Skillet Hamburger Mac and Cheese

Homemade skillet hamburger mac and cheese made from scratch recipe here. Elbow macaroni and cheese with ground beef is a cheap one pot meal. Like our Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni but made on the stovetop.

Hamburger and Mac and Cheese

Made on the stove, this is like our Crockpot Hamburger Helper but with cheese and made fast. 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? 😉

Hamburger Macaroni and Cheese

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.

• 1/2 lb. ground beef or sausage
• 2 c elbow macaroni
• Onion diced
• 1.5 c beef broth
• Milk
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• Garlic powder
• Sugar
• 1 tsp paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste

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. 😉

Just like with our Leftover 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.

Mac and Cheese with Hamburger

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.

• Heat a large skillet with high sides over medium high heat, then add diced onions, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and ground meat of your choice.
  • beef is used most often
  • I love Jimmy Dean spicy sausage for some heat
  • or for lower fat this is How Long to Cook Ground Turkey
• 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.

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.

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.

Hamburger Meat with Mac and Cheese

Our 4th way to make this same dish in a different way is to make Mac and Cheese in the Microwave and then fold in your cooked ground proteins. A great way to make this Old Fashioned dish if you are in a hotel room where all you are able to do is nuke food.

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.

I mean of course you can make the boxed version where you bring to a boil some water, soften noodles, and add powdered cheese sauce combined with cooked ground turkey or beef. That is last on the list for desired cheeseburger macaroni recipes over here.

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