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by Diane
Buy our air fryer e-cookbooks today You’re going to love our popular cheeseburger mac and cheese recipe. Friends and family tasted our skillet cheeseburger macaroni and cheese recipe. They said it’s like a homemade hamburger helper, but better! That’s a huge compliment!
Easy Skillet Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese Recipe
Yup, they’re right and it’s all made fresh and not out of a box. The concept of our skillet cheeseburger mac and cheese recipe is totally similar to the boxed cheeseburger helper. But the spices are more fresh and everything just tastes better.
We understand the need for families with kids who love pasta, mac and cheese and cheeseburgers all in one bite. So we have this fantastic and easy mac and cheese recipe. It’s loaded with all the goodness of the cheeseburger, but without the bun and pickles! Parents are raving about how much the kids love this one pot cheeseburger mac and cheese.
Video of our Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese Recipe:
Homemade “Hamburger Helper” Recipe
The best part about our homemade cheeseburger hamburger helper is that you can customize the flavor to your preference. Add more onion powder or garlic powder for a pop of extra flavor. Salt and pepper really bring out the flavor of the pasta and meat together too, so don’t be shy about seasoning this skillet of delicious pasta beauty. Your kids and whole family will love this and you’ll wonder why you don’t make this more often because it’s such a quick and hearty meal! Who does’t love mac and cheese, especially will all the cheeseburger patty in it? Hope you enjoy our cheeseburger macaroni and cheese recipe! We’re sure it will be a family favorite for a long time.
Tips on Making Homemade “Hamburger Helper” Cheese Burger Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
- You’ve got to season the pasta enough to bring out the flavors! Taste the final dish and if it’s missing something, then it’s most likely some salt, garlic salt or onion salt. It’s a 16oz box of pasta you’re serving so a little salt really doesn’t do much unless it’s seasoned well.
- Try differenet types of good melting cheese. A nice and flavorful smoked cheddar would be great. Or if you want a little spicy kick to it, add about 1/2 cup of shredded pepper jack cheese to replace the other cheese.
- Some nice salty parmesan cheese will add great flavor too.
- Pickles? Someone added a handful of chopped pickles and they loved it. If you love pickles, go for it!
- Use a BIG skillet or pan. It’s alotta pasta, sauce, meat and cheese. If you want more cheese and meat, then just cook a little less pasta. Rather than cooking the whole 16 oz package, you can just oco*k 3/4 of the package.
- All cheeseburger mac and cheese recipe details are in the recipe box below.
Skillet Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese
Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 20 minutes mins
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
Macaroni cooks the quickest, especially if you're using the small macaroni. If you're using different pasta like rotini or penne, cooking time will be longer. Want more meat and cheese? Then cook a little less pasta. And extra salt and pepper really brings out the flavors!
4.59 from 67 votes
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Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 g) macaroni
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) olive oil (or as needed depending on the fat percentage of your beef)
- 1 pound (454 g) ground beef
- 1 medium onion , chopped (or 1 teaspoon onion powder)
- 3-4 cloves garlic , minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 15 ounces (425 g) tomato sauce
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt , or more to taste
- fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) sugar
- 2-3 cups (226-340 g) shredded cheddar cheese , depending on your preferred cheesiness
- minced parsley for topping , optional
Instructions
Cook macaroni to package instructions, drain, then set aside.
Heat large skillet on medium-high heat. Add oil and then add beef. Break up beef and cook until nearly cooked through, about 3 minutes.
Then add onions and garlic and cook until onions and garlic are softened, about 2 minutes. Drain any excess fat if needed.
Add tomato sauce, milk, salt, pepper and sugar. Stir to evenly combine.
Bring beef and sauce to a low simmer for about 3 minutes for all the flavors to combine. Taste the beef sauce and add any additional seasonings if needed.
Fold in the pasta and then add the cheese a little at a time until everything combines and cheese melts. Add additional cheese on top if you want and minced parsley. Serve warm.
Video
Nutrition Information per Serving
Calories: 448kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 49mg, Sodium: 797mg, Potassium: 538mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 340IU, Vitamin C: 5.1mg, Calcium: 186mg, Iron: 2.5mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 448
Can you use Egg Noodles for Homemade Hamburger Helper?
Egg noodles are a great replacement for this cheeseburger mac and cheese recipe.
Essentially it’s just an easy skillet pasta recipe with ground beef and cheese. So thinking of this, you can really use any pasta and egg noodles are another delicious option. The egg noodles are tender and quick to cook, which makes this recipe even more simple. Remember, if you like more meat sauce then just cook less of the egg noodles or macaroni pasta.
Freezing leftover cheeseburger mac and cheese
This is great for freezing and eating later. Just store them in airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Don’t wait too long after that because it can get freezer burn and ruin all the delicious pasta and sauce. We prefer freezing for no longer than 2 months and always try to eat it sooner than later.
You’ll love more of our macaroni recipes and skillet recipes:
Did you enjoy our cheeseburger mac and cheese recipe? Check out more of our creamy, cheesy and easy pasta recipes. They’re perfect for family weeknight dinners or weekend suppers. Enjoy!
- Love Chili? Try our Chili Mac and Cheese Recipe Here.
- Party perfect Classic Macaroni Salad Recipe with Ham
- Click Here for—> One Pot Skillet Recipes
- Kids Love this creamy Mac and cheese recipe
- Here’s our —> Our Famous Skillet Creamy Garlic Chicken with Broccoli Recipe
- air fried parmesan chicken wings
Here’s a healthy broccoli mac and cheese recipe for ya! If you love our recipes, please give us a 5 star review and feedback below in the comments! Thanks so much!
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posted in: 30 Minute Recipes, 300+ Easy Meals, Beef, Casseroles, Italian, Kids Menu, One Pot Dishes, Pasta | Noodles, Skillet 50 comments
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Miranda — Reply
I made this over the weekend it was a huge hit!!! I actually decided to add chopped pickles to it also – I read it in another recipe and got inspired. It was so unbelievably delicious. Thanks for the inspiration!-
Best Recipe Box — Reply
Thanks Miranda! So glad you enjoyed it and we really like your bread and butter pickles.
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Michelle C. — Reply
Oh my goodness, this was the BOMB! My girls and I loved this. Wouldn’t change a thing. My only problem is that my first serving was large and I want more. I can hear it calling me from the frig! -
Downiegirl — Reply
What a fantastic recipe! So easy and quick to make. I made this with the bowtie pasta as these were what I had on hand. Worked great!! I also made up this recipe and put in my crockpot to keep warm til it was time to eat. I did add a little milk and water along with a beef bouillon cube, dash of Worcestershire sauce and tablespoon of ketchup to keep it moist in the crockpot pot. My company along with my husband and I loved it! I had a little lefted over for our supper the next night and it was even better!!! Thanks for sharing your recipe! One I will be making often!!-
Best Recipe Box — Reply
Thank you so much! So glad you, your husband and your guests enjoyed the recipe!
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Alyssa — Reply
Delicious!!!! I added garlic pickles and bacon crumbles. Soooo goood!!! Thanks for the recipe!! -
Tim Gjerdahl — Reply
I just made this, I threw in some bacon bits, Awesome! I love this!-
Best Recipe Box — Reply
Love the addition of bacon bits Tim!
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Laura — Reply
I added taco seasoning and instead of parsley used cilantro! It was delicious. -
Ericclynn Crane-Butler — Reply
I am not a fan of tomatoes can you taste it? could I use something different?
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Best Recipe Box — Reply
Hi! You can just use a little broth in place of the tomatoes and it’ll still taste great! Or add extra cheese. 🙂
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Jamie — Reply
this is goooooooood-
Best Recipe Box — Reply
AWESOME!! We are thrilled that you enjoyed it.
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Melanie — Reply
Wanted something to use hamburger we had thawed. Yum! Super fast recipe.-
Best Recipe Box — Reply
Yes, it’s crazy and and delicious. So glad you enjoyed it and made good use out of the hamburger!
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Christina P — Reply
If using broth instead of tomato sauce, how much broth is a little? I want to try this recipe tonight for dinner!
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Best Recipe Box — Reply
Hi Christina, start with about 1/2 cup of broth. Then add your cheese and let it melt. If it still feels a little dry, add about a Tablespoon extra of broth at a time until the pasta becomes the consistent that you want.
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Shelley Robson — Reply
Quick and easy meal. Very tasty!! -
Shari Meads — Reply
Even with making this with what I had on hand – which included half of a jar of Barilla pasta sauce instead of tomato sauce, granulated onion, and garlic salt instead of fresh or powders, it was delicious! I didn’t use all of the cooked pasta because I wanted the ratio of meat to noodle to be more even and I also added super chopped up fresh broccoli during the initial meat sautee’. Definitely recommend this meal and will make it again myself.-
Diane — Reply
Thanks so much Shari for sharing your process. So glad you enjoyed it. And we love extra sauce too. 🙂
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Michelle C — Reply
EASY AND DELICIOUS! Since I didn’t have tomato sauce on hand, used one can of tomato paste and a can of water instead. It was surprisingly good for such an “easy” recipe AND everyone loved it — that’s a winner in my book!-
Diane — Reply
Thanks Michelle for sharing all your adjustments and so glad it still turned out great! So glad everyone enjoyed it.
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Anita May — Reply
Quick, easy and delicious! -
Rosemary Turner — Reply
This was absolutely delicious and sooo easy to prepare! However it makes enough for a small army which we aren’t. Is it possible to freeze leftovers? -
Diane — Reply
Hi Rosemary! Glad you enjoyed the recipe. Yes, you can definitely freeze the leftovers. Thanks for asking.
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Tyler — Reply
Our daughter is a super picky eater, but when we made this, “special mac&cheese” she had two bowls!! I had a few bowls myself. Delicious!-
Diane — Reply
Yay! That’s so awesome that your daughter loved this. What an honor! Thanks for sharing Tyler.
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Kathleen Motley-Hale — Reply
Can I top with some Panko crumbs and brown?
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Diane — Reply
Hi Kathleen, sure that should work fine. Panko is great!
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Debbie — Reply
GREAT quick meal -
Chelsea — Reply
I just made this tonight it smells so good i didnt have some of the ingredients but the kids still ate it. Lol-
Diane — Reply
Glad the kids enjoyed it and thanks for sharing Chelsea. It’s good to know the recipe is still great without all the ingredients!
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April McClintock — Reply
I think cheeseburger mac will be delish!!
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Janie — Reply
Delicious…I make this once a week every week. -
Dawn — Reply
Tasty! I added dill relish and mustard to the sauce. Tasted just like a cheeseburger.-
Diane — Reply
Love the relish addition!
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Rachel Otto — Reply
This was fun- so I did add some Cajun Seasoning, Ketchup instead of sugar and 1 tsp mustard- lol it tasted like a cheeseburger…, only needed a little dill maybe next time!-
Diane — Reply
Sounds delicious. A full on cheeseburger mac & cheese!
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Sherry — Reply
Tried this recipe last night and everyone loved it. Highly recommend.
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Firedawgys Girl — Reply
So I made this the other day….honestly, I love how thick it is….I think 3 cups of cheese is too much so I did 2 and that was good, ( the recipe says you can add 2 or 3 cups of cheese). it really lacks in flavor….I had to add a lot more salt. If i make it again, I will add maybe some oregano, basil etc….to it….If you are looking for something easy to make and feed a lot of hungry kids, this is a great one to make. Also, I used ground turkey as we do not really eat beef…. -
Patrick — Reply
Excellent! The kids loved it.
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Mikey — Reply
The Recipe is a good base but you’ll want to season it more. I eyed out some seasonings but probably something like a tablespoon ea. taco seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and ‘gourmet burger’ seasoning. Came out pretty good with the additions. Make it your own and definitely taste when instructed to.
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Pam — Reply
My kids couldn’t wrap around the idea of what a “cheeseburger” mac and cheese was until they tried this and totally fell in love with it. Really great recipe. -
kathy wang — Reply
1/4 lb. of macaroni is all you need. Too much macaroni otherwise.
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Max — Reply
I made it yesterday. We really enjoyed it and will make it again. Made it as recipe apart from I Increased the beef to 750g and added a teaspoon of chilli flakes. Of the 3 of us only 1 thought it was too spicy. Simple, easy and quick.Only thing I need to know is what portion size is the 448 calories per portion?
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Linda Anthony — Reply
Very tasty!!! Could have had a little more burger in it!!! I made it as printed!! Will definitely make again!!!!! Thank you for the recipe!! My husband and I will be eating it all week!!! No, just kidding!! I will freeze 1/2! -
Makayla — Reply
This was a really great twist to the regular Mac and cheese recipe. The whole family really loved the cheeseburger aspect of this recipe. Really gave it a neat kick. -
Kelsey — Reply
I’ve found the sauce to pasta ratio for my family is to half the pasta and keep everything else the same. DELICIOUS -
Fred Vermeer — Reply
I made this, it’s basically American Goulash. Yum! I was going to make plain supermarket boxed mac n’ cheese, then I thought, I have a bunch of leftover veal from the other day when I made a consomme. So I googled what would make a good macaroni and beef recipe and found this. I also added a hint of Worcestershire sauce, some chili pepper flakes and some Italian seasoning.
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Diane — Reply
Thanks for sharing Fred and so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Love your other additions to the recipe.
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