Cheeseburger Macaroni
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Everybody who ate the boxed kind as a kid takes one bite and goes quiet. Beef seasoned like a cheeseburger, macaroni cooked in broth and milk, and a real cheese sauce, all in one skillet in thirty minutes.
The short version
Brown the beef with onion, stir in a burger-sauce seasoning of ketchup, mustard and Worcestershire, simmer the dry macaroni in broth and milk until tender, then melt in the cheese off the heat. One skillet, about 30 minutes, and grate the cheese yourself.
What makes ours better
what we fixed so you don’t have to
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Season it like a cheeseburger. Ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire and onion and garlic powder taste like the sauce on a drive-in burger. They're what makes this taste like a cheeseburger instead of beef and noodles.
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Cook the macaroni in broth and milk. The pasta absorbs the liquid and releases starch, so the sauce thickens by itself and you never make a roux. The milk gives it a creamy base before the cheese even goes in.
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Add the cheese off the heat, with a slice of American. Cheddar gives the flavor and American cheese keeps it smooth. Stirring them in off the heat stops the sauce from turning grainy or greasy.
What you need
the usual suspects
- Ground beef1 pound
- Yellow onion1 medium
- Garlic2 cloves
- Ketchup1 tablespoon
- Yellow mustard2 teaspoons
- Paprika1 teaspoon
- Dry elbow macaroni2 cups
- Sharp cheddar2 cups
read it twice. buy it once.
Steps
deep breath. you’ve got this.
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Brown the beef
Set a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and the onion and break the meat up as it cooks. Cook until no pink remains and the onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Tip the pan and spoon off most of the fat.
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Add the seasonings
Stir in the salt, garlic, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire, paprika, onion powder and pepper. Cook for 1 minute, until the ketchup darkens and coats the meat.
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Add the liquid and macaroni
Pour in the broth and milk, scraping up any browned bits, then stir in the dry macaroni. Bring to a gentle boil and press the pasta under the liquid.
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Simmer until tender
Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 to 12 minutes, lifting the lid to stir every 3 or 4 minutes, until the macaroni is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. The sauce will look thin and will thicken as it sits.
Don't turn the heat up to hurry it. A hard boil scorches the milk on the bottom of the pan.
About 11 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Melt in the cheese
Take the skillet off the heat. Add the cheddar and American cheese a handful at a time, stirring until each addition melts and the sauce is glossy.
Cheese added over direct heat turns grainy. Off the burner is the whole trick.
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Rest and serve
Let it sit for 3 minutes so the sauce thickens and clings to the pasta. Taste, add salt if needed, and top with chopped pickles if you like.
About 3 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
Good to know
things I learned the hard way, so you can skip that part
- Look for a block of cheddar and grate it yourself. Bagged shredded cheese has starch on it that keeps the sauce from going smooth.
- If you don't have American cheese, use 1 more cup of cheddar. It will be a little less silky.
- Add a handful of frozen peas or chopped broccoli in the last 3 minutes of simmering, or stir in a spoonful of sour cream with the cheese.
- Ground turkey works if you add a tablespoon of oil with the meat.
- Storage. Fridge, 4 days. Freezer, 2 months. Reheat with a splash of milk or water in a skillet over low heat, since the sauce tightens up as it cools.
Questions, answered
the questions my cousins text me
Can I make this without milk?
Yes. Use 3½ cups of broth in total, or water with an extra pinch of salt. The sauce will be a little less creamy, and a spoonful of sour cream stirred in with the cheese helps.
Can I use another pasta?
Small shells, rotini, cavatappi and penne all work. Check for tenderness a few minutes before the 10-minute mark and add a splash of broth if the pan looks dry.
Why is my cheese sauce grainy?
The pan was too hot, or the cheese was pre-shredded. Take the skillet off the heat before adding the cheese, and grate your own.
How do I know the beef is cooked?
Ground beef is safe at 160°F, and by sight it has no pink left and is browned in spots. It cooks again in the sauce, so don't worry about browning it hard.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes, and it reheats well. Warm it in a skillet with a few tablespoons of milk or broth and stir until it's creamy again.
From the table
Made it? Tell me how it went, and who went back for seconds when they thought nobody was looking.
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Published October 29, 2026.