Homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni

Anyone else have fond memories of Hamburger Helper growing up? Yeah. Me too. So when I came across this from-scratch recipe on Pinterest I was so, so, so excited. This is a super simple weeknight dish – it’s a one pot meal that takes 20 minutes start to finish. It was also a crowd pleaser… Brogan shouted, “Mommy, this is the best dinner ever! I want you to make this again!” Now it’s not the first time he’s flattered me with such a compliment, but regardless, he really liked it. Even the adults around here went back for seconds. I ate it as leftovers for lunch today and it was great reheated. I stuck really close to the original recipe, except that I added some diced onion to the ground beef, and used black pepper instead of cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes (it would have been too spicy for my boys). Hope you enjoy!

Homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni

1 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
2 cups milk
2 cups beef broth
2 cups elbow macaroni (uncooked)
1 tbsp corn starch
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp ketchup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1.) In a large skillet or dutch oven, add onion and brown meat over medium-high. Drain off any fat.
2.) Add milk, beef broth, macaroni, and all other ingredients except cheese. Stir well, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or until macaroni is done. Stir occasionally to make sure the macaroni does not stick to the bottom.
3.) When macaroni is finished, remove form heat, and stir in cheddar cheese.