This homemade Beefaroni has ground beef and macaroni in a seasoned tomato sauce with cheese! Your family will want this easy dinner recipe every week!
Be sure to try my Ground Beef Casserole recipe next!
Beefaroni
I can’t be trusted around this Beefaroni recipe. The sauce is way too good, and this recipe comes together super fast! My family absolutely loves this one, especially my 7 year old daughter.
I have a feeling that this is going to become a regular in your dinner rotation! Here is what sets this recipe apart from a few others that are similar:
Beefaroni vs. Goulash vs. Hamburger Helper
- Beefaroni: Thicker sauce that includes tomato sauce/paste, a hint of cream, and chopped onions.
- Goulash/American Chops Suey: Includes diced tomatoes, onions, peppers, celery, and no creamy element to the sauce. (It is also a One Pot recipe.)
- Hamburger Helper: No tomato ingredients, slightly thinner sauce, no diced veggies.
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Season the ground beef with salt/pepper and sauté it with diced onions until cooked through. Set aside.
Add butter, garlic, flour, and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add sauce mixture in small splashes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add cheese and stir to combine. Add ground beef/onions back.
Add cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Serve!
Pro Tips
- Tomato Sauce: I use Hunt’s tomato sauce in this recipe, tomato passata can also be used.
- Tomato Paste: I use tomato paste tubes to measure smaller amounts, you can store the tubes in the fridge for zero waste!
- Cheese: I use Cracker Barrel Sharp Yellow cheese in this. Any fairly soft cheese from a block will melt well, Cheddar Jack is a fun variation to use along with cheddar!
- Grate the cheese from a block as it will melt much better than packaged grated cheese.
- Make sure the base isn’t too hot when you add the cheese, otherwise the dairy can separate and create a grainy consistency.
- Bouillon: A little beef bouillon adds depth of flavor, I use 1/2 tsp Better than Bouillon. This is optional, 1/4 tsp. salt can be used if omitting.
- Pasta: Medium pasta shells, rotini, and bowtie pasta are other great options for this recipe. If you like extra-extra saucy pasta, use just under 1/2 lb.
- Be sure to set a timer when cooking your pasta to avoid overcooking it.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers freeze/reheat well.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- 3-Quart Stainless Steel Sauté Pan– The same size as pictured in this recipe.
- Box cheese grater – Cheese based soups and sauces should always be made with freshly grated/shredded cheese, as it melts much creamier.
- 1 quart measuring cup with a spout– This is what I use to combine the sauce ingredients at the beginning. The spout makes it easy to add it to the roux in small splashes.
- Pasta Strainer– I have this one and love it.
- Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
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Beefaroni
Ingredients
Beefaroni
- 1 lb. ground beef
- Salt/Pepper
- ½ cup yellow onion, diced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cups cheddar cheese
- ½ lb. macaroni, equal to 2 cups
Sauce
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
- 8 oz. tomato sauce
- ½ cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon ketchup
- ½ beef bouillon cube, see notes
- ¾ teaspoon EACH: Dried oregano, basil, parsley
Instructions
- Combine sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup with a spout and set aside. Measure remaining ingredients before beginning.
- Season the ground beef with salt/pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground beef. Cook and crumble for 3 minutes, then add the onions. Sauté until the beef is cooked through, 5-6 minutes. Drain grease and set aside on a plate.
- Begin boiling a pot of water for the pasta. Add ½ tablespoon salt once a boil is reached.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, flour, and tomato paste and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the sauce mixture (from step 1) in small splashes, stirring continuously. Do this slowly to ensure the roux doesn’t break and that the sauce remains thick.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, while you boil the pasta to al dente, stirring occasionally as it cooks. Drain once cooked.
- Gradually sprinkle the cheese into the sauce, stirring continuously. (Optional: save some to melt on top at the end.)
- Add the ground beef/onions back to the sauce and stir to combine. Stir in the macaroni.
- If desired, sprinkle with remaining cheese and close the lid to allow it to melt. Serve!
Notes
- Tomato Sauce: I use Hunt’s tomato sauce in this recipe, tomato passata can also be used.
- Tomato Paste: I use tomato paste tubes to measure smaller amounts, you can store the tubes in the fridge for zero waste!
- Cheese: I use Cracker Barrel Sharp Yellow cheese in this. Any fairly soft cheese from a block will melt well, Cheddar Jack is a fun variation to use along with cheddar!
- Grate the cheese from a block as it will melt much better than packaged grated cheese.
- Make sure the base isn’t too hot when you add the cheese, otherwise the dairy can separate and create a grainy consistency.
- Bouillon: A little beef bouillon adds depth of flavor, I use 1/2 tsp Better than Bouillon. This is optional, 1/4 tsp. salt can be used if omitting.
- Pasta: Medium pasta shells, rotini, and bowtie pasta are other great options for this recipe. If you like extra-extra saucy pasta, use just under 1/2 lb.
- Be sure to set a timer when cooking your pasta to avoid overcooking it.
Storage:
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers freeze/reheat well.
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.
Here are a couple of recommendations for this awesome recipe. Always cook your onions before the ground beef. Otherwise, their flavors don’t wake up as much, and you may end up with a few crunchy raw-ish onions. Next, if you have extra cheese at the end, put it on top and put a lid on it to help it melt. The extra sharp cheese is definitely on point here. Kudos to you, Stephanie, for creating this.
How does this recipe compare to Chef Boyardee Beefaroni?
The Chef Boyaredee version tastes processed, this tastes fresh, much more flavorful. I’d be willing to bet if you tried it, you wouldn’t want to go back 🙂 The sauce makes it!
I make this almost once a week to maybe every 2 weeks. My little boy is 6 and a picky eat but he loves this! He will eat 2 to 3 plates every time we cook it!
I’m so happy your little boy is enjoying it so much Megan! My 7 year old devours this too. Definitely a great one for the kiddos!❤️
Made this tonight. Everyone loved it! Very good and flavorful.
Wahooo! Nice work, I’m so happy everyone loved it. Thanks so much for the review!😃
Recipe was so easy to make and was DELICIOUS!!
Excellent!! I am so happy to hear that Olivia! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, you’re the best! ❤️
Hello from Norway :). Regarding the sauce ingredients, what does ½ cup half and half mean?
Hi Rebecca! Half and Half is half milk, half cream. (So you can use 1/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup cream.)