Cheeseburger Macaroni and Cheese

I love to play around with mac and cheese flavors to make them taste like classic dishes that we all love! This one tastes exactly like a big, juicy, all-American cheeseburger with lots of melty cheese, grilled onions, pickles, ketchup, and mustard. If you shut your eyes and take a bite, you'll be amazed! A green salad or Caesar salad is a great accompaniment for this.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
• Calories: 497 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 quart milk
• 1 cup crushed potato chips
• ½ cup ketchup
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese blend
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound lean ground sirloin
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) package cavatappi (corkscrew macaroni)
• 1 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• ⅓ cup yellow mustard
• 4 small tomatoes, sliced
• 16 slices deli-style American cheese, cut into pieces

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 2

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and add oil. Cook cavatappi pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain well in a strainer and set aside. Rinse and wipe out the pot.

Step 3

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add ground sirloin, breaking it up and cooking until brown all the way through, 7 to 10 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 4

Meanwhile, heat milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, making sure it does not boil.

Step 5

Melt 1/2 cup of butter in the large pot over low heat and add flour. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. Add hot milk to the pot, whisking constantly, until thickened and smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add American cheese, Cheddar cheese, and Cheddar-Jack cheese. Season with 1 tablespoon salt, a pinch of nutmeg, and black pepper to taste. Stir until melted, about 2 minutes more. Add ketchup, mustard, and dill. Stir cooked pasta and sirloin mixture into the cheese. Pour macaroni and cheese into a large baking dish.

Step 6

Arrange sliced tomatoes on top of macaroni and cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Step 7

Combine break crumbs, potato chips, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil in a resealable plastic bag. Seal bag and shake to combine. Sprinkle topping evenly over tomatoes in the baking dish.

Step 8

Bake in the preheated oven until sauce is bubbly and bread crumb topping is browned, 30 to 35 minutes.