Cheeseburger Macaroni

Cheeseburger macaroni baked into a wholesome, comforting hamburger casserole. This ground beef casserole is the perfect lightened-up comfort food recipe.

There’s nothing better than a good old-fashioned mac and cheese when it comes to comfort food! Am I right? Now add some juicy hamburger to it, and OMG, we got cheeseburger macaroni! This macaroni bake is also called ground beef casserole, but whatever it’s called, trust me, you need this healthy comfort food recipe.

Of course, homemade cheeseburger macaroni isn’t the first on the list of recipes we think of when trying to eat healthier clean foods. However, you don’t need to entirely right it off either.

The key to fitting comforting casseroles into your healthy lifestyle is portion control and preparing it with more nutritious ingredients.

Reasons you’ll love this recipe

• Healthy comfort food. Clean wholesome ingredients are the stars in this classic cheesy casserole recipe.
• Family-friendly. You won’t hear any complaints when this cheeseburger macaroni is on the menu!
• Feed a crowd. Make this easy and delicious cheeseburger mac for your next party!
• Make-ahead. Make on Sunday for dinner during the week or freeze for an easy dinner later on. This hamburger casserole is also a great freezer meal to give a new mom.

Ingredients

• Ground beef. I use a lean 90/10 organic ground beef for this recipe.
• Hamburger Seasoning. Hamburger spice gives the meat a “hamburger” flavor. You can find this spice blend in the grocery stores with other spices. 
• Granulated garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper. These spices add another layer of flavor.
• Worcestershire Sauce. One of my favorite ingredients when making ground beef recipes to enhance the flavor. 
• Whole grain elbow macaroni or shells. Any short pasta will work in this recipe.
• Butter and flour. This is for making the roux to thicken the sauce for the casserole.
• Milk and chicken stock. To reduce calories, I use 1% milk and chicken stock. You can also use unsweetened coconut milk for a dairy-free substitute, and beef broth or any stock will work.
• Shredded cheddar cheese and grated Romano. What’s a cheeseburger without cheese? We love sharp cheddar cheese in this recipe for creaminess, and the romano adds a little more cheesy flavor.

Cooking Tips

• Only cook the pasta for 5 minutes. The pasta will still have a bite to it but, don’t worry, it will cook as it bakes in the sauce.
• Any short pasta will work fine. I’ve used everything from shells, corkscrew, elbows, fusilli, and bow ties. Use whatever you want.
• You can make this gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta, tapioca flour, and gluten-free spices. 
• I’ve made this with gluten-free pasta before, and it turned out great.
• If you don’t want to use dairy milk, then unsweetened coconut milk works great. I haven’t made this with vegan cheese, but if you try it, let me know.
• Sharp cheddar works perfectly in this recipe but experiment with all of your favorite cheeses.
• Speaking of cheese, if you have time, shred your cheese. I know it’s easier to purchase bags of shredded cheddar, and I do more often than not, but shredding sharp cheddar fresh brings this dish over the top.

Healthy Substitutions

• In my experience, the higher quality of the meat, the better your recipe will be. For the beef, I used 90% lean organic ground beef. I’ve also made this with ground turkey – this brings the saturated fat content way down. However, my family prefers beef in this recipe, so I use lean organic grass-fed beef.
• Make it gluten-free by using gluten-free flour and pasta. Also, make sure to check all of the other ingredients to ensure there is no cross-contamination.
• You can use low-fat cheese. I use whole-fat shredded cheese because it melts better and is healthier because low-fat cheese is filled with fillers and junk. However, if you want to cut calories and fat, you can use light cheese. 

Serving Suggestions

This cheeseburger macaroni bake recipe makes about 8 (1 1/4 cup) servings. I know that might not seem like a lot per serving, especially when you want to eat the whole pan but, trust me, it’s plenty. 

You can also bulk up your plate with some of these healthy vegetable side dishes:

• Roasted asparagus
• Roasted broccoli
• Roasted carrots
• Green or Caesar salad

Shop the recipe

• 5 1/2 Quart Dutch Oven
• Large skillet
• Whisk 
• 9 x 13 Ceramic Casserole Dish

My Favorite Dutch Oven!

How to Make the Cheeseburger Macaroni

• 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 and place 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 coats 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.

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. 

To freeze

• 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.

For more tips, see my tutorial on freezing casseroles.

Other Healthy Casseroles

• Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese
• Chicken Broccoli Bake
• Healthy Baked Ziti
• Quinoa Broccoli Bake
• Cajun Chicken Quinoa Bake

Did you make this recipe?

Have you tried this Cheeseburger Macaroni? If so, I’d love for you to rate this recipe and leave a comment below. We all learn from each other’s experiences. Also, it would be awesome if you could share a picture on Instagram and tag it #organizeyourselfskinny. I can’t wait to see it!