This easy Cheeseburger Macaroni recipe is the ultimate comfort food dinner, ready in just 30 minutes. Made with taco seasoning, ground beef, Rotel tomatoes, and lots of cheddar cheese, this cheeseburger mac is a hearty dinner full of beefy flavor!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni
This dish combines the comfort of classic macaroni and cheese with the zesty kick of Tex-Mex flavors. Here’s why you’ll love it:
- Flavor Fusion: Rotel tomatoes and taco seasoning are the perfect pair for this cheesy mac. Add some savory ground beef, and bacon if your up for it, to create a super satisfying dish.
- Total Comfort Food: Macaroni? Cheeseburgers? Tacos? They’re all so good – so why not put them together? It’s whole new level of comfort food, my friends.
- Easy to Make: Even if you’re not a very experienced cook, this recipe is simple to make with easy steps and simple ingredients.
- Versatile: You can easily customize this cheeseburger macaroni recipe to suit your preferences! Adjust the level of spiciness, experiment with different types of cheese, or even add extra ingredients like diced vegetables.
- Family-Friendly: With its big, bold flavor and kid-friendly macaroni base, this one’s perfect for family dinners. You can keep the spice mild for the little ones by using mild taco seasoning and mild canned Rotel.
It’s no secret that we love macaroni around here – be sure to check out this 15-minute homemade mac and cheese, extra cheesy baked mac and cheese, and our favorite mac and cheese with broccoli, too!
What You’ll Need
This recipe combines basic pantry ingredients to create the zestiest, cheesiest dinner ever. You probably have most of the ingredients on hand already! For full ingredient amounts and directions, scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Macaroni
- Bacon: Crispy bacon adds a flavorful crunch to the dish, but it’s optional.
- Ground Beef: I used lean ground beef, but if you use a fattier cut of beef, make sure to drain any excess grease. You can also use ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Taco Seasoning: Taco seasoning infuses the dish with a savory flavor.
- Rotel Tomatoes: Canned Rotel, a mix of diced tomatoes and green chilies, provides a zesty and slightly spicy kick. Use mild to keep this dish kid friendly, or original or hot variates to crank up the heat.
- Tomato Paste: Tomato paste adds depth of flavor and a touch of richness to the dish.
- Beef Broth: Beef broth adds more meaty flavor, but you could use chicken broth, or even water, if needed. This recipe will still be flavor-packed, trust me!
- Pasta: Elbow macaroni is the pasta of choice, however, any small pasta shape will work.
Cheese Sauce
- Butter and Flour: Cooking these two together makes a roux for thickening the sauce.
- Milk: Whole milk or evaporated milk will create the creamiest cheese sauce, but reduced fat will work in a pinch.
- Cream: Heavy cream adds a luxurious richness to the cheese sauce! You can substitute it for half-and-half.
- Cheese: Freshly shredded cheddar cheese is best. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in anti-caking agent that can overly thicken a sauce.
How to Make Cheeseburger Macaroni
You know what makes a recipe even better? When it’s so easy to make, you could do it in your sleep. Here are the basic steps:
- Prep the Ingredients: If you’re using bacon, cook it until crispy in a skillet and set it aside. Then brown the ground beef, breaking it up as you go. Sprinkle in the taco seasoning, Rotel, and tomato paste. Stir well.
- Add the Broth and Cook the Pasta: Pour the broth into the skillet, and bring everything to a simmer. Dump in the macaroni, and cook for 10 minutes (or until al dente).
- Make the Cheese Sauce: In a separate pan, melt the butter and stir in your flour. Cook this for a minute, stirring to make a smooth paste, and then whisk in the milk and cream. Cook this until thick. Finally, stir in the cheese.
- Finish the Dish: Pour that luscious cheese sauce over the cooked noodles, add half the bacon, and stir to combine. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the dish, top with the rest of the bacon, and cover the pan so the added cheese can melt.
- Enjoy!
Tips for Success
I hope you’re feeling inspired to try this family-friendly macaroni casserole – it really is so good, everyone will ask for it again and again. And these helpful tips will make it even better:
- Cheese Sauce: How thick should the sauce be? You’ll know it’s ready when you can run your finger down the middle of the spoon, and the sauce doesn’t run back together.
- Toppings: You can top this dish with some diced tomatoes, onions, and pickles to give it even more of a cheeseburger flavor!
- Spicy Flavor: If you wish to make this spicier, I recommend using a can of hot Rotel. However, when I make this, I usually go with the mild Rotel, so my kids can enjoy it too. If you want to add some heat just to your serving, we find hot sauce or crushed red pepper flakes to do the trick.
- Onion: If you would like to add onion, you can add the onion with the ground beef and sauté until tender, then continue. Yummy!
What Goes with this Cheeseburger Macaroni Recipe?
To continue the cheeseburger theme, you could make a nice, crisp iceberg wedge salad with this dish – so good. Other great options include…
- Green Beans: I have found that even anti-veggie eaters will go for green beans, and these Air Fryer Green Beans have extra flavor and crispiness that will tempt everyone at the table!
- Coleslaw: Spicy Mango Slaw is great with any dish that’s got a lot of cheesy, savory flavor. The cool, sweet, crunchy ingredients make the perfect contrast.
- Mushrooms: For those of you who love mushrooms, these Easy Roasted Mushrooms make a beautiful side dish at any meal.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Storing this dish is super easy – just cool it down, and then pack it into an airtight container. Store it in your fridge for up to five days. You can reheat it on the stove, microwave for 30-second bursts, or in the oven at 350°F, until warmed through.
Can I Freeze This Cheeseburger Mac And Cheese
Sure! Allow it to cool completely, and then portion it into individual servings (if you like – you can also freeze the whole thing). Package in airtight containers or freezer bags, mark with the date, and freeze the cheeseburger macaroni for up to three months. To serve it, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and then reheat it with a splash of milk or broth.
More Easy Pasta Dinners
- Creamy Ham Casserole
- Tuna Pasta Salad
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
- Creamy Tuna Macaroni Salad
- Chicken Alfredo
- Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
- Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Cheeseburger Macaroni
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon, optional
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 (1 oz) packet taco seasoning
- 1 (10 oz) can Rotel, mild, original, or hot
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 ½ cups elbow macaroni
Cheese Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon from the panand set aside. Drain the bacon drippings from the pan.
- Cook the ground beef, breaking it apart as it browns. Once cooked through, add the taco seasoning, rotel, and tomato paste. Stir well.
- Pour the broth into the skillet and heat till it begins to simmer, then add the macaroni. Cook for 10 minutes until the noodles are al dente.
- While the noodles are cooking, melt the butter in a small pan and stir in the flour. Cook for one minute.
- Then whisk in the milk and heavy cream. Cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in 2 cups of the cheese until melted and smooth.
- When the noodles are tender, pour the cheese sauce over the noodles, add half the bacon and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese over the noodles and top with the remaining bacon. Place a lid on the pan and allow the cheese to melt. Serve immediately!
Notes
Nutrition
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