Cheeseburger Macaroni
Cheeseburger macaroni baked into a wholesome, comforting hamburger casserole. This ground beef casserole is the perfect lightened-up comfort food recipe.
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Servings: 8 people
Calories: 563kcal
Equipment
- 5 1/2 quart dutch oven
- Whisk
- 9 x 13 casserole dish
Ingredients
- 1 lb whole grain elbow macaroni or shells
For the ground beef
- 1 lb 90% lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon hamburger seasoning
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
For the sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter salted or unsalted
- 1/4 cup flour can use gluten-free
- 3 cups 1% milk
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups shredded cheddar
- 1/2 cup grated romano cheese
- salt as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Bring to a boil a large pot of salted water. Add the macaroni and cook for 5 minutes. The macaroni will still have a bite to it.
- Drain the pasta and place it into a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat. Break the meat into small pieces as it cooks when there's a little bit of pink left; stir in the hamburger seasoning, granulated garlic, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.
- Place the cooked seasoned ground beef into the casserole dish with the macaroni.
- Use the same pot that you used to make the macaroni to make the sauce. Start by melting the butter over low heat.
- Quickly whisk in the flour until it forms a paste, and then whisk in the chicken stock and milk.
- Stir in the granulated garlic, onion, and black pepper. Cook sauce over medium until it becomes bubbly and starts to thicken. This can take 10 minutes; whisk every few minutes so the flour or milk doesn't stick and burn at the bottom.
- Once the sauce begins to bubble (not boil), remove from heat and slowly stir in cheddar and romano cheese. Taste for salt. Add 1/2 teaspoon at a time until you get the desired flavor.
- Add the sauce into the casserole dish with the pasta and beef and stir until pasta and beef is coated with sauce.
- Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes.Let sit for about 5 minutes and then serve.
Video
Notes
Serving size is 1 and 1/4 cups
Storage tips
To meal prep for the week
- Bake it entirely ahead of time and then store it in the refrigerator to enjoy. Reheat in the microwave on the night you eat it. I prefer using glass meal prep containers because it helps keep this recipe fresh longer.
- Assemble the ingredients ahead of time (without baking), cover the casserole, and store in the refrigerator until you want to bake it during the week. I recommend baking within a couple of days of preparing the ingredients. Keep in mind; you might need to add on a little more cooking time because the recipe will be cold.
- Prepare components of the recipe ahead of time. For example, you can cook the beef and pasta in advance. Then on the day you're going to eat, all you need to do is cook the sauce, put it together, and bake.
- Bake the hamburger casserole and freeze it into portions for quick lunches or dinners. Store in glass containers or use a silicone tray (like Souper Cubes) to freeze into individual portions. Reheat in the microwave using a microwave-safe dish
- Assemble the ingredients into a casserole dish or disposable dish, cover with foil, and freeze. Place the casserole into refrigerate to thaw for 1-2 days before continuing with the recipe. You will probably need to add extra cooking time if the cheeseburger macaroni bake still seems a little frozen.
- Freeze casserole components separately. For example, cook the ground beef and sauce and place them into bags or containers and freeze. Thaw in the microwave or on the stove, make the pasta, assemble the casserole, and bake.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 563kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 901mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 6g