My family loves all kinds of Mac & Cheese. It’s like a homemade hamburger helper and we make a variety of flavors. We make pizza mac & cheese, taco mac & cheese, chili mac’n cheese and this cheeseburger mac & cheese. It is an easy way to make a delicious meal that is budget friendly and a meal the whole family will enjoy. And the best part is it only takes a handful of ingredients.
Let’s get started.
First, brown ground beef. I add onion (here I used half of a red onion). Add salt and pepper and your favorite burger or smoky bbq seasonings. Once cooked, add ketchup and water to make a sauce.
While the ground beef cooks, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water so the pasta does not stick together.
Once beef is cooked, add pasta along with Mac & Cheese seasoning if you have (dried cheese powder) and 1/4 cup milk. You do not have to add the powdered cheese if you prefer not to. Often I make my own cheese sauce, or add milk with extra shredded cheese which makes a yummy cheese sauce. If the sauce is too thin, add a cornstarch slurry to help thicken it up. I usually do not have to because the pasta usually absorbs any excess liquid.
Add chopped dill pickle, and some mustard. The amount of mustard is really to your tasting. I add about 1 teaspoon. I add a bit more burger seasoning if needed and a sprinkle of dried dill. You can also add any other burger toppings you like.
I also add shredded cheese and stir.
Serve with salad. We love cheeseburger mac & cheese and have it often. It tastes just like a cheeseburger, but in pasta form!
Cheeseburger Mac & Cheese
1 lb ground beef
1/2 red onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste
burger seasoning of your choice
1/4 cup ketchup or tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tsp mustard
sprinkle of dried dill
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped dill pickle
1 cup shredded cheese
powdered cheese sauce, optional
4 cups cooked pasta of choice – I am using macaroni
Prepare pasta, drain and rinse. I get 4 cups cooked pasta, I cook around 1-1/2 to 2 cups dried pasta.
Brown ground beef with onion. Add seasonings. Once cooked, drain any excess grease. Add pasta, mustard, milk, dill pickle and cheese.
If using powdered cheese sauce, add and stir well. Sometimes I use it if I have it available, and other times I do not. If I do not use powdered cheese sauce, I may add processed cheese like Cheez Whiz or Velveeta or make a homemade cheese sauce. Sometimes I just add the milk with 2 cups of shredded cheese which works equally well.
Top with shredded cheese and stir.
You can add chopped cooked bacon and any other burger toppings you like to the pasta. We like it a bit more plain like this.
Serve with salad. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.
