Cheeseburger Macaroni
Homemade version of Hamburger Helper. My husband loves Hamburger Helper, but I hate the processed cheese taste. I invented this and it's now his favorite. I call it Cheeseburger Macaroni, but I actually use shells because I like how the sauce gets into them. Use whatever pasta you prefer.
Homemade version of Hamburger Helper. My husband loves Hamburger Helper, but I hate the processed cheese taste. I invented this and it's now his favorite. I call it Cheeseburger Macaroni, but I actually use shells because I like how the sauce gets into them. Use whatever pasta you prefer.
- Carbohydrate 52.3896636764706 g
- Cholesterol 133.6102 mg
- Fat 31.0763691539259 g
- Fiber 1.47324270272255 g
- Protein 43.186254810184 g
- Saturated Fat 17.1606467488987 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (459g)
- Sodium 764.267825 mg
- Sugar 50.916420973748 g
- Trans Fat 8.94287940502721 g
- Calories 669 calories
Step-by-step
- Add butter to a saucepan over medium high heat. Once melted add flour and stir. Add milk and stir frequently with a whisk.
- Brown Hamburger after seasoning with seasoned salt and pepper in a large pan.
- Cook pasta shells according to directions on the box.
- Once the sauce has thickened, add cheese.
- Once pasta is done, drain the water and add to the browned hamburger. Mix and then add cheese and fold until the pasta amd hamburger are covered with the cheese.
Trading small elbow macaroni for large pasta shells alters how the dairy sauce clings, creating pockets that trap the cheese mixture rather than letting it slide off the noodles. Cooking a flour and butter roux requires whisking continuously over medium-high heat until the raw flour taste dissipates and the liquid transforms into a viscous base that coats the back of a spoon. Whole milk yields a thicker end product than lower-fat alternatives due to higher milk fat content interacting with the melted cheese proteins. Determining doneness for the cheese sauce relies entirely on visual and textural cues rather than thermal measurements; look for a glossy sheen and a consistency that leaves a momentary path when a whisk is dragged across the bottom of the saucepan. Leftovers stored in an airtight container will thicken significantly in the refrigerator over a forty-eight hour window as the starch continues absorbing moisture, requiring a splash of milk during reheating on the stovetop to restore the original emulsion.
