Baked Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese
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Baked Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese Recipe
I was looking for a new idea for a mac and cheese recipe. I had been loving cheeseburgers lately, and I thought why not put the goodness of a juicy burger into a mac and cheese? And here you go, it turned out absolutely amazing! This is the ultimate homemade hamburger recipe!
I didn’t start eating cheeseburgers till a few years ago because of cultural reasons. Same with mac and cheese actually. I’ve only ever had the Kraft KD once ever! It was okay, I guess, but I wasn’t a big fan. My first cheeseburger ever was from McDonald’s. That was also all right, but ever since then I’ve loved making my own cheeseburgers! If you want to see how I make my classic cheeseburger, then be sure to check out my Classic American Cheeseburger recipe! Now, I do have to admit I’ve never actually tried a Hamburger Helper, however, but it does look good! I figured I should just try to make it myself and avoid the boxed stuff!
In this Baked Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese Casserole recipe, I’m really letting the meat and tomato sauce shine here. I pair it with some amazing cheddar cheese chunks that get so molten and creamy in the oven.
If you’re looking for a cheeseburger in a pasta, then this recipe is definitely for you! I’d say this mighty combination is comfort food its its best!
What’s also great about this recipe is that the clean-up is next to none! If you want to dirty less dishes, you could bake your mac and cheese in the same skillet you used on the stove, provided it’s oven-safe. Because I love the personal-sized casseroles, however, I chose to do that extra step. If you’re making this for a large crowd, you could also use a large casserole dish. Either way, I barely had any clean-up and dinner was ready in no time!
I also recommend you watch the recipe video at the bottom of this post! The video will show you exactly how to cook the sauce and how to assemble your casserole! Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel if you’re not already! I also recommend that you hit the bell icon, you’ll be notified every time the corresponding video goes live with the written blog post! I love filming the recipes since I find watching the demonstration is a nice complement to the written recipe and you’re set up for success! Let’s get cooking!
Ingredients in homemade hamburger helper
You won’t need much to make this Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese! Remember, the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD for all ingredient quantities and step by step instructions. You can save the recipe for later, and it’s so easy to scale the ingredient quantities based on how many casseroles you’re making! You can make a single portion if you have a personal-sized casserole, or double or even quadruple the recipe and add to a large casserole if you’re serving for a crowd!
Here’s what you’ll need:
Ground beef
Cheddar cheese
Onion
Passata, or strained tomatoes
Cloves of garlic
Habanero Tabasco sauce (or any hot sauce)
If you don’t have Habanero Tobasco sauce, don’t worry! Any hot sauce will work, but I initially made this recipe using the Habanero Tobasco and love the combination! You’ll see in the pictures below I actually am using a Cajun hot sauce.
However, I strongly recommend the Worcestershire sauce. I use this to make my classic beef patty in my cheeseburger recipe and it makes a world of a difference. The flavour of the ground beef, combine with the rich tomato sauce and the cheddar cheese totally complete this dish. So go get some if you don’t have it already, trust me!
How to Make Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Boil water in a large pot. Once it’s boiling, season with generously with salt. This will be the seasoning for your pasta.
Then, add your pasta to the water and cook until al dente.
2. Heat a pan on medium heat and drizzle some olive oil. Once hot, add onions.
Cook for 3-4 minutes or until they become translucent. Then add garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the ground beef and mix well. Break down and lumps and cook until the meat is no longer pink.
4. Add passata and mix well for 5-6 minutes or until the sauce becomes thick and the oil releases from the sides of the pan.
5. Add a few drops of Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce (or any hot sauce).
Cook for 2-3 minutes, then transfer the macaroni into the pan and mix well.
6. Transfer the pasta to a personal-sized casserole, or a large casserole, depending on the amount of pasta you’re making.
Fill the casseroles halfway. Add a few pieces of cheddar cheese, gently pressing them into the pasta. Layer with more pasta, and top the casseroles with a few more pieces of cheddar cheese.
7. Add your casserole to the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes, depending on how gooey you want your cheese. I prefer to bake more toward 12 minutes, because the meat sauce will form a nice crust while still having gooey cheese.
Serve hot and enjoy a cheeseburger in pasta!
Watch How to Make Baked Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese Here:
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