The ultimate comfort food, Cheeseburger Pasta is a delicious combination of melty macaroni and cheese and a juicy burger! An easy 30-minute meal the whole family will love!
One-Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni
Yes, you read that right: A cheeseburger-flavored mac and cheese. All the comfort of your favorite snack food, packed into one big, bubbly pot.
Why choose between a delicious cheeseburger or ooey-gooey mac and cheese? In this recipe, you can have both! With the savory flavors of a burger and the cheesy goodness of mac and cheese, you won’t have to pick with this flavorful recipe.
The best part about this homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni recipe is that it is a one-pot meal. You don’t need to cook the pasta separately, don’t need to drain boiling water. It’s SO easy and can be ready in about 30 minutes.
This is a great recipe when you need to get dinner on the table fast, but don’t want to hit a drive through!
So here’s the breakdown: we started with juicy ground beef that’s simmered in a seasoned broth so it stays moist. Then we cooked the pasta in the same pot, in this flavorful beef broth. Finally, we melted in two types of cheese, so this dish is incredibly melty and delicious.
And again, since you only use one large pot, clean up is a breeze!
Ingredients
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- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 1 Small Onion, diced
- 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 2 cups Beef Broth (chicken broth or veggie broth will both work too)
- 4 cups Elbow Macaroni, uncooked
- 8 oz Cream Cheese
- 1 cup Milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Kitchen Tools Used
Instructions
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until well-browned and no pink remains (about 5 minutes).
- Add the diced onions and cook until translucent (3-4 minutes). Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute, then stir in the tomato paste and broth.
- Add the uncooked pasta to the pan and increase to medium-high heat. Once simmering, cover the skillet and reduce heat back to medium. Cook until pasta is done, or about 5 minutes.
- Uncover pan and place the cream cheese throughout the pasta, in small chunks that will melt easier. Pour in the milk, add the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and cook until the cream cheese is completely melted, stirring the mixture occasionally. Stir in the cheddar cheese until just melted and serve immediately.
A sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley makes a lovely garnish! You can also serve with your favorite burger fixin’s that the family can use to top their meal: diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, sour cream, a splash of Worcestershire sauce, etc.
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Reheat Leftover Mac and Cheese on the Stove?
You can reheat leftovers in the microwave or the oven, but I find the stovetop to be the perfect combination of quickness and best taste.
Add your leftover macaroni and cheese to a saucepan with a Tablespoon of milk. Heat while stirring occasionally, until the pasta is warmed through. If you need, you can add a little more liquid the cheese sauce until it is nice and creamy again.
Can You Use a Different Type of Meat?
When making burgers, I usually pick a ground beef that is 70/30 — the fat helps keep the burgers from drying out when cooking. However, that’s not an issue for this hamburger mac, because the meat will simmer in broth.
You’re welcome to use your favorite protein, such as lean ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken in this recipe. They’d all work well!
TIP: If using a leaner type of meat, you may want to add a Tablespoon of olive oil when cooking with the onions and garlic.
Can You Use Gluten Free Pasta?
If you’d like to make this cheeseburger mac a gluten-free dish, you can simply swap out the elbow macaroni noodles for your favorite gluten free pasta. I’d recommend using a variety that you are familiar with, so you know that it will hold up during the cooking process.
More of our Favorite Easy Pasta Recipes
- Pizza Pasta Bake
- TikTok Feta Pasta
- Gluten Free Baked Ziti
- Honey Balsamic Chicken & Kale Warm Pasta Salad
- Shrimp & Salmon Pasta with Lemon Broth
- Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese (gluten free & lactose free)
- Air Fryer Lasagna Roll Ups
Printable Copy of our Cheeseburger Macaroni Recipe
If you like this recipe, please rate it! We’d also love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
One-Pot Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- Large Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 1 Onion diced
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 2 cups Beef Broth or chicken broth
- 4 cups Elbow Macaroni uncooked
- 8 oz Cream Cheese
- 1 cup Milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until well-browned and no pink remains (about 5 minutes).
- Add the diced onion and cook until translucent (3-4 min), then add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add olive oil as needed to prevent burning.
- Stir in the tomato paste and broth.
- Add the uncooked pasta and increase to medium high heat.
- Once simmering, cover the skillet and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Divide cream cheese into smaller blocks and place in pasta. Pour in the milk, add Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook, while stirring, until cream cheese is melted.
- Stir in the cheddar cheese until just melted and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Be sure to pin our Cheeseburger Mac on Pinterest:
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Penny Cole says
Hello, this recipe needs a lot more liquid to cook that amount of pasta. I added three additional cups of broth to get the pasta cooked.
Fran says
Yes, I added two more cups of brother to cook the noodles .
Fran says
That should say “broth” not brother