This One Skillet Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese is an easy one-pan dinner made with ground beef, elbow macaroni, cheddar and American cheese, onion, garlic, and a ketchup-mustard base that gives it all the flavor of a classic cheeseburger.
Everything cooks in a single skillet — pasta included — so cleanup is minimal.
It’s a weeknight staple. Ready in under 30 minutes and filling enough that nobody asks what’s for dessert.
I usually serve it straight from the pan with sliced pickles on the side, or pair it with garlic butter noodles when I’m feeding a bigger group alongside it. For more easy pasta ideas, check out this cheesy tuna noodle casserole.
If you like quick one-skillet dinners, these are worth saving:
- Quick Garlic Butter Noodles
- Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole with Peas
- Macaroni Tuna Casserole Bake
- 10 Quick Costco Rotisserie Chicken Recipes
Ingredients You’ll Need
The mix of cheddar and American cheese is intentional — American melts cleaner and keeps the sauce from going grainy. Ground turkey works as a beef swap if that’s what you have, though it’s a bit leaner and less rich.
Print
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef (80/20)
2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded American cheese
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups beef broth
1 cup whole milk
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
Directions
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks.
Season with the salt, pepper, and paprika. Cook until no pink remains, about 6-8 minutes.
Drain excess fat but leave about a tablespoon in the pan u002du002d that fat carries a lot of flavor. - Add the diced onion to the beef and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.
Add the garlic and cook one more minute, just until fragrant.
The onion picks up all the browned bits from the meat as it softens, which adds a lot of depth to the final dish. - Stir in the ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
Let them cook for about 30 seconds, stirring to coat the meat and onion.
This is what gives the dish its cheeseburger flavor u002du002d don’t skip it. - Add the uncooked macaroni, beef broth, and milk. Stir to combine.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, cover the skillet, and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
You’re looking for the pasta to be tender and most of the liquid absorbed u002du002d not completely dry, but not soupy either. - Remove the skillet from heat. Add the cheddar and American cheese in two or three additions, stirring between each until melted and smooth.
The sauce thickens as it sits, so if it looks a little loose at first, give it a minute.
Stir in the drained diced tomatoes and taste for seasoning. - Serve warm directly from the skillet, topped with sliced pickles and green onions if you like.
- Serve and enjoy!
Important Recipe Notes
- Use 80/20 ground beef. The fat content is what gives you a flavorful brown on the meat. Leaner beef works but the dish ends up tasting a bit flat by comparison.
- Don’t skip the mustard and ketchup. These are the two ingredients that make this taste like a cheeseburger. Without them it’s just beefy mac and cheese, which is fine, but not the same.
- Add cheese off the heat. Stirring in cheese while the skillet is still hot and on the burner can cause it to break or go grainy. Pull the pan off the heat first, then add the cheese in two or three additions.
- Liquid ratio matters. Two cups of broth plus one cup of milk is the sweet spot for cooking the pasta through without leaving it too wet. If your pasta is tender but there’s still too much liquid, cook uncovered on medium for another 2-3 minutes.
- Storage. Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. It thickens as it sits — add a splash of milk or broth when reheating to loosen it back up.
- Make it spicier. Add a pinch of cayenne or a splash of hot sauce with the ketchup and mustard. Pickled jalapenos on top also work well.
How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe
Serving: Serve straight from the skillet while it’s hot. Sliced dill pickles on top add a nice tang that cuts through the richness. Diced green onions and a little extra shredded cheddar are good additions too.
Storing: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The pasta absorbs the sauce as it sits, so add a splash of milk or broth when reheating and stir over medium-low heat until creamy again. Microwaving works too — just cover and stir halfway through.
Customizing: Ground turkey or Italian sausage both work in place of beef. For a spicier version, add a pinch of cayenne with the mustard and ketchup. You can also stir in a handful of baby spinach at the end of cooking — it wilts right into the sauce and adds some green without changing the flavor much.
One Skillet Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese
Course: Recipes4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalIngredients
1 lb ground beef (80/20)
2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded American cheese
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups beef broth
1 cup whole milk
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
Directions
- Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, seasoning with salt, pepper, and paprika. Drain most of the fat.
- Add diced onion and cook 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Stir in ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook 30 seconds.
- Add uncooked macaroni, beef broth, and milk. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook on medium for 10-12 minutes until pasta is tender.
- Off heat, stir in cheeses in batches until melted and smooth. Add drained diced tomatoes and adjust seasoning.
- Serve warm topped with pickles and green onions.
Notes
- Use lean ground beef if you want less grease. If using regular ground beef, drain the extra fat before adding the pasta and sauce ingredients.
- Small pasta shapes work best, such as elbow macaroni, shells, rotini, or small penne. They cook evenly in one skillet and hold the cheesy sauce well.
- Add more broth or milk if the pasta absorbs too much liquid before it becomes tender.
- For a creamier texture, use freshly shredded cheese instead of pre-shredded cheese. Cheddar, Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, or American cheese all work well.
