Ground Beef Mac and Cheese is a savory, cheesy skillet dinner with tender macaroni, a tomato-rich coating, and melted cheddar and mozzarella. Make it on a weeknight when you want beef and pasta without a separate pot for boiling the macaroni.
How to make ground beef mac and cheese: Cook the beef over medium heat, then simmer the dry macaroni uncovered in the beef, tomato sauce, and stock for about 10 minutes, until tender. Add the cheese, turn off the heat, and cover the skillet for a 5-minute rest.
Why You’ll Love It
- One skillet: The macaroni cooks in the same high-sided pan as the beef, so you don’t need a separate pasta pot.
- Weeknight timing: Allow 5 minutes for prep, 20 minutes for cooking, and a 5-minute rest.
- Two cheese textures: Cheese stirred through the pasta coats each spoonful, while cheese scattered on top melts under the lid.
- An easy stopping point: You can taste the macaroni and check that it’s tender before adding the cheese.
Ingredient Notes
Ground beef: Buy the 90/10 mix listed here. You cook it with chopped red pepper and garlic before adding any liquid, so keep breaking it up as it cooks; you want pieces distributed through the macaroni rather than large clumps. I like using a high-sided skillet from the start so there’s room to stir once the stock and pasta go in.
Hot tomato sauce: Look for a 7-ounce can of hot tomato sauce, not plain tomato sauce. The sauce is part of the liquid the dry macaroni cooks in, as well as part of the finished flavor. Don’t swap it for a thick tomato product and assume the pasta will cook the same way.
Beef stock and macaroni: Measure the stock and use dry macaroni. That distinction matters: the pasta goes straight into the simmering beef-and-stock mixture, with no separate boiling step. I keep a spoon handy for checking a piece of pasta near the end rather than judging doneness by how much liquid I can see.
Cheese: Have the sharp cheddar and low-moisture mozzarella grated before the pasta is tender. You’ll stir most of each into the skillet and reserve the rest for the covered finish. My pick is to keep that final handful out of the sauce so you get visible melted cheese across the top.
Seasonings and garnish: Onion powder and dried Italian seasoning go in with the tomato sauce and stock. Wait to taste before adding salt and black pepper; fresh chives go on after the covered rest, when you’re ready to serve.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef, 90/10 mix
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium red pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 can hot tomato sauce, 7 ounces
- 1 quart beef stock
- 8 ounces dry macaroni pasta
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 4 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese, grated
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Fresh chives, for garnish
How to Make Ground Beef Mac and Cheese
1. Cook the beef. Heat the olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, chopped red pepper, and minced garlic. Stir regularly to break up the beef, and cook until it’s cooked through and a food thermometer reads 160°F.
2. Add the seasonings and liquid. Stir in the onion powder, dried Italian seasoning, hot tomato sauce, and beef stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer before you add the pasta.
3. Cook the macaroni. Stir in the dry macaroni and leave the skillet uncovered. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring so you can check the pasta, until a piece you taste is tender. Taste the mixture and add salt and black pepper as needed.
4. Add the cheese. Stir in about two-thirds of the grated cheeses. Turn off the heat, scatter the remaining cheese over the macaroni, and cover the skillet. You should still see that layer of cheese on top when the lid goes on.
5. Rest and serve. Leave the skillet covered for 5 minutes. Lift the lid, add fresh chives, and spoon out the macaroni while the cheese on top is melted.
Keep the Macaroni Tender
The texture to aim for is tender macaroni in a cheesy coating, not pasta that has disappeared into the sauce. Cooking the dry macaroni uncovered lets you taste it as it simmers with the beef, tomato sauce, and stock. Stop when it is tender; the clock is a guide, but your bite of pasta is the useful check.
I wouldn’t put the lid on during the pasta cook. In this method, the lid has a different job: it covers the cheese after the heat is off. Stirring cheese through tender macaroni first gives you coating around the pasta, while the reserved cheese finishes as a soft melted layer on top.
That order also gives you a clear moment to make an adjustment. If the macaroni still has a firm center, leave the cheese out and keep cooking it uncovered until that bite is tender. Once the cheese is in, you’re finishing the dish rather than trying to cook the pasta through it.
Tips for Success
Why are there big pieces of beef in my macaroni?
If the beef stays in large chunks, you won’t get much of it in every spoonful. Break it up regularly while it cooks with the pepper and garlic, before the stock goes in. I use the stirring spoon to press apart any pieces that are still holding together.
Why is my macaroni still firm when the cooking time is up?
The time is approximate; tenderness is the cue. Taste a piece before reaching for the cheese, then continue the uncovered simmer if it still feels firm in the middle. Check another piece rather than adding the cheese to pasta that isn’t ready.
Why did the top cheese disappear into the sauce?
If you stir after scattering the reserved cheese, it becomes part of the coating instead of a melted layer. Once that cheese is on top, cover the skillet and leave it alone for the rest. You can scoop through the topping when you serve.
Variations
- Change the seasoning: Use chili powder in place of the dried Italian seasoning for a different beef-and-tomato flavor.
- Change the cheese: Use American cheese in place of the cheddar if you prefer it with beef, macaroni, and tomato sauce. Keep the macaroni-tenderness check before adding any cheese.
- Skip the garnish: Leave off the fresh chives if you want the beef, tomato, and cheese to be the final flavors in each bite.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers. Keep them refrigerated for 3 to 4 days or freeze them for 3 to 4 months; thaw frozen leftovers in the refrigerator, cold water, or microwave, not on the counter. Reheat the mac and cheese until a food thermometer reads 165°F.
What to Serve With It
This is a filling skillet dinner on its own. If you’re planning other meals around it, try Good Ole Fashion Mac and Cheese when you want a cheese-focused option, or Slow Cooker Amish Ground Beef Noodle Casserole for another beef-and-noodle dinner. For a change in flavor, there’s 15 Minute Mongolian Ground Beef Noodles; for a baked dinner, see Hobo Casserole Rustic Ground Beef and Potato Bake. You can also save Slow Cooker Amish Ground Beef Gravy Noodles or Slow Cooker 4-Ingredient Beef and Noodles for a night when you’d rather use your slow cooker.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put ground beef in mac and cheese?
Yes. Here, the ground beef cooks in the skillet before the macaroni, then stays in the pan as the pasta simmers. You end up with beef throughout the cheesy macaroni rather than a separate topping.
Do I need to drain the beef?
The skillet method uses 90/10 ground beef and doesn’t call for a draining step. Buy that mix if you want to follow the ingredient list and method as written.
Can I leave off the chives?
Yes. They’re a fresh garnish added when you serve, not an ingredient the macaroni needs while it cooks. Leave them off if you don’t want that final garnish.
Final Notes
Keep the grated cheese beside the skillet so it’s ready as soon as the macaroni tastes tender. If you have a question or make the dish, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Ground Beef Mac and Cheese
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Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef 90/10 mix
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium red pepper chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 can hot tomato sauce 7 ounces
- 1 quart beef stock
- 8 ounces macaroni pasta dry
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese grated
- 4 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese grated
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- fresh chives for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, chopped red pepper and minced garlic. Cook, stirring regularly to break up the beef, until the beef is cooked through and a food thermometer reads 160°F.
- Stir in the onion powder, Italian seasoning, hot tomato sauce and beef stock. Bring to a simmer.
- Stir in the dry macaroni. Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes, until the macaroni is tender. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.
- Stir in about two-thirds of the grated cheeses. Turn off the heat, scatter the remaining cheese over the top and cover the skillet.
- Let rest for 5 minutes, then serve with fresh chives.
