The next time you crave a cheeseburger but don't have any buns or you just don't want to make a big mess, make this cheeseburger macaroni casserole instead. The recipe below is everything you love about cheeseburgers but with the convenience of it all sitting nicely on a fork: ketchup, mustard, dill and, of course, lots of cheese. If you use just a bit of bacon grease, you can even re-create the feeling of a bacon cheeseburger.
It's a dish the whole family will enjoy, and busy cooks will like the fact that it only takes about 40 minutes to pull together. After that it's just a short bake in the oven and you've got dinner on the table. Being a fairly large casserole, you may even have dinner for several nights.
Cheeseburger Macaroni Casserole
6
10 minutes
30 minutes
40 minutes
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes with juices
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fand grease a 9-by-13 casserole dish.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add pasta to the water and cook according to the package directions, draining about one minute earlier than stated.
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add meat and cook until it's browned.
Add onions and garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and break them apart slightly.
Add ketchup, mustard, dill, paprika and salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes and no longer or the taste of ketchup will cook out.
Add drained macaroni to the sauce and stir to ensure everything is evenly coated. Pour the mixture into the casserole dish and top evenly with cheese.
Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbling throughout.