti Labelle’s Mac and Cheese)
- Cheeseburger Casserole
- Old Fashioned Goulash
BEST Hamburger Mac and Cheese (Cheeseburger Macaroni Recipe)
Hamburger mac and cheese is a weeknight staple in our house. Cheeseburger macaroni is a delicious, easy, and hearty recipe that kids love.
Ingredients
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 cups freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese (divided)*
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Cook the elbow macaroni according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the cooked macaroni and set it aside.
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat, then add the ground beef. Cook the ground beef, breaking it up into crumbles as you go, until it’s almost browned, about 6-7 minutes. Drain away any excess fat.
- Add the chopped onion to the pot with the ground beef, and continue to cook until the beef is no longer pink and the onion is softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 more minute.
- To the same pot, add 1 1/2 cups cheese, milk, sour cream, ketchup, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper, and paprika. Stir well to combine. Once combined, add the cooked elbow macaroni, and mix again until it’s evenly coated.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the cheese has fully melted and the sauce is creamy, about 10-15 minutes. If the mixture seems too thick, you can add a splash of milk or extra sour cream to adjust the consistency.
- Remove the pot from heat, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
*I recommend using freshly shredded cheddar cheese because it melts more smoothly than pre-shredded cheeses do. Pre-shredded cheeses are coated in an anti-caking agent that makes them gritty when they’re melted.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1/6Amount Per Serving: Calories: 551Total Fat: 26.7gCarbohydrates: 39.9gFiber: 1.6gSugar: 7.4gProtein: 36.3g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate
The next time you’re looking for a kid-approved family dinner recipe, try making this 30-minute cheeseburger macaroni! I’m sure your whole family will love this hamburger mac and cheese and that they’ll ask you to make this homemade Hamburger Helper again and again.
