BEST Cheeseburger Macaroni (Homemade Hamburger Helper)

Cheeseburger Macaroni is a creamy, flavorful, Homemade Hamburger Helper recipe that's comforting, all-natural, and easy to make from scratch!

If you enjoy comforting skillet dinners, you'll also love Easy Skillet Pastitsio, Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Skillet, and Skillet Shepherd's Pie!

Not even gonna lie...Hamburger Helper was one of my favorite dinners growing up. And if you had asked me my favorite flavor of Hamburger Helper back then, I would have had a hard time deciding between Lasagna and Cheeseburger Macaroni. I mean, what's not to love about beef and sauce and noodles? Simple, tasty, and a winner every time.

Unfortunately, when I had children of my own and felt the inexplicable pull to embark upon this whole 'real food kick,' boxed/processed dinners (like my beloved Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni) went by the wayside. And I totally missed 'em!

But one glorious day I realized that I could make Homemade Hamburger Helper...AKA, an all-natural version of Cheeseburger Macaroni. It seriously tastes even better with not much more effort than what came out of the smiley-faced, hand-bedecked box (which now seems a bit creepy, but maybe that's just me).

So would you like to join in on the deliciousness? Read on!

Why Make Homemade Hamburger Helper

This Cheeseburger Macaroni recipe simply tastes better than the boxed stuff, y'all. It's easy to make. And it contains nary a processed ingredient!

Its flavor is boosted by a few special ingredients, as explained below. But it's truly elevated by a homemade cheese sauce! You know, in lieu of powdered cheese questionableness... 😉

Ingredients

The ingredients required to make Homemade Hamburger Helper are pretty straightforward:

• Ground beef. AKA, the "hamburger" in Homemade Hamburger Helper.
• Garlic. Minced.
• Canned diced tomatoes. With the juices. Use fire-roasted for deeper flavor, or use petite diced if you have kiddos who are averse to large chunks of tomato in their food...not that I would know anything about that.
• Seasonings. Including paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and just a pinch of sugar to mellow out the acidity of the tomatoes.
• Beef broth. Lends extra flavor to this recipe, as opposed to using water. Use low-sodium beef broth in order to have more control over the saltiness of the dish. Or you may substitute water + Organic Better than Bouillon Beef Base if you don't want to open a whole carton of broth for just 2 cups.
• Elbow pasta. AKA, the "macaroni" in Cheeseburger Macaroni. Although you may certainly substitute another small pasta shape if you don't have macaroni on hand.
• Flour + butter. To make a roux...
• Milk. Which turns the roux into a sauce...
• Shredded sharp cheddar. To turn the sauce into cheese sauce!

How to Make Homemade Hamburger Helper

(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)

This Cheeseburger Macaroni starts just like the good ol' boxed dinner upon which it's modeled.

1. Brown the ground beef and add a few seasonings.

2. Stir in (undrained) diced tomatoes, beef broth, and macaroni.

3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cover the pan. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the macaroni is tender.

4. While the macaroni is cooking, prepare the cheese sauce. Yes, making your own cheese sauce does dirty up an additional pot...but it is so worth it! So go ahead and melt some butter over medium heat and whisk in a bit of flour.

5. Continue to whisk while slowly and gradually adding milk. Whisk until the sauce is smooth and thickened.

6. Remove the pot from the heat. Add grated cheese, ½ cup at a time, stirring until it's completely melted and smooth before adding more.
7. Once all of the cheese has been incorporated and the cheese sauce is smooth, stir in garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

8. Once the pasta is tender, fold the cheesy goodness into the beef/macaroni mixture and stir to combine.

It might not be much to look at, but it sure is delicious. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Substitutions

This Homemade Hamburger Helper recipe can easily be adjusted to make it gluten-free.

• Substitute the elbow macaroni for your favorite gluten-free pasta. It doesn't have to be shaped like elbow macaroni, but using another small shape (such as rotini) is recommended for a similar cooking time.
• When making the cheese sauce, use a gluten-free flour blend (I've successfully used this one) in place of the all-purpose flour.

Please...promise you'll make this soon. And don't be intimidated about the homemade cheese sauce step! It's really easy to make and it's the secret to putting this particular version of Cheeseburger Macaroni over the top.

Homemade Hamburger Helper is beyond creamy and cheesy. It's comfort on a plate. Quite frankly, it puts boxed Hamburger Helper to shame. And BONUS...no icky ingredients!

So what is/was your favorite variety of Hamburger Helper?

In case you're a fellow aficionado, be sure to see below where I've linked to a few other copycat flavors... 🙂

More Homemade Hamburger Helper Copycat Recipes

• "Rice Oriental" Hamburger Helper
• "Beef Taco" Hamburger Helper
• "Cheesy Enchilada" Hamburger Helper
• "Lasagna" Hamburger Helper

BEST Cheeseburger Macaroni (Homemade Hamburger Helper)

Cheeseburger Macaroni is a creamy, flavorful, copycat recipe of Homemade Hamburger Helper that's comforting, all-natural, and easy to make from scratch!

By Samantha Skaggs

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Calories: 440kcal

Print Pin Rate

Video

Ingredients

• 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 cup elbow macaroni

For the Cheese Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups milk, at room temperature
• 8 ounces (2 cups) sharp cheddar, freshly grated
• Garlic salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

• In a large skillet set over medium heat, brown ground beef and garlic; drain grease. Stir in paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, salt, and pepper. Mix in diced tomatoes, beef broth, and macaroni; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover pan. Simmer for 12 to 14 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until pasta is tender.
• While the beef/macaroni mixture is cooking, prepare the cheese sauce by placing a medium pot over medium-low to medium heat. Melt butter. Use a whisk to stir in flour, whisking continuously until light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Continue to whisk while slowly and gradually adding milk. Whisk until sauce is smooth and thickened, which should take around 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat. Add grated cheese, ½ cup at a time, stirring until completely melted and smooth before adding more. Once all cheese has been incorporated and the cheese sauce is smooth, stir in garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
• Once the pasta is tender, pour the cheese sauce over the ground beef/macaroni mixture and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Notes

• When making the cheese sauce, it's very important to remove the pot from the heat and then stir in the cheese slowly and gradually, as directed. If you don't make sure the cheese is completely melted and smooth before stirring in additional cheese, the cheese sauce may turn out lumpy.
• Also, using freshly grated cheese is highly recommended since it melts more smoothly than pre-grated cheese, which typically has anti-caking agents added to it.
• This Homemade Hamburger Helper can be made gluten-free by substituting gluten-free pasta (any small shape will work) and using a gluten-free flour for the cheese sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 440kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 800mg | Potassium: 762mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 957IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 382mg | Iron: 3mg

Made this recipe? I'd love to see on IG!Mention @FiveHeartHome or tag #FiveHeartHome!

Recipe adapted from Kevin & Amanda. Post originally published on September 8, 2015, and updated on January 22, 2018, August 22, 2020, and April 25, 2024.