Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese
The salad is just for decoration. Kidding! (Or am I?)
Surely I am not the only person who has been craving comfort food like crazy lately, right? Casseroles, roasts, chili, grilled cheese. So. Much. Grilled. Cheese.
I’m sure that’s just a sign of brain frittering away its last few viable self-care cells because, well, you know…
Speaking of casseroles, do you consider mac and cheese a casserole? Discuss.
I don’t, simply because I am too lazy to bake it in the oven. Oh, and I refuse to make a damn roux, too. Mac and cheese should be something you can make on a whim, with only 20 minutes and a few ingredients standing between you and a big ass bowl of cheesy goodness.
And by cheesy goodness, I mean a mac packed with all the flavors of a cheeseburger. YES, THAT INCLUDES PICKLES. ARE YOU NEW HERE? (If you are, hello! I eat too many pickles and try to convince you to do the same. Welcome!)
This mac comes together entirely on the stove top and only needs two pans. You cook the pasta with the milk and water while the beef browns, so this comes together super duper quickly. As always, use this as a template and riff away with reckless abandon. It’s my favorite way to make mac and cheese, and it’s also friggin’ delicious with pickled jalapenos, pulled pork, and BBQ sauce instead of mustard and ketchup.
Get your stretchy britches! We’re makin’ mac.
Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes
8 ounces ground beef (or whatever burger protein you love)
8 ounces short pasta, like elbow
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
3 pickle spears, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt, pepper, Lawry’s seasoned salt
1 cup panko bread crumbs (optional)
In a medium saucepan, bring the water and milk to a boil over medium heat. Season well with salt. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t overflow!
While the milk and water heat up, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Pat your meat into a giant burger that is about 1 inch thick. Pat the top of the meat dry and season your meat with salt, pepper, and Lawry’s seasoning immediately before putting it in the skillet. (I do this on a plate and just flip the meat out right into the hot skillet from the plate because I’m worth it, but you can just smash it around in a hurry once it’s in the skillet.)
Once the oil is shimmering, add beef in one large patty, smashing down quickly so it looks like one giant smashburger in your skillet. Season the unseasoned side of the beef. Cook undisturbed until the bottom forms a nice brown crust and flip. Once the second side has been cooking for 2-3 minutes, use your spatula to chop up the burger into bite-sized hunks; don’t crumble it! You want this to feel like little bites of burger tucked into your noods. Once fully cooked, use a slotted spoon to drain meat on a paper towel lined plate. Season to taste.
When whisps of steam rise from the milk and water and bubbles start to rise to the surface, add the pasta and stir well until the pasta doesn’t stick together. Cook the pasta for 6-8 minutes, or until just slightly beyond al dente. Remove from heat, stirring to help cool slightly for a minute. Add ketchup, mustard, pickle, and FOLD THE CHEESE IN, DAVID
But seriously, fold the cheese in and stir until completely melted and combined with the ketchup and mustard. It will look a little loose, but that’s okay! Adjust seasonings to taste and add the cute lil’ burger hunks to the mixture. Stir well to combine and let sit covered and undisturbed for 5 minutes to let everything come together.
While the mac sits, wipe out the skillet you used for the beef and add 2 tablespoons of oil, swirling around to coat. Heat over medium and add panko, stirring often until super golden brown and crunchy. Season breadcrumbs with Lawry’s to taste.
Give the mac and cheese on final stir and serve, topping with crispy crunchy breadcrumbs that taste like Midwestern gold.
Find your largest spoon and comfiest pants and most favorite Netflix movie and enjoy a big ass bowl of this creamy, crunchy, tangy, and satisfying mac and cheese.
Note: You can totally bake this if you want! Preheat your oven to 350 as you start to cook and grease a medium casserole dish. Pour prepared mac into the dish and top with bread crumbs. Bake for 20 minutes or until nice and bubbly.