20-Minute Cheeseburger Macaroni Recipe Will Make You Toss the Box Beef Pasta Dinner Budget-friendly

You know what chili mac box we're talking about. Not knocking it, but if you can make this easy homemade chili mac recipe almost as fast, why do you need help from a box? Think about it. After you make this simple, budget-friendly ground beef recipe once, we bet you'll never go back to the box. And you'll be chillin' with a big bowl of it in about 20 minutes.

The simple cheeseburger macaroni recipe is made with ground beef, onion, garlic, chili powder, ground cumin, brown sugar, tomato sauce, elbow macaroni and shredded cheddar cheese. The ground beef is cooked with the onion, garlic, chili powder and ground cumin in a skillet until cooked through. Water, brown sugar and tomato sauce are added, then comes the pasta. Cook until the pasta is tender, then add half of the cheese. Stir until melted and add the remaining cheese on top. Done!

Serve this budget dinner with a fresh vegetable or salad for a complete meal. Reheat the leftovers for lunch the next day.

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Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 8 ounces elbow macaroni
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

Here's how to make it: 

1. Cook the ground beef along with the onion, garlic, chili powder and cumin in a skillet until meat is browned. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 
2. Add the water, brown sugar and tomato sauce. Stir to combine. Add the pasta, stir, cover and cook until pasta is tender, about 10 minutes. 
3. When pasta is tender, stir in 1 cup of the cheese until melted. Top with the remaining cheese and cover until melted. Garnish with the parsley before serving. 

Helpful Products

• Grater
• Cutting Board
• Chef Knife
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons
• Skillet
• Salt and Pepper
• Rubber Spatula

Recipe Notes

• Try this recipe with ground turkey or ground chicken instead of beef.

• Freshly grated cheese melts better than pre-shredded bagged cheese. 

Nutrition Facts Per Serving

Calories: 724

Total Fat: 22.3g

Saturated Fat: 12.9g

Cholesterol: 82mg

Sodium: 514mg

Total Carbohydrate: 91.9g

Dietary Fiber: 4.9g

Total Sugars: 6.3g

Protein: 37.5g

Vitamin D: 7mcg

Calcium: 453mg

Iron: 10mg

Potassium: 564mg

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. This recipe has been analyzed by VeryWellFit. However, any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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