Hamburger Macaroni
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This made-from-scratch hamburger macaroni is better than the hamburger helper from the box and seriously easy to make!
It reminds us of childhood but with a homemade touch.
This hamburger macaroni is:
- Made is one pot
- A family loved meal
- Kid-friendly and great for picky eaters
- Perfect when you’re craving straight up comfort food
- Ridiculously easy
- Great to have for leftovers
- Cheesy and so much better than the boxed version!
I’m all about a good one pot meal. I mean what’s not to love?! They are typically budget friendly meals and use lots of pantry staples and make cleaning up after dinner a breeze.
If you’re a fan of one pot meals too you’ll be sure to enjoy my One Pot Creamy Chicken Marsala Pasta and this One Pot Chicken and Rice Casserole too.
Ingredients needed
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
- Ground Beef: You could also use ground turkey or ground pork.
- Macaroni Noodles: I used macaroni noodles but you could also use spiral rotini noodles, penne, shells or another short tubed pasta you have in the pantry.
- Best part? The uncooked/dry pasta gets added right into the recipe and cooks in the broth so you don’t have to boil them before!
- Beef Broth: Can sub for chicken broth too.
- Cheddar cheese: I recommend using a good quality cheddar cheese and grating it yourself instead of buying pre shredded cheese. Freshly shredded cheese melts a lot better, in my opinion!
How to make Hamburger Macaroni
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add beef and break up with a wooden spoon so it begins to cook.
- Add in the onions, salt, pepper, cornstarch and paprika. Stir and cook until beef is no longer pink.
- Add in garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add in ketchup and Worcestershire. Stir to combine.
- Pour in dry macaroni and beef broth. Bring to a boil. Then, turn heat down to low, cover and cook for 8-10 minutes.
- Lastly add in the milk and cheese. Stir to combine and serve warm!
You’re basically making ground beef mixed with pasta and cheese…comfort food at best!
Tips:
- Add in extra veggies: Feel free to add in sliced mushrooms or diced red peppers when you add in the onions. It’s a great way to sneak in more veggies!
- Sour cream: I’ve also added in sour cream when stirring in the cheese at the end for an even creamier meal. Add in 1/2 cup to make it more decadent!
- Spice it up: feel free to add in other seasonings like red pepper flakes, onion powder, chili powder and garlic powder.
FAQs
How do I reheat leftovers?
When reheating leftovers I find it best to do so on the stove and add in a little milk to make it creamy again.
How long does hamburger macaroni last?
This meal can keep in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or you can freeze for up to 3 months.
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Hamburger Macaroni
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 white onion, diced
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tsp. garlic, minced (2 cloves)
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 16 oz. macaroni noodles, dry (uncooked)
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add beef and break up with a wooden spoon so it begins to cook.1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 lb. ground beef
- Add in the onions, cornstarch, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir and cook until beef is no longer pink.1/2 white onion, diced, 1 Tbsp. cornstarch, 1/2 tsp. paprika, salt and pepper to taste
- Add in garlic. Stir and cook for 1 more minute.2 tsp. garlic, minced (2 cloves)
- Add in the ketchup and Worcestershire. Stir to combine.1/4 cup ketchup, 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- Pour in the dry macaroni and beef broth. Bring to a boil.16 oz. macaroni noodles, dry (uncooked), 4 cups beef broth
- Then, turn heat down to low, cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until noodles are done.
- Lastly add in the milk and cheese. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper as needed and serve warm!1/4 cup whole milk, 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Enjoyed this recipe. I did add the sour cream and cut back on the cheese. My husband is off the chart with picky food. So hard to cook for him, but he did eat it.
I am so glad it was a hit 🙂 thank you!
This was a great recipe, I modified it slightly, using what I have in the house. And I love the single pot idea, although, I melted the cheese separately so I had 2 pots but not 3 or 4. The picture was not after it was cooked, but the next day. You can’t really see the Broccoli & Spinach that I put in (I guess I need to add more 🙂 ).
Here is what I modified:
1.5 lbs Ground Beef
Olive Oil
1 Yellow Onion
1 Tbsp Almond Flour (sub for cornstarch)
1/4 Tsp Cayenne Pepper (sub for paprika)
Salt & Pepper
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Frank’s Chili Powder
2 Tsp Minced Garlic
1/4 Cup Ketchup
1/2 Tsp Soy Sauce (2 packets – Chinese)
(sub for Worcestershire sauce)
16 oz Macaroni Pasta – dry uncooked
4 Cups Water (sub for Beef Broth)
2 Cups Chopped Broccoli
Baby Spinach
Red Pepper Flakes (added after it is cooked)
Butter, Half-Half, American & Cheddar Cheese (melted in separate pot)
This was easy and tasted awesome! My family loved it. It’s cheesy and flavorful. It’s truly a keeper.
that’s amazing, thank you sooo much! 🙂 always love finding a recipe the family enjoys!
Thank you! My entire family loved this! My picky 7 year old also loved it!! 😊 Going on my regular rotation! I used shells because that’s what I had on hand, but I’m sure it taste the same.
Amazing! I am so glad. Thank you! 🙂
Easy to make and turned out tummy
thank you Madison! so glad you enjoyed it!
The recipe is simple.
Good strategy (corn starch) to not drain meat.
Ketchup gave it flavor like combining mac/chz with sloppy joe.
Dont even think ketchup was necessary.
May modify in smaller batch. Taco seasoning maybe?
Thanks for the idea. At least we aren’t hungry for the moment
Thanks so much!!
Very good! I added a small can of diced tomatoes and it turned out perfect.
So glad you enjoyed it 🙂 yay! thank you!
Though this is far better then boxed hamburger helper it feels like it’s missing something. We couldn’t pinpoint it but it’s like the recipe isn’t complete yet. We’re gonna pay around with it, add some peas and maybe tomato paste instead of ketchup? Unsure. But thank you for baseline recipe!
Aw, sorry to hear that. But that’s the beauty of cooking right?! Change up whatever you want to fit what you like! 🙂 thanks for making it! xo
I made this by the recipe except I added a 1/2 teaspoon of cumin. It tasted great. Easy and quick meal.
yay! thank you!!
This was a great, easy, COMFORT FOOD meal that is very forgiving. I had no Worcestshire or ketchup. NO PROBLEM, it was delicious anyway. Making it again tonight (about 2 weeks after the first time). Looking forward to adding some sour cream and maybe a little green pepper??
Total comfort food! Love the sour cream/green pepper ideas!! Thank you so much Beth! 🙂