Cheeseburger Macaroni
This Cheeseburger Pasta combines creamy mac & cheese with juicy burger flavor for an easy 30-minute one-pot meal and comfort food the whole family will love!
Cheeseburger Mac & Cheese
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!
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. Perfect for busy weeknights!
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, to create the ultimate cheesy sauce. The result is ooey-gooey dinner goodness that both kids and grown ups are gonna love!
And again, since you only use one large pot, clean up is a breeze!
Ingredients
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- 1 pound 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:ย 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. Do not boil.
- Uncover pan and place the cream cheese throughout the pasta, in small chunks that will melt easier. Pour in the milk,ย add the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and cook until the cream cheese is completely melted, stirring the mixture occasionally.ย Stir in the cheddar cheese until just melted and serve immediately.
Prep Tips
- Meat – When making burgers, I usually pick a ground beef that is 70/30 โ 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!ย If using a leaner type of meat, you may want to add a Tablespoon of olive oil when cooking with the onions and garlic.
- Pasta – We used classic elbow macaroni, but you could use other types of pasta too. Avoid long pastas such as spaghetti or fettuccine because they won’t hold the cheese sauce as well. Smaller, textured pasta shapes such as shells, rotini, or penne would work well.
- Gluten-Free Variation – 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.
- Serve With – 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.
- Storage – Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- Reheating – 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.
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
Cheeseburger Macaroni Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
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Cheeseburger Macaroni
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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Be sure to pin our Cheeseburger Mac on Pinterest:
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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.
Yes, I added two more cups of brother to cook the noodles .
That should say โbrothโ not brother
I did make the recipe, however was not a fan. I think of cheeseburgers as full on American so Italian seasoning seemed a bit off along with the cream cheese. Not a recipe I would make again.