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Hamburger Mac and Cheese is homemade Hamburger Helper without the seasoning packet, and it is the version my kids ask for on repeat. Ground beef, macaroni, and a creamy cheddar sauce cook together in one pot in about 30 minutes, with ingredients I can actually pronounce. It packs up beautifully for lunch the next day, too.
More ground beef pasta dinners: Beefaroni | Simple Chili Mac | One Pot Taco Mac and Cheese
My kids request homemade Hamburger Helper all the time, and I appreciate being able to make it with ingredients I can actually pronounce. This version is similar to the Cheeseburger Mac you’ll see on the shelves, but it is made with real, whole ingredients.
Try This Next: My Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta is simple and FULL of flavor, and no one ever turns down seconds of my One Pot Cheesy Smoked Sausage Pasta Skillet!
Pin this recipe for later!Before You Get Started
This is a fast recipe, but the cheese sauce is where it can go sideways. These three things make the difference between silky and grainy.
- Grate your own cheese: Pre-shredded cheese is coated in starch to keep it from clumping in the bag, and that same coating keeps it from melting smoothly.
- Take the pot off the heat before the cheese goes in: Direct heat causes the cheese to break and turn oily. Residual heat is plenty to melt it.
- Set the milk and broth out ahead of time: Cold liquid hitting hot beef fat makes it seize and solidify. Measure both into one large cup while the beef browns and they will be close enough to room temperature by the time you need them.
RECIPE WALK-THROUGH
How to Make Hamburger Mac and Cheese
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Everything happens in one Dutch oven, including the pasta. No colander, no second pot, no draining.
1. Brown the ground beef
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat with a drizzle of oil, then add the ground beef and season it with salt.
Break it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks and stop when most of the pink is gone. Use 85/15 here. It has enough fat for flavor without leaving a pool of grease you have to deal with.
- Protein Swaps: Ground turkey or ground chicken work well and run a little leaner. Add an extra drizzle of oil to make up for the lower fat.
2. Cook the onion and garlic
Add the diced onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until it turns soft and translucent and loses its raw bite.
Stir in the garlic and give it about 30 seconds, only long enough to smell it. Garlic burns fast at this heat and turns bitter when it does.
3. Add the liquids and pasta
Stir in the Dijon, then pour in the chicken broth and milk and add the dry macaroni. Bring it up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom.
Pull the pasta when it is al dente with a little bite left. It keeps cooking in the residual heat while you finish the sauce, so this is the easiest place to overshoot into mushy.
The chicken broth keeps things on the lighter side. Beef broth works if you want a deeper, more savory result.
Prefer a tomato base? Stir in two tablespoons of tomato paste with the Dijon, or go with my Cheesy Ground Beef and Tomato Pasta Skillet instead.
4. Melt in the cheese
Take the pot off the heat, then add the cream cheese, cheddar, colby jack, parmesan, and black pepper.
Stir steadily until everything melts into a smooth sauce. It will look thin at this stage, which is exactly right.
5. Finish and serve
Stir in the heavy cream, then taste and adjust the salt and pepper. If it feels too thick, add a splash of milk. The sauce thickens quite a bit as it stands, so err on the loose side rather than the tight side.
Serve hot, garnished with extra cheese and fresh parsley or chives.
- Vegetables Add-Ins: Saute sliced mushrooms with the onions, or stir in steamed broccoli or frozen mixed vegetables right at the end.
When you have a pound of ground beef and no plan, my collection of Simple Ground Beef Recipes has dinner covered.
What to Serve It With
This is a rich, cheesy, carb-forward dinner, so something green and simple will pair well. A quick vegetable takes about as long as the pasta does, which means dinner still lands in 30 minutes.
If you are feeding a crowd or the kids skipped lunch, bread turns it into a proper meal.
- Garlic Green Beans
- Oven Roasted Broccoli
- Honey Roasted Carrots
- Side Salad
- Cheesy Garlic Bread
- Buttery Frozen Dinner Rolls
Storage Tips
The Best Way to Store Leftovers
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 to 5 days. This one holds up better than most pasta dishes, which is why it goes into lunch containers at my house.
Reheating: Warm gently in the microwave or on the stovetop. The sauce tightens considerably in the fridge, so add a splash or two of milk and stir it through as it heats to bring the creaminess back.
Freezer: Cool completely, then transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw fully in the refrigerator before reheating, and expect to need a little extra milk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my cheese sauce turn out grainy?
Two usual culprits. Pre-shredded cheese carries a starchy anti-caking coating that prevents smooth melting, so grating it off the block matters here. The other is heat. If the pot is still on the burner when the cheese goes in, the cheese breaks and turns oily instead of creamy. Pull it off the heat first and let the residual warmth do the work.
Can I make this without heavy cream?
Yes. Skip the cream and use an equal amount of whole milk instead. The sauce will be slightly less rich but still creamy, and a reader who tried it this way reported it worked out great. Do not skip the cream cheese, though. That one is doing real structural work in the sauce.
Can I use a different pasta shape?
Shells, rotini, and other short shapes all work. Just keep an eye on the liquid, because larger shapes absorb more of it and can leave the sauce tight. Start with the amounts as written, then loosen with a splash of milk at the end if you need to.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes, as long as your pot is big enough that the pasta sits in the liquid rather than piling above it. Use a large Dutch oven or stockpot, keep the ingredient ratios the same, and expect the simmer to run a couple minutes longer. Stir more often than you think you need to, since a deeper pot means more chance of sticking on the bottom.
More Mac and Cheese Recipes to Try
- Spaghetti Mac and Cheese
- Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese
- Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese
- Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Hamburger Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- Canola oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 small yellow onion finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups whole milk room temperature
- 3 cups dry macaroni noodles or any short pasta
- 2 ounces cream cheese room temp, cubed
- 1 ½ cups freshly shredded block medium cheddar cheese
- 1 cup freshly shredded block colby jack cheese
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Black pepper to taste
- Optional garnish: Freshly minced parsley or chives
Instructions
- Measure the milk and broth into a large measuring cup and set aside so they come to room temperature.
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add a drizzle of oil, followed by the ground beef. Season with salt and cook, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon, until most of the pink is gone.
- Add the onions and cook until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- Stir in the Dijon, chicken broth, milk, and pasta. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the cream cheese, cheddar, colby jack, Parmesan, and black pepper, stirring until fully melted and smooth.
- Stir in the heavy cream. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of milk. It will thicken considerably as it stands.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately, garnished with extra cheese and fresh parsley or chives if desired.
Notes
- Grate your own cheese: Pre-shredded cheese has a starchy coating that keeps it from melting smoothly.
- Remove the pot from the heat before adding the cheese. Direct heat causes it to break and turn oily.
- Set the milk and broth out ahead of time. Cold liquid hitting hot beef fat causes the fat to seize and solidify.
- 85/15 ground beef is the sweet spot. Enough fat for flavor without excess grease to drain.
- Pull the pasta at al dente. It continues cooking in the residual heat while the cheese melts in.
- The sauce thickens as it stands, so finish it slightly looser than you want it.
- No heavy cream? Substitute an equal amount of whole milk. Keep the cream cheese either way.
- Ground turkey or ground chicken can be swapped in. Add an extra drizzle of oil to compensate for the lower fat.
- For a tomato version, stir 2 tablespoons of tomato paste in with the Dijon.
- Leftovers: Store in the refrigerator up to 4 to 5 days, or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat gently with a splash of milk.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Great, simple recipe. I had no cream, so only used milk. Was still delicious. Next time, I will maybe add a veg or 2. Thanks!
You are so welcome Laura! Thanks for stopping by.