Forget the boxed stuff, this recipe for Homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni is superior in flavor and pretty easy too. Why not try some tonight?

As far as comfort food goes, a dish like this filled with homemade cheese sauce, well-seasoned ground beef and pasta is tops. The warm, flavorful dish wraps you up in comforting layers of familiarity and coziness.

Homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni is perfect on a cool evening, when you wrap yourself up in a sweater and curl up on the couch to watch a favorite movie. And it’s perfect eaten together around the table, sharing the bits and pieces of your day.

However you eat it, it’s worth it.

How to make this Homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni recipe

Start by gathering your ingredients. This is essential to many recipes, and gets you ready to cook.

Now, brown your ground beef in a skillet on the stove, breaking it apart as you go. While it’s browning, mix up your spice mixture. This will give the meat flavor. Sprinkle it on when the meat is all browned.

Now, add the pasta and water to the skillet with the seasoned meat. The pasta will cook with the meat and seasonings, absorbing all the water and getting so flavorful. Make sure you cover it while it cooks.

That part is very similar to the recipes in my book, One-Pot Pasta. But this is actually a two-pot pasta recipe.

Now it’s time to make the cheese sauce in a separate saucepan. Butter, flour, cheddar, dry mustard. Easy peasy. Once it’s all creamy and perfect, pour it over the pasta mixture. Cook it a bit more, so it thickens, and then the dish is ready.

Ready to dig in? Serve this Homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni with your favorite vegetable side dish or a big green salad.

Yield: 4 servings

Homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni

Forget the boxed stuff, this recipe for Homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni is superior in flavor and pretty easy too. Why not try some tonight?

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef 
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder 
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp kosher salt 
2½ cups water
½ lb pasta (about 2 cups dry pasta) 
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour 
1½ cups milk 
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp ground mustard 
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

In a deep skillet, brown the ground beef over medium heat. Drain fat.

Meanwhile in a small bowl, mix together the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. Sprinkle the spice mixture on the ground beef and stir well to combine.

Add the water and pasta into the skillet. Stir. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until it turns a light golden color.

Add the milk a little at a time, whisking until fully combined. Cook until thickened, whisking occasionally -- about 5 minutes.

Add the cheese and ground mustard and stir until fully incorporated.

Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta mixture and stir well to combine. Cook on medium-low for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as desired.

Enjoy immediately.