We make homemade hamburger and mac and cheese with elbow macaroni, shredded cheddar cheese, milk, ground beef and beef broth in a skillet all the time. It’s like our Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni but made on the stovetop this time.
Essentially this is a homemade hamburger helper recipe that can be tweaked to your liking. Made with spicy ground sausage is added wow and makes a hearty meal that is kid friendly.
Hamburger and Mac and Cheese Recipe
This was so good we made it later as Crockpot Hamburger Casserole but typically we need it faster. Of course you could leave the cheddar out entirely and add more of a tomato base but why??? This is like the boxed pasta meal your mom made in the 90’s but now you will know exactly what is inside for your family.
In the past we have used other side dishes to combine with our meat like a cheesy Hamburger and Rice Casserole that was quite popular, but this just brings me back to my childhood. Difference between then and now is you’re going to grate the cheese yourself and skip the powdered mix with preservatives. Sounds better already right? 😉
If you live in the South you might look at this and call it a Hamburger HotDish, whatever the name it is just delicious all the way around. In order to transition this to a dairy free version you could just use lactose free milk or plain almond. Daiya has a great cheese alternative that doesn’t melt as well but a close second.
What meat can you add to mac and cheese?
Anything goes as long as it is precooked or browned ahead of time. Here we show you how to add lean ground beef into macaroni and cheese together for dinner on the stove. I have added diced brisket, steak and even spicy sausage for a hearty meal too.
Variations
Want to add a bit of fun crunch to the top like our Taco Hamburger Helper? Crush some cheesy chips like Doritos and sprinkle a few on! Your kids will think you are the hero of the kitchen. 😉 You can use dairy free alternative for milk if you like. Spicy Jimmy Dean sausage vs. beef will add a lot of flavor. For lower fat this is How Long to Cook Ground Turkey
Just like with our Brisket Mac and Cheese recipe, you could use other proteins in this instead. If you have leftovers from the night before that may be Jimmy Dean sausage you bagged up that would work. Diced steak might be a nice tweak. I hate wasting food so I usually use what I have on hand before cooking new.
Oven Directions
If you wanted to make ground beef mac and cheese in the oven I have instructions for that as well. You would need to brown your meat and put a layer on the bottom of our Mac and Cheese with Heavy Cream ingredients to bake to a bubbly golden brown.
Air Fryer Method
If you wanted to make this in a smaller batch, inside a countertop appliance we have an answer to that too!! Use 1/2 cup of precooked meat on the bottom of the pot when you make Air Fryer Mac and Cheese and go from there.
Pressure Cooker Method
Last but certainly not least you can make Ninja Foodi Macaroni and Cheese this way. What I would do with this is to saute the meat, remove, set aside, make the pasta, and stir it in. Add more cheese on top to your liking until it is just right for your tastebuds. Always a family favorite dish for busy weeknights.
Made with Boxed Mac and Cheese
I mean of course you can make the boxed version from Kraft where you bring to a boil some water, soften noodles, and add powdered cheese sauce combined with cooked ground turkey or beef but we prefer from scratch if we have the time.
Mac and Cheese with Hamburger Meat Recipe
Equipment
- 1 skillet
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. ground beef, or sausage
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 1.5 cup beef broth
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 cup milk
- 2 cup elbow macaroni
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 pinch salt, to taste
- 2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet with high sides over medium high heat, then add diced onions, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and ground beef. Cook until meat is no longer pink. In a small dish pour in a bit of broth with your cornstarch and whisk until smooth, add into skillet.
- Pour remaining broth and milk in with meat with spices. Stir. Pour in uncooked macaroni noodles and gently submerge into liquid. Allow to bubble over medium heat until pasta is as tender as you'd like it to be. Turn heat off.
- Sprinkle in cheese 1 cup at a time stirring in to combine and melt. Taste, adjust salt and pepper as desired. Allow to sit for 5 minutes to thicken and then serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to save leftovers
Enjoy with your family and I will say it is almost better the next day! Save once it has cooled to room temperature in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Heat in microwave in 30 second increments stirring every time until warmed. Add additional cheese at the end to melt.
