Cheeseburger Mac
Introducing a tried and true comfort meal: cheeseburger Mac, aka Hamburger Helper. Creamy, cheesy and full of hamburger meat, this simple pasta dish is delicious and homey. It has minimal ingredients, nothing fancy, very flavorful and is my ideal bowl of comfort food!
This dish is inspired by none other than my store bought friend, Hamburger Helper. I grew up on that stuff. My dad made it for us kids ALL the time and I loved it. He always served it with crescent rolls and this cheeseburger mac makes me think of him! But now instead of having to buy the boxed version at the store, I have my own recipe for that childhood favorite and now you do too!
How to make cheeseburger mac:
Add the ground beef, onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper to a large, deep skillet. Brown the beef and then drain the fat one finished (OR you can sprinkle a couple tbsp of flour over the beef and mix, the flour will absorb the extra fat and you wont have to drain any flavor away!) Add tomato sauce, beef broth, milk and water for the liquids. Add the noodles, you can use any variety of short noodle. Give everything a good stir and make sure the noodles are covered by liquid. If you feel like you need to add another 1/2 cup of water or broth you can. You want the noodles to be just covered by the liquids. Cover with a lid and cook over low heat until the noodles are cooked and liquid has been absorbed. Final step, add the grated cheddar and it will all melt together! Top with plenty of fresh parsley!
I hope you all love this recipe! It’s a crowd pleaser, especially for the guys ;)
Cheeseburger Mac
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup copped onion
1 tsp garlic powder
3/4-1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup milk
1 cup beef broth
1 cup water
2 cups macaroni noodles, uncooked
1 1/2-2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese
Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large deep pan. Add the ground beef, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Brown the beef until there is no more pink. Drain the fat OR sprinkle in 1-2 tbsp of flour to soak it up.
To the ground beef, add the tomato sauce, milk, beef stock and water. Next add the uncooked noodles and stir everything together. Make sure the noodles are just covered by the liquids (if you have to add another 1/2 cup of water or broth that’s totally fine!) Cover with a lid and cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes until the noodles are cooked and liquid has been absorbed.
Add the cheddar cheese. Stir everything together until the cheese is melted. Top with fresh parsley.
