Mac and Cheeseburger

This Mac & Cheeseburger is the perfect comfort food. Not your typical Gourmet Mac & Cheese as it's less cheesy than most others. Nonetheless this Mac & Cheese will be a hit!

Frequent visitors to my food blog will know that there is nothing I love more than a good Gourmet Mac and Cheese.

I usually prefer my Mac & Cheese to be heavy on cheese but sometimes it's nice for the cheese to be in moderation. Just like this Mac and Cheeseburger recipe.

For this recipe, I decided to use Tri-Color Rotini but just like any Mac & Cheese recipe, you can use whatever type of pasta you want.

💭 Recipe Tip

While you can pretty much use any brand of cream cheese, I highly recommend you use Philadelphia brand cream cheese. You will taste the difference.

The important thing to remember is to cook the pasta al dente by following the directions on the package. Overcooked pasta in Mac & Cheese is just not as good in my opinion.

I often get asked why add ground mustard to cheese sauce. Basically the ground mustard makes the cheese "cheesier".

💭 What is Al Dente

When making Mac and Cheese, it's important to cook the pasta al dente to ensure to best texture possible. If you are not familiar with the term "al dente", it means cooking the pasta so it's still chewy and form and that it will hold its shape when the sauce is added to it.

💭 Recipe Variation

I usually make this Mac & Cheese dish with ground beef but on a few occasions, I used ground turkey. Either one will taste great! Just remember that if you use ground beef, try to get it as lean as possible.

🐄 How to Handle Raw Beef

Thaw raw ground beef on a plate on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator, to avoid dripping onto other foods.
Keep raw and ready-to-eat meats separate.
Wash hands thoroughly before and after handling raw ground beef. Wash cutting boards, bowls, and utensils used to prepare raw ground beef with hot soapy water and rinse well.
Use separate plates to carry raw ground beef patties to the cooking area and cooked patties to the serving area.
Use a Thermometer to ensure Ground Beef Reaches the Safely Cooked Internal Temperature of 160°F.

Another of my favorite recipes to make is my One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese. Super easy to make!

📋 Gather your Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to make this Mac and Cheeseburger recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Pasta, Lean Ground Beef, Yellow Onion, Worcestershire Sauce, Dry Mustard, Diced Tomatoes, Low-fat Milk, All Purpose Flour, Cheddar Cheese, Cream Cheese, Parsley, Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper.

🥣 How to make Mac and Cheeseburger

Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add beef, onion, Worcestershire, and mustard. Cook, stirring often until meat is done. Transfer meat mixture to a bowl. Stir in tomatoes.
Add milk and flour into skillet. Stir constantly until a rue is formed. Add cheeses and stir until all the cheese is melted.
Remove skillet from heat. Stir in pasta and meat mixture. Top with parsley (optional), salt, and pepper.

📖 Recipe