Easy Cheeseburger Macaroni | One-Pot Homemade Hamburger Helper
If you’re like me and love the nostalgia of foods we grew up in but don’t love what it’s all made out of, then this recipe will be nice to have in your arsenal. It’s kid-friendly, adult-friendly, easy to make, and comes together in one pot. We eat it for lunch or dinner, and it’s especially handy when I use home-canned ground beef from my pantry.
Cheeseburger macaroni is a simple one-pot pasta dinner made with ground beef, macaroni, cheese, milk, and seasonings. This homemade version is similar to the boxed cheeseburger macaroni many of us grew up with, but uses simple pantry ingredients instead.
This is one of my favorite ways to use home-canned ground beef. Because the beef is already cooked, this meal comes together especially quickly. Simply drain or use the beef along with the other ingredients and let everything simmer together while the macaroni cooks.
You can absolutely make this with freshly browned ground beef, too. If that’s what you have on hand, brown the beef first and drain any excess grease before continuing with the recipe.
You don’t need a long ingredient list to make a good cheeseburger macaroni.
Ingredients
- 1/2 c water
- 1 1/2 c milk
- 1 pint canned ground beef or about 1 pound ground beef
- 3 cups shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese
- 1 cup dried macaroni
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 TBS cornstarch
Directions
- Put all ingredients into a pot, except for cheese and cornstarch.
- With lid on, bring to a boil.
- Once at a boil, add some of the cooking liquid to the cornstarch to make a slurry and add slurry into pot. Stir to make sure it’s all combined.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until pasta is cooked through, stirring occassionally.
- Turn off heat and add 2.5 cups of cheese. Stir until melted and creamy.
- Use remaining cheese as a topping in bowls, if desired.
What Adjustments Would Also Be Good?
Add Vegetables
Add vegetables such as peas, carrots, corn, or finely diced bell peppers
Make Tex-Mex Cheeseburger Macaroni
Replace 1/2 cup of water with salsa
Switch Up the Beef
Use ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef
Adjust Cheeses
Change up the types of cheeses. Mixing in Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, White Cheddar, or Gruyere are also good options.
Want to learn how to preserve ground beef?
How to Can Ground Beef
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Cheeseburger Macaroni | One-Pot Homemade Hamburger Helper
One pot meal with a nostalgic feel.
Ingredients
- 0.5 c water
- 1.5 c milk
- 1 pint canned ground beef or about 1 pound ground beef
- 3 cups shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese
- 1 cup dried macaroni
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 TBS cornstarch
Instructions
- Put all ingredients into a pot, except for cheese and cornstarch.
- With lid on, bring to a boil.
- Once at a boil, add some of the cooking liquid to the cornstarch to make a slurry and add slurry into pot. Stir to make sure it's all combined.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until pasta is cooked through, stirring occassionally.
- Turn off heat and add 2.5 cups of cheese. Stir until melted and creamy.
- Use remaining cheese as a topping in bowls, if desired.
