• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
My Dinner Recipes
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
×

Home » 30-Minutes or Less

Cheeseburger Macaroni Skillet

January 11, 2023 by Tayler Ross 5 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Hubby has been bugging me to make Hamburger Helper for years. He has fond memories as a child stemming Cheeseburger Macaroni Skillet from a box of dry pasta and powdered cheese.

overhead shot of hamburger helper in skillet with text overlay for facebook

I just couldn’t bring myself to buy the box and low and behold, it actually takes the same amount of time to make it from scratch. Powdered cheese? Please!

Cheeseburger Macaroni Skillet is a great ground beef recipe with plenty of cheddar cheese, seasonings and tomatoes all ready in 20-minutes! Perfect for busy nights.

Pasta boils in the same cast iron skillet with beef broth, infusing an immense amount of flavor into the pasta itself. The residual liquid is what creates the decadent cheese sauce that clings to crumbled ground beef and swirly pasta.

straight on shot of spoon full of cheeseburger macaroni skillet

I didn’t have much to compare my Hamburger Helper Skillet to, as I never had the box mix, but I have to admit, it was pretty good! I paired it with a nice green salad with Creamy Italian Dressing and sprinkled a quality Maldon sea salt over top.

The fanciest Hamburger Helper you’ve eaten!

I used sharp cheddar cheese and elbow macaroni noodles, but feel free to create your own copycat Hamburger Helper and use any type of pasta you’d like and change up the cheese.

You can even use a cheese blend, cleaning out all the odds and ends in your cheese drawer.

bowl of hamburger helper

Cheeseburger Macaroni Skillet Ingredients

This simple ingredient list can easily be found at your local grocery store. It’s such a quick and easy recipe to get on the dinner table for busy weeknights. Check the recipe card below for full measurements.

  • Butter – I always opt to use unsalted butter when cooking. That way I can control the amount of salt that goes into this cheeseburger macaroni hamburger helper.
  • Ground beef – I like to use a lean ground beef just to make this homemade hamburger helper recipe a little healthier. I suppose you could use any ground meat you’d like. Ground turkey or ground chicken would also work well.
  • Salt and pepper – A mix of coarse sea salt and ground black pepper is what I prefer to use. If you use salted butter, go ahead and omit the salt altogether.
  • Seasonings – Besides the salt and pepper, all we need to season this meal is garlic powder and onion powder. Simple seasonings that you already have in your spice cabinet.
  • Beef broth – I prefer to use low sodium because it keeps the salt content down. But you can also use chicken broth, chicken stock or vegetable broth if needed and in a pinch.
  • Elbow macaroni – Elbow macaroni pasta is the traditional shape for eating hamburger helper. But check the section below for other options.
  • Whole milk – Whole milk helps to keep this cheese sauce thick. But if you find the sauce is too thick, just add a splash of water. And if it’s too thin, just add some corn starch. You can also use heavy cream.
  • Cheddar cheese – The best part about this family favorite is that is uses real cheese to flavor the sauce rather than the cheesy sauce packet from the boxed stuff. There are no artificial flavors like from the cheesy sauce mix of the boxed version.
  • Petite diced tomatoes – If you have picky eaters, you can leave out the tomatoes if you’d like. I just like the flavor and dimension they bring to this homemade version. You could also use tomato paste to prevent there from being chunks in your cheeseburger macaroni skillet recipe.
close up of wooden spoon full of cheeseburger macaroni skillet

How to Make Cheeseburger Macaroni Skillet

  1. In a large skillet, preferably cast iron, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the ground beef, salt, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder, breaking ground beef as it cooks. Cook beef until brown on all sides.
  2. Drain any excess grease. Stir in the uncooked elbow macaroni and beef broth. Spread evenly in the pan, simmering on low. Stir twice to ensure all of the pasta has had a chance to soak up the broth. Simmer until pasta is al dente.
  3. Fold in the milk and cheese until incorporated and cheesy. Fold in drained tomatoes.
ground beef browning in skillet
broth poured into macaroni and ground beef
tomatoes added to hamburger helper

Variations

Put your own twist on one of your childhood favorites. I like this recipe the way it is written, but there are plenty of ways to make it your own.

  • Make it spicy – Sprinkle in some red pepper flakes or hot sauce to take the heat up a notch for this comfort food.
  • Meat – You can substitute the ground beef for ground chicken or turkey instead if you’d like to use a lean meat.
  • Pasta – Although elbow pasta is the traditional pasta shape for this dish, you can use any pasta you have on hand. Preferably a hollow pasta to soak up that creamy cheese sauce. A larger pasta might not work great.
  • Greens – Top this dish with some fresh parsley to add some color. You can also serve with a fresh green salad to add some veggies to this one-pot meal.
  • Flavor – Consider adding some worcestershire sauce or even montreal steak seasoning to this classic comfort dish for even more flavor and deliciousness.
overhead shot of cheeseburger macaron skillet in bowl

Storage and Freezing

Storage: You can store leftover hamburger helper in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay good for up to three to four days.

Freezing: I do not recommend freezing this recipe. Cooked pasta doesn’t thaw at the same texture as before.

collage of cheeseburger macaroni skillet for pinterest

More Easy Dinner Recipes

  • Easy Fettuccine Alfredo
  • Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
  • French Onion Baked Chicken
  • Teriyaki Meatballs
Chicken Taco Soup
With diced tomatoes, corn, and a creamy broth, your whole family will enjoy this quick and easy Chicken Taco Soup Recipe for dinner!
overhead shot of chicken taco soup in bowl
Zucchini Taco Boats
These Zucchini Taco boats are a great way to enjoy that taco flavor you love, while also keeping dinner on the healthier side.
diagonal shot of zucchini taco boats
Crock Pot Beef and Noodles Recipe
With chunks of tender beef, egg noodles and gravy to cover it all, this Crock Pot Beef and Noodles recipe is the ultimate comfort food.
beef and noodles in crock pot
wooden spoon in cheeseburger macaroni skillet with text overlay for pinterest
close up of wooden spoon full of cheeseburger macaroni skillet

Cheeseburger Macaroni Skillet

Cheeseburger Macaroni Skillet is a  great ground beef recipe with cheddar cheese, seasonings and tomatoes all ready in 20 minutes!
5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 904 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 4 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth
  • 16 ounces dry elbow macaroni
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese grated
  • 16 ounces petite diced tomatoes drained

Instructions
 

  • In a large skillet, preferably cast iron, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the ground beef, salt, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder, breaking ground beef as it cooks. Brown on all sides, approximately 5-7 minutes.
  • Drain any excess fat, if there is just a little, don’t worry about it. Stir in the uncooked elbow macaroni and beef broth. Spread evenly in the pan, simmering on low. Stir twice to ensure all of the pasta has had a chance to soak up the broth. Simmer for 7-9 minutes, or until pasta is al dente.
  • Fold in the milk and cheese until incorporated and cheesy. Fold in drained tomatoes.
  • If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.

Nutrition

Calories: 904kcalCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 51gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 155mgSodium: 1187mgPotassium: 1281mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 666IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 393mgIron: 5mg
Keyword cheeseburger macaroni skillet, hamburger helper
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dana Sandonato

    January 12, 2023 at 3:46 pm

    5 stars
    The ULTIMATE comfort food! And something my kid will actually EAT! The leftovers are awesome, too. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  2. Traci

    January 12, 2023 at 4:15 pm

    5 stars
    So much yes!! I love how easy this is and of course, it takes me right back to childhood, only it’s better than that stuff LOL. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  3. Beth

    January 12, 2023 at 4:27 pm

    5 stars
    We can’t get hamburger helper here in the Uk (thank goodness!). This recipe sounds delicious, my kids are going to love it!

    Reply
  4. Wanda

    January 12, 2023 at 4:44 pm

    5 stars
    My kids loved this dish so much they even had seconds! Sent leftovers in their school lunch and they ate it all! Delicious.

    Reply
  5. Kathleen

    January 12, 2023 at 4:51 pm

    5 stars
    Nothing beats homemade comfort food like this classic cheeseburger macaroni skillet. It looks fantastic and is perfect for my family.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore. We are bringing fun back into the kitchen by promoting family dinner, making a meal as a family and enjoying the time doing it. Jessica is a cookbook author and Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School certified recipe developer. See her work in Parade Magazine,Better Homes & Gardens, Mashed, AllRecipes AllStars and The Daily Meal Food + Travel and more!

For all things savory, make sure to visit our sister site, SavoryExperiments.com.

savory experiments logo

Trending Recipes

  • Creamy Tuscan Chicken
  • Fresh Salmon Cakes
  • French Onion Baked Chicken

Footer

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure
  • Accessibility Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact
  • About

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2022 Best Dinner Recipes

↑ back to top