One Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni

One Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni is pure comfort in a skillet! This easy, cheesy dinner has all the flavors of your favorite cheeseburger mixed with creamy, tender macaroni. Ground beef, gooey cheddar, and simple pantry ingredients come together in just one pot for minimal cleanup and MAXIMUM flavor.

Love More Pasta Recipes? Try My Creamy Mac and Cheese Recipe or this Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Creamy, cheesy, and full of classic comfort, this One Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni is a homemade twist on a favorite weeknight meal. Juicy ground beef, tender pasta, and melted cheese come together in one pan for an easy, flavorful dish. It’s rich, satisfying, and ready in no time—perfect for busy nights.

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Ingredient List

For the Base:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

Seasonings & Flavor Boosters:

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (or yellow mustard for milder flavor)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Liquids & Pasta:

• 2 cups beef broth (or chicken/vegetable broth)
• 1 cup milk (whole or 2% – don’t go skim on me!)
• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (or shells, penne, fusilli)

The Cheese (The Best Part!):

• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (freshly shredded preferred)
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or use 3 cups cheddar total)

For Serving:

• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional but pretty!)

Why These Ingredients Work

The ground beef is obviously doing the heavy lifting here. When it browns, those crispy bits stick to the pan and become flavor gold later when you add the broth.

Onion and garlic are non-negotiable. They smell amazing when they hit the hot pan, and they give the whole thing that savory base that makes it taste homemade instead of box-mix.

Here’s where it gets interesting – the Dijon mustard is my secret. Most people use ketchup in their cheeseburger pasta, but mustard brings this tangy punch that’s way better. Yellow mustard works too if that’s what you’ve got.

Worcestershire sauce makes people taste this and go “what IS that?” It’s like beef flavor times ten. Don’t skip it unless you absolutely have to.

I use smoked paprika because it tastes like summer grilling even though we’re cooking inside. Regular paprika is fine, but the smoked stuff? That’s the move.

Beef broth plus milk creates this creamy situation without being heavy. Some recipes use all milk or all broth, but splitting it is perfect. The broth tastes meaty, the milk makes it smooth.

Elbow macaroni is classic, but shells work great because they trap the cheese inside. I’ve used penne when that’s all I had. Just pick something short that’ll fit on a fork with the beef.

Cheddar and Monterey Jack together melt like a dream. Pre-shredded cheese from a bag has this powder coating that makes it clumpy when it melts. Shred your own if you can – it’s worth the extra minute.

Essential Tools and Equipment

You need maybe four things for this, and you probably own all of them:

• Large deep skillet or Dutch oven with a lid – Mine’s 12 inches and it’s perfect. Needs to be deep enough for pasta and liquid.
• Wooden spoon – For breaking up the beef and stirring everything.
• Knife and cutting board – For the onion and garlic.
• Box grater – If you’re shredding your own cheese, which I’m telling you right now makes a huge difference.

How To Make One Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni

Step 1: Brown the Beef and Onion

Toss your ground beef and diced onion into the skillet over medium-high heat. Break up the beef as it cooks – I use the edge of my wooden spoon to really crumble it up. This takes 6 to 8 minutes. You want the beef brown all over and the onion soft and see-through.

When it’s done, drain the fat. I just tilt the pan over the sink and hold the meat back with my spoon. Gets rid of the grease so your pasta isn’t swimming in oil later.

Step 2: Add the Seasonings

Toss in your garlic, mustard, Worcestershire, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir this around for a minute or two until your kitchen smells incredible. The garlic should smell toasty but not burned.

This is where all the flavor happens, so don’t rush it. Let those seasonings wake up in the hot pan.

Step 3: Pour in the Liquids

Pour in your beef broth and milk. Stir everything together and scrape any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pan. Those brown bits are pure flavor – you want them in your sauce, not stuck to the pan.

Step 4: Cook the Pasta

Dump in your uncooked macaroni and stir it around. Make sure all the noodles are under the liquid. Bring it to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and put the lid on.

Let it simmer for 12 to 15 minutes. Every 3 or 4 minutes, take the lid off and stir so nothing sticks. You’ll know it’s ready when the pasta’s tender and most of the liquid is gone. It should look creamy, not soupy.

Don’t wander off during this part. Pasta in a skillet needs more babysitting than pasta in a big pot of water.

Step 5: Melt in the Cheese

Take the skillet off the heat. This is important – if you add cheese while it’s still on the burner, it can get grainy and weird. Off the heat, stir in all your cheddar and Monterey Jack.

Keep stirring until every bit of cheese is melted and coating the pasta. The leftover heat from the pan will melt it perfectly.

Step 6: Serve and Enjoy

Sprinkle some parsley on top if you want it to look fancy. Then grab bowls and serve this up hot.

You Must Know

Drain that beef fat after browning. I know you’re thinking “but fat equals flavor” and you’re not wrong, but too much makes it greasy and nobody wants that. Just drain it off and move on.

Shred your own cheese. The pre-shredded stuff has cornstarch or whatever on it to keep it from clumping in the bag, but that same stuff keeps it from melting smooth. Five minutes with a grater makes this so much creamier.

Stir the pasta while it cooks. Every few minutes, lift that lid and give it a stir. Otherwise you’ll get pasta stuck to the bottom or some pieces cooked and others still crunchy.

Personal Secret: I add the tiniest pinch of cayenne with the other seasonings. Maybe 1/8 teaspoon. It doesn’t make it spicy at all – it just makes everything taste MORE.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Keep your heat at medium-low once you add the pasta. Too hot and the liquid evaporates before the pasta cooks. Too low and you’ll be standing there forever. Find that sweet spot where it’s bubbling gently.

Don’t have beef broth? Use chicken broth or even water. If you use water, throw in an extra splash of Worcestershire and a bit more salt to make up for the missing flavor.

The sauce will get thicker as it sits. Totally normal. The pasta keeps soaking up liquid even after you turn the heat off. When you reheat leftovers, add a splash of milk to loosen it back up.

If your pasta isn’t soft after 15 minutes but the liquid’s gone, add another 1/4 cup of broth and cook a few more minutes. Different brands of pasta cook at different speeds.

Want to feed more people without making a whole second batch? Throw in a bag of frozen peas or corn in the last 5 minutes. Stretches it further and sneaks in vegetables.

Flavor Variations / Suggestions

Once you’ve made this the regular way, try these:

Bacon Cheeseburger Mac – Cook some bacon first, crumble it up, and stir it in at the end. Because bacon.

Spicy Version – Use pepper jack instead of Monterey Jack and throw in some diced jalapeños with the onions. Add hot sauce at the table.

Veggie-Packed – Dice up a bell pepper or some zucchini and cook it with the beef and onions. Or stir in a handful of spinach right before you add the cheese.

BBQ Burger Mac – Replace half the beef broth with BBQ sauce and add a tablespoon of brown sugar. Tastes totally different but still amazing.

Mushroom Swiss – Use Swiss cheese instead of cheddar and cook sliced mushrooms with the onions. My husband requests this version all the time.

Make-Ahead Options

This recipe already takes 30 minutes, but if you want to make it even faster on a busy night, brown the beef and onions ahead of time. Keep them in the fridge for up to 2 days, then just pick up at step 2 when you’re ready to eat. Cuts your cooking time down to 15 minutes.

You can freeze the whole cooked dish too. Let it cool completely, then freeze it in portions for up to 3 months. The pasta will be softer when you thaw and reheat it, but it still tastes great.

I sometimes make a double batch and freeze half. Then on those nights when I just CANNOT with dinner, I’ve got this waiting in the freezer.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

The sauce gets thicker as it cools. This isn’t a mistake – it’s just pasta doing its thing. Add milk when you reheat and it’ll loosen right back up.

Can’t find Monterey Jack? Just use all cheddar. Or try Colby Jack. I’ve even used mozzarella when that’s all I had. It’s all good.

Want it extra creamy? Stir in a couple tablespoons of cream cheese with the other cheese at the end. So good.

This isn’t a super saucy mac and cheese – it’s more like the pasta is coated in cheese. If you like it saucier, add an extra half cup of milk.

Serving Suggestions

This is a complete meal on its own, but here’s what I serve with it when I’m feeling ambitious:

Green salad – Something fresh and crisp balances out all the cheese. I usually just do mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette.

Garlic bread – For soaking up every last bit of cheese sauce in the bowl.

Roasted broccoli or green beans – Quick in the oven while the pasta cooks, and my kids will actually eat vegetables if there’s cheese nearby.

Coleslaw – This is surprisingly perfect with it. Cool and crunchy against the hot creamy pasta, just like having slaw with your burger.

Pickles and sliced tomatoes – Keep it simple and just put out some dill pickles and fresh tomato slices. Makes it feel more like a deconstructed cheeseburger.

How to Store Your One Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni

Refrigerator: Keep leftovers in a container with a lid for up to 3 days. The pasta will soak up more sauce and get thicker, so add milk when you reheat it.

Freezer: Let it cool all the way down first, then freeze in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Write the date on it so you remember.

Reheating: Microwave individual bowls in 30-second bursts, stirring between each one. Or heat it on the stove over medium, stirring a lot. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of milk to bring back that creamy texture.

Make-ahead tip: If you know you’ll have leftovers, slightly undercook the pasta by a minute or two. It’ll finish cooking when you reheat it and won’t get mushy.

Allergy Information

This recipe contains:

• Dairy (milk and cheese)
• Gluten (pasta)
• Wheat (pasta)

How to substitute:

Dairy-free: Use non-dairy milk like almond or oat milk and dairy-free cheese shreds. Won’t melt quite as smooth, but still tastes good.

Gluten-free: Swap in gluten-free elbow macaroni. Brown rice pasta or chickpea pasta both work. You might need a bit more liquid since gluten-free pasta soaks up more.

Leaner version: Use 93% lean ground beef or ground turkey instead of regular beef. Less fat to drain.

Lactose issues: Try lactose-free milk and aged cheddar, which has less lactose naturally.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

My sauce turned out too thick – what happened?

Your heat was probably too high and the liquid cooked off too fast. Or you didn’t stir enough. Keep it at a gentle simmer next time and stir every few minutes. If your sauce is already thick, just add milk a few tablespoons at a time until it looks right.

Can I make this without the Worcestershire sauce?

You can, but it really makes a difference. If you need to skip it, try soy sauce or coconut aminos instead – about 2 teaspoons. Or just add an extra teaspoon of mustard and a little more salt.

The cheese looks grainy and weird – what did I do?

You added it while the pan was still on the heat. Cheese seizes up when it gets too hot. Always take the pan off the burner first, then add cheese and let the leftover heat melt it while you stir. If it’s already grainy, try stirring in a tablespoon of cream cheese – sometimes that helps.

What if I don’t have a lid for my skillet?

Use aluminum foil. Just crimp it tight around the edges to trap the steam. Works perfect. Or grab a lid from another pot if it’s big enough to mostly cover your skillet.

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! Did you add bacon? Drop a comment and let me know. And if you loved it, leave a rating so other people know it’s worth making.