Bacon Cheeseburger Macaroni
Homemade Bacon Cheeseburger Macaroni...AKA Hamburger Helper COPYCAT! This dish is total comfort food and is a family favorite at our house.
Did you grow up eating Hamburger Helper on a regular basis? I think most of us children of the 80's had our share of the incredibly convenient but terrifying ingredient list dinner. Hey, it was a time when farm-to-table was not exactly a movement yet.
While I can't say I've had the HH for years, I still feel a bit of nostalgia every time I pass it in the grocery store. That little oven mitt dude is just so cute! In an effort to make it a little healthier and better flavor, I developed my own version!
Dare I say I also have a craving for good 'ol Hamburger Helper every now and then? I'm pretty sure I've had every variety of Hamburger Helper possible, my favorite was definitely the Cheeseburger Macaroni. Occasionally I just crave that creamy, beefy pasta.
I'm guessing you know where this is leading.... I decided to make it from scratch!
How to Make Homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni Recipe
While this does take a bit more effort than the boxed version, it is significantly more delicious and is still actually pretty easy. To start, you cook the bacon. Next, cook the ground beef over medium-high heat in a large skillet or dutch oven. You can also add some diced onions and minced garlic at this point, if you like. Whisk together the sauce ingredients which is the tomato sauce, beef broth, dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce, along with the cornstarch. Lastly, combine the ground beef, bacon, sauce, cooked pasta, and shredded cheddar cheese all together! That's it!
All three of us ended up loving this dinner! Marc and I both ate our fair share and Lars had multiple helpings, which I always count as a win. It was delicious, comforting, and super filling.
Hamburger Helper Copycat Tips
- Swap the protein. You can use ground turkey or ground chicken if you prefer it over lean ground beef.
- Get fancy with the garnish. If you like, top the macaroni with fresh chopped parsley!
I served it with a kale salad to round it out, which I'm positive I never ate with Hamburger Helper either. Oh how the times have changed.
Bacon Cheeseburger Macaroni
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook bacon until your preferred doneness.
- Remove bacon and grease from skillet and set aside.
- While the bacon is cooking, bring a pot of water to boil. Add macaroni and cook according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water once cooked.
- In the same skillet you cooked the bacon, cook the ground beef until cooked through, breaking it apart into pieces as it cooks.
- In a medium bowl, combine beef broth, tomato sauce, dijon, and Worcestershire, and whisk to combine.
- Take ¼ cup of this liquid mixture and transfer it to a small bowl. Add cornstarch to the small bowl and whisk until smooth. This will ensure the cornstarch does not get chunky in the bigger bowl of liquid.
- Add cornstarch mixture to liquid and stir well to combine.
- Add pasta and liquid to skillet with the beef, and stir well to combine.
- Heat over medium-low heat, stirring often. The mixture will thicken up in about 2-3 minutes.
- Once thickened, add the bacon and cheese and stir to combine.
- Cover the skillet for 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve and enjoy!
Love that you made a healthier version! Way better than the boxed stuff!
Thanks Jessica!!