This homemade Beefaroni recipe is packed with savory ground beef and macaroni noodles tossed in a rich, flavorful tomato sauce with cheese. It’s the ultimate family-pleaser for a weeknight dinner!
I love nostalgic comfort food like Beefaroni, homemade alphabet soup, and mac and cheese. For another easy one-pan dinner, try this cheesy chicken and broccoli pasta!
Depending on where you are in the world, you might know today’s combination of ground beef and macaroni noodles in tomato sauce as American goulash, chop suey, or slumgullion. In our house, we call it Beefaroni! I LOVED eating this cheesy beef and tomato pasta as a kid! And since I live in a house of pasta fiends, it’s still one of my family’s favorite comfort foods.
Why I Love This Beefaroni Recipe
- The sauce is too good. The sauce in this homemade Beefaroni is unmatched. Creamy, tomatoey, and packed with savory seasonings. Not to mention CHEESE!
- Superfast. This Beefaroni recipe is quick to prep and cooks in just 25 minutes. Plus, it’s a one-pan pasta recipe, so you cook everything apart from the noodles in one skillet.
- Family-friendly. If your kiddos love Hamburger Helper, this recipe is very similar. One main difference is that Beefaroni has tomatoes, while Hamburger Helper doesn’t. Besides, my beefaroni recipe has so much flavor that the whole family begs me to make it at least twice a month.
What You’ll Need
Who else grew up eating Chef Boyardee Beefaroni from a can? Well, making it at home means knowing exactly what goes into it. Which if you ask me is way better! These are some notes on the ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable list with the full recipe details.
For the Sauce
- Beef Broth – This can be homemade stock or store-bought low-sodium beef broth. Chicken broth also works here.
- Milk – I recommend whole milk. Milk with lower fat content may curdle. You could use heavy cream for a richer sauce.
- Tomato Sauce – Choose your favorite tomato sauce or tomato passata from the store. Or, if you have a family recipe, go ahead and use it. You’ll also need tomato paste.
- Worcestershire Sauce – This is my secret ingredient for adding a kick of umami to everything from chili to Bolognese and meatloaf. You can also use soy sauce.
- Brown Sugar – Or use granulated sugar, to offset the tanginess of the tomatoes.
For the Beefaroni
- Elbow Macaroni – Macaroni puts the “roni” in Beefaroni! But that doesn’t mean you can’t make this recipe with another short-cut pasta. Other good choices are penne, rigatoni, rotini, ziti, shells, or bowtie pasta.
- Onion – Yellow onion, or another mild variety, diced up.
- Ground Beef – I recommend lean ground beef as it won’t make the dish too greasy.
- Seasonings – You’ll need salt and pepper, garlic powder, mustard powder, dried oregano, and dried basil.
- Butter and Flour – To make what’s called a roux, used to thicken the tomato gravy. The butter can be salted or unsalted.
- Cheese – I use shredded cheddar, but just about any soft, melting cheese will work. Monterey Jack is another good option, or you can even use Velveeta. Make sure to grate the cheese fresh from the block, as it melts much smoother.
How to Make Beefaroni
This easy recipe comes together quickly on the stovetop; all you’ll need is a skillet and a large pot for the pasta.
- Make the sauce. First, whisk together the sauce ingredients (broth, milk, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar) while you boil the macaroni in salted water. Set aside a cup of the pasta water before you drain the noodles.
- Sauté. Meanwhile, sauté the onion in olive oil, then add the ground beef. Season and then cook the beef until it’s nicely broken up and browned. Move the meat to a plate with a slotted spoon afterward.
- Make a roux. Next, you’ll whisk flour into the pan with melted butter. Let that cook off a bit before adding the tomato paste.
- Finish the sauce. Whisk the prepared sauce into the roux. Sprinkle in some dried oregano and basil, and keep simmering until the sauce thickens. Lastly, take the pot off the heat and melt in the shredded cheese.
- Put it all together. Now, add the cooked macaroni and ground beef. Stir that all together with the cheesy tomato sauce and a splash of pasta water, and dig in! I like to garnish my Beefaroni with fresh parsley.
Recipe Tips and Add-in Ideas
- Don’t overcook the pasta. Boil the elbow macaroni al dente according to the directions on the package. Be careful not to overcook the pasta or it’ll be mushy.
- Salt the pasta water. Toss a couple of heaping spoonfuls of salt into the boiling water you’ll use to cook the pasta. Salted pasta water is key to flavorful pasta. Don’t forget to set aside some of the water before draining the pasta, too! The starches leftover are great for emulsifying the tomato sauce.
- Add the cheese off the heat. Make sure that the sauce isn’t still simmering when you add the cheese. If it’s too hot, the dairy can separate and make the sauce grainy.
- Swap out the beef. Substitute ground beef for lean ground turkey or chicken instead.
- Add veggies. Add diced bell peppers, carrots, celery, pan-fried or roasted mushrooms, broccoli florets, or green peas. You can sauté quick-cooking veggies alongside the onions in this recipe.
- Make it spicy. To give this Beefaroni some heat, sprinkle over crushed red pepper flakes or add a pinch of cayenne when seasoning the ground beef. You can also add a dash of your preferred hot sauce.
What to Serve With Beefaroni
I love Beefaroni with Cheddar Bay biscuits or garlic breadsticks on the side and a sharing-size Caesar salad or roasted vegetable salad for the table. I’ll also serve it with easy veggie sides like steamed broccoli, or roasted asparagus and Brussels sprouts. It’s such a cozy, comforting weeknight dinner!
Sweeten things up afterward with this chocolate mug cake or a slice of German marble cake for dessert.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Store any leftover Beefaroni in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat within 3 days.
- Reheat. Warm leftovers on the stovetop or in the microwave. You can also cover the Beefaroni with foil and warm it in the oven. I recommend sprinkling the Beefaroni with a little water or broth to loosen the sauce up.
- Freeze. Beefaroni freezes great for up to 3 months. I’ll sometimes transfer the cooled Beefaroni to a casserole dish before double-wrapping it with plastic wrap or foil, and place it into the freezer. This way, it’s ready to thaw in the fridge and go right into the oven to reheat.
More Ground Beef Recipes
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Make the sauce. Whisk together the broth, milk, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar. Set aside.
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Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water. Cook the macaroni in boiling water per the package’s instructions. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Set aside.
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Saute the onion. Set a large, heavy-bottomed saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and saute until translucent.
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Brown the beef. Add the beef to the pan with the onions and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and mustard powder. Cook the beef until it’s nicely caramelized and cooked through, crumbling it with a wooden spoon as you go. Transfer the beef and onion to a plate with a slotted spoon. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of grease.
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Make a roux. Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the pan. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour and cook for 30 seconds, whisking continuously. Whisk in the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds, whisking continuously.
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Add the sauce. Whisk the sauce into the roux and cook, whisking all the while, until smooth. Season with oregano and basil, and cook until thickened.
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Make it cheesy. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese. Keep stirring until it has fully melted into the sauce.
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Put it all together. Stir the macaroni and cooked ground beef mixture into the cheesy tomato sauce. If the sauce isn’t adhering to the pasta well, stir in a bit of the reserved pasta water.
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Serve. Serve the beefaroni warm, garnished with fresh parsley.
Calories: 585kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 1484mg | Potassium: 652mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1079IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 340mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.