Hamburger and Macaroni Casserole
This Hamburger and Macaroni Casserole is comfort food at its best, yet it’s super easy to prepare. The elbow macaroni pasta cooks directly in a creamy cheese sauce alongside rich savory ground beef. A beefy 3 cheese mac and cheese that requires only 10 minutes of hands-on prep time. Perfect for busy families!
Cooking pasta directly in its sauce makes it extra creamy in my opinion – similar to risotto I guess. This baked mac and cheese combines well-seasoned ground beef, my blender cottage cheese Alfredo sauce, and dried pasta all in one handy casserole dish. It cooks to perfection in the oven in a mere 30 minutes. This is a Hamburger Helper-inspired, easy-to-make, yet from scratch pasta bake my whole family loves and I hope yours will too!
For more creamy beef casseroles, make sure to check out my hamburger and potato casserole and hamburger and hash brown casserole as well. Both are picky eater approved as well!
If you loved this Hamburger and Macaroni Casserole Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating below. Thank you!
Hamburger and Macaroni Casserole
Ingredients
Ground beef mixture
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 3 green onions sliced, reserve some as garnish
- 2 garlic cloves minced
Cheese sauce
- 1 cup cottage cheese full-fat
- 2 cups milk
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black ground pepper
Other ingredients
- 2 cups elbow macaroni dry
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
- In a medium pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, salt, and ground black pepper. Start breaking up the ground beef while browning it slightly for 1-2 minutes.1 tbsp olive oil, 1 lb ground beef, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- Reserve some sliced green onions as a garnish for later. Add the remaining green onion slices and the garlic to the seasoned ground beef. Cook for 1-2 minutes until softened and fragrant while stirring. Remove the pan from the heat. The beef doesn't have to be fully cooked at this stage.3 green onions, 2 garlic cloves
- To make the sauce, add everything to a blender and blend it until smooth. Add the sauce on top and gently stir everything until thoroughly combined.1 cup cottage cheese, 2 cups milk, 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp black ground pepper
- Add the uncooked elbow macaroni to a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Add the ground beef mixture as a layer on top.2 cups elbow macaroni, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
- Pour over the cheese sauce and sprinkle over the mozzarella cheese on top. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. The macaroni should just about al dente, keeping in mind that the casserole continues to cook once it has been removed from the oven.
- Remove the hamburger macaroni casserole from the oven and let it set for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish it with the remaining green onions or fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients and substitutions
- Beef – I opted for lean ground beef with a 10% fat content for this recipe but you can use a fattier or leaner mix as well. Ground beef adds extra protein to the comforting casserole alongside the cottage cheese.
- Pasta – Dried elbow macaroni works well as each bit will have a beef and pasta mix. Other short pasta shapes including fusilli, penne, rigatoni, or bow tie would work equally well. Orzo or gnocchi make delicious options too. All can be cooked directly in the parmesan and cottage cheese sauce.
- Cheese – Grated mozzarella, parmesan, and cottage cheese give the 3 cheese mac and cheese its rich cheesy flavor. I use full-fat cottage cheese but you can use a lighter version too if needed. Cheddar cheese or gruyere would work well too.
- Milk – I use whole milk for a rich flavor but you can opt for lighter versions too. Use half and half or substitute some of the milk with heavy cream for an even creamier sauce.
- Vegetables – Green onions at plenty of fresh flavor to the ground beef mixture and add some color to the casserole. You can use a yellow onion instead. Fresh garlic, again, give the beef mix extra flavor. You can use 1 tsp of garlic powder instead of the two fresh cloves.
Step-by-Step: Hamburger and Macaroni Casserole
1. Brown the ground beef in some olive oil over medium-high heat. Season with salt, pepper, minced garlic, and green onions.
2. To make the cheese sauce, blend up cottage cheese, grated parmesan cheese, milk, salt, and pepper.
3. Add dried macaroni to a 9×13 inch casserole dish.
4. Add the ground beef mixture on top.
5. Pour over the cheese sauce.
6. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese on top and bake it for 30 minutes in a preheated oven.
My top 5 cheeseburger casserole tips
- Prevent dry beef: To avoid dry and rubbery ground beef, slightly undercook the beef mixture initially when browning it.
- Add veggies: Make it a complete meal by adding uncooked corn, peas, green beans, green or red bell peppers, or broccoli to the casserole alongside the macaroni.
- Liquid levels: Don’t be alarmed by the high liquid levels before baking. The macaroni absorb the cheese sauce while cooking.
- Golden topping: Switch on the broiler or grill for the last 5 minutes if the cheese hasn’t turned golden yet.
- Al dente pasta: The casserole continues to cook once it’s removed from the oven, so it’s ok for the macaroni to have a bit of bite at that stage.
